News / Nature
Bristol artist shortlisted for inaugural nature sounds prize
A new music prize designed to inspire renewed connection with the natural world has recognised a Bristol artist on its shortlist.
Songwriter Ciaran Austin‘s track Storm Season which features environmental campaigner Tori Tsui on vocals was inspired by UK flooding, the rise of extreme weather events globally and and the overarching feelings of wonder and gratitude found in nature.
It’s a heartfelt, powerfully urgent track that makes the plea for a nature-centric revolution as Austin intones: “I’ve been holding out for a future but can’t be sure” and dreams of “nature in recovery, resilience, discovery” and Tsui’s silky vocal calls for us to “rise up for our flora and fauna, make amends”.
is needed now More than ever
The Tune Into Nature prize, organised by the nature connectedness group at the University of Derby, invited submissions from musicians age 18-30 that demonstrated a true collaboration with nature, with a view to forging closer relationships with the natural world to benefit mental wellbeing and inspire environmental care.
It was launched in response to research indicating a decline in nature connection among teenagers and decreased reference to nature in contemporary music since the 1950s.
The shortlisted tracks were played across BBC Radio, including Radio 3’s Unclassified show.
R&B / spoken word artist and producer Ciaran Austin collaborated with environmental campaigner Tori Tsui on the track which features recordings of birdsong and was inspired by feelings of ‘wonder and gratitude’ for the natural world
Ciaran Austin’s music, combining lo-fi R&B with alt-hip hop and spoken word and exploring themes of self-expression, relationships, identity and nature, has been played on BBC Introducing and 6 Music.
He collaborated with Tori Tsui, senior advisor for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, campaigner for the Stop Rosebank coalition and author of Wainwright Prize-shortlisted It’s Not Just You, who provides vocals on the track.
“It’s such an honour to be shortlisted for this prize,” said Austin. “I wrote Storm Season at the start of the year after more flooding in the UK & extreme weather events around the world.
“I wanted to write about the urgent need for climate action but also the sense of wonder, peace and gratitude I feel in nature, and I’m really grateful to my friend Tori Tsui whose feature on the chorus helped to pull those ideas together. I hope the song resonates in the decisive months and years ahead.”
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The prize was judged by nature-music luminaries including Mercury Prize-nominated folk singer Sam Lee, organic beatboxer Jason Singh, found sound artist Cosmo Sheldrake, Sleaford Mods’ Andrew Fearne, artist and activist Madame Gandhi and novelist Melissa Harrison.
This year’s winners were Dawn Aurora by Josephine Illingworth, a track crafted from sounds collected over several weeks camping alone in huts across the Dolomites, with lyrics derived from entries in the huts’ guestbooks; and Nightingale by Dan Cippico under his artist name Wildforms, where the bird’s song has been transformed into a d’n’b composition.
Images: A Merritt
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