OUT TODAY: Don’t Love With Your Mind – The New Album from Henry Bateman

I am delighted to be putting out a new record… ‘Don’t Love With Your Mind’ is on all of your favourite streaming services right now! Just click here to find yours. You can download the album from Bandcamp.

Making this record is the first time I’ve properly delved into my experience of OCD. It’s a chaotic listen in places! For me, this album is a journey from a  place of real isolation. Being mentally unwell makes it hard to see out; for me, it’s like the walls of my mind are lined with mirrors. I think it’s difficult to empathise with other people when you are in that place. This record is a path out of that, to a place of feeling for others, and of having some presence in the world.  

This is the first record that I’ve both produced and mixed myself, and sees me move into a much more electronic soundworld. There was a lot of learning here. The tools and processes I used to make this album were radically different from my previous work; but I think I’ve still managed to make something that sounds like me (hopefully!).

The sense of isolation I describe is reflected in the way this album was made; it was a far less collaborative affair than my previous work. There were, however, some people whose contributions proved to be beyond valuable…

Pete Redshaw plays drums on this record. I have admired his drumming for a long time, particularly his work with PEAKES, and so I was delighted when he agreed to do some work with me. We worked on a lot more material too, some of which you will get to hear later in the year.

My pal and long-time collaborator Frazer Kerslake sent lots of bass tracks back and forth with me for songs I worked on around this record. His playing appears on the last two tracks on the album, which is big part of our journey towards empathy and sensitivity. Again, you will hear some more of his playing later in the year.

My pal Hannah Lamb very generously broadened and beautified some of the vocal textures on this record.

My wife, Freya, even added some spoken word to this album which I will let you go and find…

I also want to thank Tom Trueman, whose weekly mentorship whilst I was working on these arrangements and productions proved invaluable. He is a stunning composer and producer, and just as good a teacher. 

I am not one to use my music to make a point; I like to leave things open. Whilst I really do believe in the value of sharing experiences of mental health, at the same time, I hope people can find other meanings in these songs as well.

Henry