Notes - The music blog
Notes: An Introduction to... Nick Drake
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Nick Drake, probably the first anti-folk musician, never made a mark during his lifetime due to the lyrical content of his music and the choice of avoiding the verse-chorus-verse formula most folk bands had. He was inspired by the works of W. B. Yeats and the tangible imagery that could come from words; still, his lyrics were based more on symbols drawn from nature.
An artist that never went for “the hook”, his songs were mostly written as stream of consciousness, like naked confessions from a diary, eschewing folk conventions from his era. His live shows were sometimes awkward, with little to no interaction with the public, an action misunderstood as him being unapproachable; in truth, it was his shyness and lack of self confidence that was showing.
Never a darling of his era, his three albums (Five Leaves Left, Bryter Layter and Pink Moon) sold poorly, and his lack of promotional appearances and rare interviews meant that the general public barely got the chance to get to know him.
Pink Moon is easily his finest moment, as the stark, simple music keeps a haunting mood that reflected his tormented soul. This musical honesty never managed to come out on his previous two records, as the added strings might have taken some attention away from the simple yet powerful music.
With very sparse arrangements and using strings on a few occasions, Nick Drake was an underrated genius who only found true fame after his tragic passing at 26. His influence can be felt in artists as varied as Duncan Sheik (particularly his stark album Phantom Moon), Badly Drawn Boy (mostly on Have You Fed the Fish?), Cat Power, Elliott Smith and Mark Kozelek (especially the song 'Heron Blue').
Listen to Nick Drake's best on Spotify:
Check some artists that have been influenced by Nick Drake's oeuvre:
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