The making of Presence could not have been more different to the making of our second album, A Mannequin. That record was developed at a distance with files and demos being shared asynchronously over many months. The making of Presence flipped that process on its head entirely.
Ever since we have written music together as a pair – or with our closest friends – we have always found we get the most enjoyment (and best out of our performances) when there’s an encouragement of spontaneity; a willingness to stick with ‘first takes’. It’s the most fulfilling formula anyhow, even if the final product isn’t technically perfect.
For Presence, the brief was simple: work quickly, ‘go with your gut’ and craft something that has the feeling the listener is part of the session, experiencing the music as it was made. We wanted to echo that spirit in the lyrics and themes we explored in the tracks too, with the aim of creating a soundtrack to revel in the present moment and to remind you to appreciate the people and experiences around you.
To create the conditions we were looking for, we decamped to Blisland on the edge of Bodmin Moor with a group of some of our close collaborators, including Nat Reading, Pete Carr and Archie Eason – all of whom have featured on a number of Private Agenda’s records previously.