“Make what you wish existed”: Jacob Collier on The Light for Days at EartH

EartH Hackney is a venue of character and story – perfect for the one and only Jacob Collier. Known for creating a live experience like no other, Collier hosted an intimate listening party for his upcoming album The Light for Days. The stage is set with candles and a grand piano, and the crowd is bubbling.

Before playing the album, Collier takes a moment to explain its origins. “The Light for Days,” he explains, was written in only four days, and entirely on one instrument, rendering it hugely different from his previous work. The five-string guitar was his instrument of choice. He calls it the “scruffiest album [he’s] ever made”, but says that it’s ”better for it”. The record is warm and personal, a campfire of lyric and harmony.

After the audience hear it in its entirety, Collier opens up the floor to questions.

The first is more of a statement. They ask whether Collier knows how much joy he gives to everyone, and how much we need him right now, noting their son, who is a musician thanks to the inspiration of Collier and his music. It’s met with rapturous applause and a sincere thank you.

Another fan asks Collier what his method of songwriting is. He says, “I find writing down what you don’t mean is interesting. I’ve never related to the concept of writing about the very literal experience of ‘this thing happened to me’, ‘I walked down the street’. To me, I find I can tap into deeper places by saying things I don’t quite agree with, because then I get a reaction from myself, and it has a longer life.” He goes on to say that his experience will be different from that of other songwriters, and that’s what makes songwriting “so cool”.

The basis of the evening is that Collier is sharing this music with his listeners for the first time. When asked about sharing ideas and seeking feedback from his circle, he tells us that he is “very protective of his idea.” For him, it’s very much about the people with whom he shares, as those are the ones who know the essence of him: “Really, what I’m looking for is, ‘can you see the “me” that you love in this?’ And that’s when I know I’ve done something right.”

Inevitably, there is a request for advice to young musicians who want to find their own way. Collier says, “The most important thing you can ever learn is what you like.” It’s all about the gut feeling of what you like in music, and leaning into the curiosity of that. His own example is chords: Collier loves chords. He loved them, so he learnt about them. He adds: “Make what you wish existed.” His final piece of advice, one which earns whoops from the crowd, is that one should not try to be cool, but try to be warm instead.

Collier has a friendship with renowned jazz musician Herbie Hancock, and one fan asks what he has learnt from this relationship. Collier calls Hancock a “wiggly guy”. “I love so much how little he takes himself seriously”, he explains. He learnt from Herbie that the best way to show what you believe in is through your actions, and that something he has held on to is the saying “play it, don’t say it”.

The final question is a beautiful one about harmony and what it brings to a song. This, of course, leads to Collier sitting at the piano and explaining the science behind harmonies, creating a choir out of the audience to make his point. Seven hundred people sing Somewhere Over the Rainbow while he harmonises. He says: “[singing together in harmony] never doesn’t move me, it never doesn’t give me goosebumps because of what it represents”. He points out that everyone in the room has had a different journey to get there, yet we all sing together.

Talitha Stowell
Photos: Nicholas O’Donnell

For further information and future events, visit Jacob Collier’s website here.

Watch the video for Keep An Eye On Summer here: