Singing letters to the sea
Nina Hynes struggles for expression. She’s always working on compositions with which to unleash her enormous need to express. Now she’s trying to push through her new solo album, Goldmine, in the funding process. Born in Dublin and living in Berlin, her solo debut EP was the magnificent Creation (1999) followed by acclaimed debut album Staros (2002). She has also collaborated with artists such as The Array, Jimmy Behan, Hector Zazou and Messiah J & The Expert. She has participated in several artistic projects as the album under the name Sending letters to the sea, a true wonder, and now she works in making all the gold of her new album comes to light and shine by itself.
Where is your personal “Goldmine”?
My child, my heart, my love, my daily appreciations, my friends, my imagination, my belief, my voice, my gratitude, my chance to make music so my fundit.ie/project/goldmine campaign is a very personal Goldmine too.
Why do you write songs?
I have questioned this many times. It just kind of happens when I pick up an instrument.I guess to decipher my inner life, I really enjoy it and seem to need it somehow. It's therapy.
Your first solo record was “Creation”, an EP published in 1999. “I'm not your bread dough girl that you mould in your hands” you sing in
“Willem Tell” surrounded by dark electronics sounds. Can love be a trap?
Love no, our subconscious mind and the way it relates to our living, behavior and decisions and the way we allow relate to others, yes.
Then "He Turned The Light Off" and the song sounds as an ethereal dream. Free at least?
That song was a very beautiful place for me to go, one of my favorites of the time. It was about release and letting go which can
often lead to a sense of freedom. I never really liked the mix though..it was a last minute decision to add the delay on the vocals but we had another version that was almost dry which in hindsight, I preferred. Those songs were recorded and mixed very fast with no time to change little details but I loved my band at the time. I guess every day, there are moments of freedom and when I allow it, those moments multiply. It is a state of mind. Good coffee in the morning helps.
“Trigger” is powerful and full of pain. “Turn over a new page, turn over a new page”. Could you?
Yes, anytime and continuously.
In 2002 arrived “Staros”and suddenly “Time flies”. “You trust him when he says he won't tell you any lies” you sing a sweet voice. Don’t you like to write fictional stories?
Yes I do.
“Mono Prix” was remixed by Steve Osborne who has collaborated with PJ Harvey, New Order... That song ended with “We've got life to live”. How do you live?
In the moment. Ups a downs, passionately, spontaneously. I feel my way more than thinking about my next move.
“Really really do” was recorded in 2006 with The Husbands. One is not enough? How was that experience?
A lady has her needs and they were all so delightful in different ways. I had played with two of them for years and musically, we were collaborating on the songs so I thought it best to invite them on to my boat with a few other friends and make it one big happy family. It was an amazing experience recorded in a dream studio and I met my real dream man working on this album. The songs
were sung by a voice falling in love.
It contains powerful songs like “Somewhere out there”. What are you looking for out there?
Oh you know, something else, that thing. I have a feeling it's there.
One little rabbit cat says “Everything is possible”. Is it?
Always, yes.
If you found a naked ship, could you live there?
I guess I could live anywhere so long as I had the freedom to dress it as I pleased…. and although I am very content where I am right now, I do love to sleep and sing on boats.
Interview by Juan Carlos Romero
Photo by David Cleary