Harriet on Embracing Vulnerability and ‘Trying To Get The Feeling Again’
Harriet on Embracing Vulnerability and Honouring Musical Icons
With her latest album, Trying To Get That Feeling Again, Harriet redefines what it means to connect with timeless music. Channeling the spirit of the 1970s, the album features beloved classics alongside original songs that reflect her journey as an artist. In this exclusive interview with FAULT Magazine, Harriet delves into her creative process, the personal challenges that shaped the record, and of course, her FAULTs.
FAULT Magazine: Trying To Get That Feeling Again is filled with songs that evoke a strong sense of nostalgia. Can you describe your creative process when choosing which classic tracks to include, and how you approach making them your own?
Harriet: We started with a playlist of about 100 songs and eventually whittled it down to the ones on the record. The idea for the live show actually came before the album, so initially, it was about what we felt would work well in a live setting, with piano and guitar, and it developed from there really. My producer, Steve Anderson, and I both love all this music from the ‘70s, so workshopping these songs was such an enjoyable process for us. It’s also interesting how songs we weren’t sure about initially have ended up working so well, and vice versa.
FAULT Magazine: In our previous interview, you’ve spoken about the vulnerability of your songwriting. How did that vulnerability come into play when creating the two original songs on this album, ‘Mountain’ and ‘Silent Disco’?
Harriet: I was keen to have a couple of original songs on the record as all this music has so inspired my own songwriting. ‘Silent Disco’ was a song title I had been holding onto for a while and I knew that Anders Hansson was the best person to write it with (we wrote several songs on my last album together). The song is about feeling like you don’t fit in anywhere but finally finding a way to be comfortable with this. I love the idea that at a silent disco, each of us is listening to different music on headphones, in our own little worlds, yet we are all sharing a moment together, as one. It’s a great metaphor for where I’m at in my life right now, in myself, and with my music.
Writing ‘Mountain’ with John Bettis and Steve took me to a very vulnerable place. It defines a lot of what I have felt this year about being on this journey as an artist. I’ve also been through some personal challenges recently that I’m finally overcoming. We have to push ourselves through the hard stuff and have faith that there is a better ’tomorrow’ on the other side.
FAULT Magazine: How do you navigate honoring these musical influences while also defining your own sound and artistic identity?
Harriet: This music is so embedded within me that despite most of these songs being covers, this album feels like one of the most authentic projects I’ve ever worked on. We tried not to think too much about how we could make the songs different from the original versions and instead just went with the flow of what felt right for each of them for me as a singer and an artist. For example, covering ‘Yesterday Once More’ was a big deal for me. There was no need to try and recreate the perfect arrangement of the original record, but the song means so much to me and the lyric is perfect for this album; “they’re back again, just like a long lost friend, all the songs I loved so well”, so I just let go of any ‘overthinking’ and let it pour out of me. The production is simple and spacious, which I think gives the song another layer of intimacy. I really hope that people enjoy it.
FAULT Magazine: You’ve mentioned that this album helped you reconnect with your musical roots. Can you share more about how these roots influence your approach to reinterpreting classics from the ‘70s and what it was like revisiting these timeless songs?
Harriet: We recorded the album mainly ‘live’, at Love Electric Studios in London. Many records from the ‘70s were made in this way, with musicians playing together in the room all at once. There is a special kind of energy that flows through everything when you record like this that’s difficult to capture when the parts are recorded individually. There is also just something about these particular songs that is so moving. The 1970s was a simpler time, and it felt like we all went back there for a moment when working on the album. I loved the whole process.
FAULT Magazine: “All By Myself” is a song that’s been covered by many great artists, each bringing something unique to it. What was your process for balancing the dramatic essence of previous versions with your own artistic interpretation?
Harriet: Eric Carmen originally wrote this song over a wonderful piece of classical music—Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No.2. I have always loved this; the melody and chord changes are so emotional. The song has a haunted quality to it; it really hits me hard every time I sing that lyric. We wanted to add some drama at the end of the song after that iconic drum fill, so we recorded a huge stack of vocals; a ‘wall of sound’, which, combined with the strings, I think really makes the song take off in a different, yet similar way to those other much-loved versions of this classic. Steve and the musicians did a fantastic job on this one. I’m so proud of it.
FAULT Magazine: How do you see “Trying To Get That Feeling Again” evolving from or complementing the themes in your previous record?
Harriet: There were several moments on my previous album, ‘The Outcome’, that were deeply inspired by all this music, and the ‘live’ recording process was similar on a lot of the songs, so they are interlinked for sure. In fact, several songs from that record have been combined with those on ’Trying To Get The Feeling Again’ for my tour. They work so well together, and it feels very natural to intertwine them; the same as with songs from my debut album. I see many of the tracks I recorded for ’The Outcome’ as the beginning of this new chapter I’m now living in as an artist. Each record has taught me different things about myself. One thing leads to another and so on…
FAULT Magazine: You collaborated with John Bettis, a lyricist who worked closely with The Carpenters, on ‘Mountain’. What was the writing process like working with someone so closely tied to your musical inspirations, and how did it shape the final track?
Harriet : I am still recovering from working with John. The process had a profound effect on me. He is an extraordinary person and really encouraged me to embrace how I sound and not to hide behind the insecurities I have felt about this in the past. I was kindly introduced to him by a fellow artist, Rumer. I think that meeting him when I did was just what I needed in that moment, and it feels surreal to have written a song together for this album. John really pulled a lot out of me for ‘Mountain’. The song feels like an ultimate sigh of relief for me. I can’t wait to hear what the fans think of it.
FAULT Magazine: In your 2023 interview with FAULT, you mentioned feeling limitless while creating ‘The Outcome.’ Did that same sense of creative freedom translate into the making of ‘Trying To Get That Feeling Again,’ or did you face new challenges?
Harriet : Yes, it did. Even more so actually. About a year ago, I started uploading covers of me singing all these songs that I love from the ‘70s and everything just exploded. I couldn’t believe the response. I think there is a perception that if you perform other people’s songs as an artist, this somehow diminishes your credibility. But credibility is about being authentic and believable, and all this music is about exactly that to me. So once I had gotten over this hurdle and realised that there are millions of people like me out there who are craving to hear this music again, that set me free, I guess.
Click here to read our previous interview with Harriet!
FAULT Magazine: What is your FAULT?
Harriet : Overthinking everything and needing for it all to be perfect. Managing these two things has been, and will probably continue to be, a lifelong challenge for me. Right now, it’s all about ‘pick your battles’ and ‘what’s the worst that could happen’!?