David Ian Roberts announces his lockdown album

David Ian Roberts

I recorded the album at home in Cardiff, between March and May 2020, during lockdown. It was born of a necessity to have a creative outlet at this strange time.

With all the news coming in, and the new way of life we all had to adopt, I needed something to focus on, at least for a few hours a day, that could take me completely away from it all.

It’s a collection of pieces that began coming together through the winter as guitar sketches and some lyric ideas, but with the lockdown measures coming in, it focused my mind, and I had finished the lyr­ics by April.

The album title From The Harbour comes from the song ‘Took My Time’, which is all about feeling a kind of contented patience. It seemed to sum up some of the themes of the album and encapsulates the feeling of being at home, looking out on the world, and looking forward to getting back out there.

As I would be playing and recording everything myself, I was limited to which instruments I had in the house, so that dictated the sound palette of the album – acoustic, electric and 12 string guitars, piano, cello, percussion and bass.

The artwork is a painting I did at the beginning of April. About once a year I have the urge to get the paints out and try something. The abstract landscape seemed to fit with the album.

Music has always been my way of escaping, my plaything, and I think the whole process was a really healthy thing to pursue. I know I’ve been extremely lucky to have this luxury.

Artist’s website: http://www.davidianroberts.com/

From his previous album a live version of ‘Sending Out Fires’: