Diane Birch - Nous
In case you overlooked Diane Birch’s magnificently dark, brooding, melancholic yet hopeful EP Nous in 2015, there is now a vinyl version with an extra track to complete the story. Inspired by Hypatia, the 4th century mathematician and astronomer Hypatia who was (literally) torn to shreds for being too progressive and, oh, a woman, the record was written, produced and released by Birch herself on her own label, Hymnpatia (we see what you did there, Diane). Here the piano prodigy daughter of a Seventh-day Adventist preacher talks us through the eight tracks that make up this stunning piece of work. And the title? Yes, if means ‘us’ in French, but mainly it’s Greek for ‘mind’, ‘intellect’ and ‘common sense’. If you possess any of the latter, you will use it and get to know this record.
What was the genesis of Nous? When did Hypatia first cross your path, and how does her story tie in with the record?
The theme was inspired organically by an overall state of mind which I suppose was brewing for some time. I found myself looking inward and starting to question so many of my beliefs and ideas about the world and realizing how subconsciously programmed I was, even though I've always believed myself to be progressive and unconventional. As I started to evolve within I noticed the same kinds of struggles and shifts outside in the world. The divine feminine was a very strong theme for me with Nous. Realizing how suppressed she had been within not only myself but in the world. Hypatia was of course an inspiration given the threat of her power within a patriarchal system. We are still fighting the same battles that so many strong women have given their life for, so she was a muse of sorts for the opening.
When did the title come to you? It’s beautifully ambiguous.
A friend had texted me a quote from a book she was reading and 'Nous' had been described as 'the finest point of the soul'. This really struck me and I researched it further. The older philosophical definitions point to 'awareness, understanding, intuition' etc... I also liked the ambiguity of it as it could also be referred to as 'we' in French, which seemed equally appropriate.
We won’t lie: the phrase ‘additional saxophone recorded by Stuart Matthewman in NYC’ blows our mind. How did you snare a member of ACTUAL SADE?
Ha! I'm also a huge Sade fan. Stuart has been a good friend of mine for quite some years now and also happens to be one of the loveliest people on the planet. He has such a signature sound and one that I felt would evoke the smoothness that I wanted on the album.
You recorded the album in Berlin. How did the city influence this album, do you think, if at all?
Berlin was a wonderful place for me to focus and I was deeply inspired by the history and manner in which the city has risen from the ashes of its past. It was also incredibly therapeutic to be in an environment where I could fully express myself without the pressure of NYC socially, financially, logistically et cetera. I felt very free there and the musicians were wonderful, as well as the studios filled with pristine German gear that would make any audiophile's mouth water, ha ha.
‘Thank you to my muse and partner in crime, Meshakai Wolf’, you write, and that Nous would not exist without him. Can you expand on that?
Meshakai was my boyfriend at the time and we also moved to Berlin together. He was a massive support in every phase of the album and practically dragged me out the door and into a studio from being curled up in a ball on the floor wanting to quit music. He was my muse and a creative collaborator on videos, album art et cetera, and we also wrote the lyrics for Kings of Queens together.
Ordinary Angels is the extra track on the newly released vinyl edition. Why did it need to be on here to complete the story?
Ordinary Angels was an older track like so many others bumming around in my hard drive. I'd always liked it and felt it was a shame that it never had anywhere to go in terms of a release. When we agreed a vinyl pressing with Rough Trade, I thought it would be nice to make it special and add a bonus track, so I threw it in the mix.
It’s such a great short phrase on the sleeve: ‘Produced by Diane Birch’. Are we right in thinking this is the first time you did everything yourself? Was this important to you, a moment of: ‘I’m ready’?
Yes, it meant a lot to me to feel like I'd really done something on my own. After so many years on a major leaning label and a team of people around me, I had really lost sight of my own creativity. It took a hell of a lot of work for me to build myself up to a place where I believed in my singular vision again as I had done so many years ago when I was just starting out, and it was a very rewarding experience to prove to myself that I had the power to create and do it all myself and not be at the mercy of everyone else.
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Nous by Diane Birch, track by track
Hymn for Hypatia
“(And the light shines in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not)”
It is a phrase in ancient Koine Greek that I crafted into a chant as an ode of thanks to Hypatia who had so many gifts and talents, yet was too powerful and bright for the times in which she lived.
How Long
“I'm a fool, I'm a fool for cryin' / but you're just cruel, you're just cruel to leave me dyin'”
This song is about waiting to find vulnerability, empathy and ultimately love from someone that is trapped within their own perspective.
King of Queens
“King of Queens with no means to rule / there will always be a crowd to fool”
This song was inspired by the NY Mets. As someone who's never cared about baseball, I found myself in a conversation with Meshakai one day about why on earth he would spend so much time and energy watching, supporting, and caring about a team who always seemed to be losing while they painfully drag along a seemingly depressed yet unwavering fan base. As he started describing his love of the game and the Mets in particular I was struck by the poetry and romance of it all and how layered the love of the game actually was. The flip meaning of it for me again points to patriarchy and the extent to which the “kings” are still trying to assume their dominance, yet without the embracing and honouring of the divine feminine they don't have the means to “rule the world” in a deeper sense.
Stand Under My Love
“Big sky come crashing down / there has to be a place for us in this world / with a little shelter from up above / little lies at every turn / I wanna be the face you trust in this world / when you need a little shelter / stand under my love.”
This song was inspired by wars, within ourselves and out in the world. The idea that so many people have nowhere to turn, no one who understands. It was what I wanted to sing to the refugees, even to the terrorists, to anyone that felt so pushed to their limits of living that death seemed the only option.
Walk On Water
“Take a step out, love is an ocean / we can walk on water / on water.”
This song came about regarding the relationship between a father and a son and the limits to which ego and pride had cemented a certain dynamic and behavioural pattern between them. The idea that we place limits on ourselves and our relationships with people based on our conditioning which has no absolute truth or meaning other than what we continue to give it. Borders were a strong theme in the song, and how dangerous they can be within ourselves and within the world. Again the refugee crisis had a big impact, seeing how parallel the messages were for me.
Woman
“Ancient mother of the skies / hiding behind my eyes / come out in the open before the world is broken / I am, I am / the shape of your shadow / the blood on your arrow / woman, woman.”
This was written as a kind of prayer for the divine feminine within myself and within everyone. I was really struggling to ditch the maiden seat and feel worthy of stepping up onto the throne within. I was also calling out in humble gratitude to the women who have fought to their heights and depths, often sacrificing everything for their higher calling.
Ordinary Angels
“Some kind of law / some kind of split-second magic / gone without a trace.”
This song was written during a period of pretty bad depression for me. I had been experiencing very nihilistic thoughts about life and death and perhaps confronted with yet another blow to the already exasperating desire to find meaning and magic in anything at all. It felt as though the veil of innocence had been ripped off, the drugs wore off and the lights came on to reveal there were just a bunch of actor angels wearing glow stick halos and all this time I had believed they were other worldly beings. It was my Wizard of Oz moment, I guess.