Perlee

Speaking from Other Rooms marks Perlee's third body of work and first L.P. These songs have been in gestation for over two years and through a process of experimentation and many sessions of recording and arranging in their Berlin studio have arrived at their finished state. The process of working remotely, with drummer Matt Ingram (Laura Marling, LUMP) recording his parts in London, brought a sense of space and meant that the songs could be reflected on and refined as the process progressed. Matt also mixed the album using Perlee's rough mixes as guides. The album was lovingly mastered by Stephan Mathieu at Schwebung Mastering.

The duo's sound has evolved and become more textural though the dreaminess is still ever present. There are more dark twists in these songs than in previous work reflecting the starkness of the lockdown period. That sense of being confined to one place is apparent but the ability to connect over space and time and that which allows the human spirit to survive and thrive is also here in spades. Lyrically the songwriting explores themes of unconditional love, the banality of a capitalist society, destiny, self-actualisation, long distance love: at a physical distance, across generational distance, between lovers and over time.

Other artists featuring on the record are Conor Murray and A.S. Fanning. Conor drums on 'The Wave' and 'Wilder', the bones of which tracks were recorded in a live band session by Stephen Shannon (Adrian Crowley, Mount Alaska) in Dublin, October 2019. A.S. Fanning plays bass guitar on 'Reckoning'.

Credits
Produced by Perlee (Cormac O'Keeffe, Saramai Leech)
All instruments played and recorded by Perlee except:
Drums on tracks 1 - 6 played and recorded by Matt Ingram
Drums on tracks 7 and 8 played by Conor Murray recorded by Stephen Shannon
Bass on track 5 played by A.S. Fanning
Mixed by Matt Ingram
Mastered by Stephan Mathieu (Schwebung Mastering)
Cover Artwork by Mattia Stellacci
Berlin 2022

The process of this record involved the duo trying to stay as true to the first incarnation of the songs as possible. Sometimes that meant capturing the spirit of the demo and other times it involved actually using the recordings of the improvisational writing sessions as the basis for the tracks. It meant stripping back and rebuilding songs many times before they felt right - as right as they felt when they were first written. It meant listening a lot, learning patience and mostly not being afraid to start again.