A longtime favourite of ours, incredibly talented multi-instrumentalist and composer Poppy Ackroyd is set to release a new single, ‘Notes on Water’, on March 26th through One Little Independent Records. A deeply personal track, it marks the first collaboration between Poppy and her late father, Norman Ackroyd, a renowned British landscape artist and etcher. Composed by Poppy during her father’s final months, the piece captures the vitality and passion he embodied throughout his life.
Inspired by their shared journeys to remote islands, the piece mirrors the fluidity of the ocean and their shared love for nature, the sea, and their bond as artists. Poppy comments:
“‘Notes on Water’ is our first collaboration, an effort to capture moments we have spent together traveling around the British Isles, both on land and at sea. Our journeys have taken us to Orkney and Cape Wrath, as well as more remote destinations like the Skellig Islands and the Outer Hebrides – the most memorable trips were to the Flannan Isles and North Rona – traversing both turbulent oceans and glassy seas. Although we worked in different mediums, we both expressed ourselves through a collection of black ink marks on paper. This project is a celebration of our love for nature and the landscape, for the sea and its birds, but most importantly, for each other.”
With its dynamic and fluid piano composition, the track embodies the vitality and zest for life that Norman carried until his passing in September 2024. The release will feature both a solo piano version and one of Norman’s final etchings, his final artistic work before passing away in September 2024. This collaboration also serves as a tribute to Norman’s memory, with proceeds from the single going to the Norman Ackroyd Foundation, supporting printmaking and the arts.
Speaking about the piece, Poppy adds:
“This is the best way I could say ‘I love you’, speaking his language, through our work, which is where we always met. He was so thrilled to do this piece. Even at 86, he was young at heart, still exploring new things. It’s a celebration of his passion, our shared experiences, and the unspoken bond we had through art and music.”
Beautiful, radiant and poignant, ‘Notes on Water’ is after your ears.
