Psithurism (n.): the sound of wind rustling through trees.

Visiting a large pocket of ancient pinewood in Glen Affric recently, I stood listening to that sound, psithurism, thinking about how that particular whooshing through the Scots pine trees used to be a much more common thing to experience across the great Caledonian forest that once covered most of Scotland. These days, there are only surviving fragments and a few larger areas, but altogether this is only 2% of the original forest. Many of these places are like secret worlds, hidden in some of the most remote corners of the country, still clinging on.

I'm a composer, songwriter, and sound artist based in Gourdon, Aberdeenshire, and for the past few years I've been very interested in the remaining fragments of the Caledonian forest, walking into these pinewoods, often with an audio recorder, thinking about how inspiring it is to simply walk near the trees and listen. As a composer I want to translate these thoughts, experiences, and emotions into music, but into something big - a double album that interprets the Caledonian pinewood as an active ecosystem with a unique knowledge and perspective on the world outside itself, a double album that imagines the fascinating lives and processes that co-exist within it.

The album will be made of two complementary halves: Twelve songs written about life in the pinewoods from an internal perspective. Some are through the eyes of specific creatures and others imagining the voice of the pinewood itself. These are arranged and recorded in the studio with full instrumentation (think vocals, guitar, bass, piano, and drums). The other half of the album is the same set of twelve songs, but performed in the field (in the pinewood, technically!) with an acoustic guitar and perhaps simple percussion, purposefully including the sound of the natural environment, even emphasising it in the recordings. So it’s one half studio album, other half immersive forest performance. All about the pinewoods.

I'm recording this with two extraordinary musicians, Chris Geddes (keyboards, Belle and Sebastian) and Liam Chapman (drums, C Duncan, Rachel Sermanni), at Black Isle Recordings in Fortrose this October. A limited number of the album will be pressed to vinyl by Seabass Vinyl, a carbon-neutral pressing plant near Edinburgh powered by solar and wind, using a bio-vinyl compound that cuts the carbon footprint of a standard record by 90%.

I recently applied to Creative Scotland's Open Fund for Individuals to help make this happen. The panel's assessment was extremely good, as they recognised the project's clear creative goals and praised how it beautifully brings together artistic and environmental themes. It was recommended for financial support, but the fund was very much oversubscribed this time around, 37 applications came in requesting a combined £270,169 against a panel budget of £122,000, and only 25 could be funded. Unfortunately, my album wasn't one of them. Just not enough money to go around this time.

So I'm turning to the people who might actually want to hear this record. This project is a collaborative album about a place that needs more people paying attention to it, and I'd love for you to be one of the people who helped make it happen.

Calculating the costs

So far I have secured the funds to cover expenses for studio time, so that’s taken care of. It’s the other work involved that will truly make the album a success, and it’s why I’ve created this gofundme campaign.

Fair pay for artists and musicians is important. Every musician on this record is being paid at Musicians' Union rates for the UK, and I've applied that same principle to my own time. Below is a budget breakdown of how money is being spent:

Musicians making music: (£6,192)

Three days of field recording in the pinewoods around Loch Ness and Glen Affric: £458

Chris Geddes, rehearsal and studio session fees: £2,450

Liam Chapman, rehearsal and studio session fees: £1,556

My own studio time recording vocals and instruments, at Musicians' Union rate: £1,614

(all musician rates follow Musicians' Union guidance)

Travel, Accommodation, food, daily: (£2,206)

Mileage for field recording trips and studio travel, at HMRC rate: £503

Six nights' shared accommodation in Fortrose, walking distance from the studio: £1,003

Per diems for the recording week: £700

Vinyl album: (£2,063)

100 double-gatefold LPs, pressed by Seabass Vinyl using recycled, low-carbon materials

Total cost: £10,347

This is the reality of what it costs to record an album properly, pay collaborators fairly, and press 100 copies onto vinyl through an ethical, carbon-neutral pressing house. If we raise more than the goal, it goes straight toward the live shows I'm planning across the Highlands once the album is out.