A Year in Music – 2024 – Scott Morgan (loscil)
by Killian Laher

How are you, what sort of year have you had?

I’m OK.  Strictly speaking of music, I’ve had a relatively good, top-heavy year.  I scored a documentary called You Need This which is due out next year.  Lawrence English and I continued our tour of Colours of Air in Europe and Australia – we also made Chroma, a tour CD extension to the original kranky release.  Lawrence was also curating for OHM in Brisbane and had me down for a collaborative performance with local ensemble, Topography.  That was a great experience.

After returning home I released Umbel –  a photo book and CD piece that I performed here in town on a 4D sound system at a venue called Lobe.  I also worked on a new album for kranky which was delivered in the summer but won’t come out until spring of 2025.  The latter half of this year has been relatively slow and calm.  Quite nice to be honest.  I did recently spend a few days in the studio here recording cello with Mark Bridges for a potential new High Plains album.  But otherwise, this year is heading for a long slow fade out which suits me just fine.

What are the albums you enjoyed most this year?

Really enjoying the Nutrition EP that came out recently by Carmen Villain.  Also A Great Blue Heron Patiently Waits In The River by Ki Oni. Been going back through Ki Oni’s work as I was previously unfamiliar. Lovely, dense, textural stuff.

Also really into new works by Clinic Stars, Ekin Fil, Seabuckthorn, Grand River/Abul Mogard, Otto Totland, Drew McDowell, Lisa Lerkenfeldt, Maya Shenfeld…  list could go on, so much great music out there.

Is there any artist or album that defined the year for you?

Probably Lawrence (English)!  We spent a lot of time together on tour and working on stuff.  He’s a bit of a creative force that fellow.

Did you get to many gigs this year?

A fair number.  Being on tour I get to see many other great artists on the same bill.  Locally, I saw William Basinski (finally) and my friend Julia Kent invited me out to see her play in Anohni’s band.  That was a beautiful show.  Heading to see Telefon Tel Aviv and Max Cooper here this weekend.

Do you think it will get to the stage where the ‘big concert’ is unaffordable for most of us?

Feels like maybe we’re there already?  I don’t go to many big concerts, to be honest.  Going to see Nick Cave next year which is about my max in size and price.  I’ve never cared for the stadium experience honestly.  I know someone who is seriously debating selling their Taylor Swift tickets to fund a trip to Mexico.  I’d take the trip to Mexico any day.

What’s your reaction if Stairway To Heaven comes on the radio?

Hahahaha.  That’s a question.  Probably the same reaction to hearing someone play it in the guitar shop. It’s an overplayed song, no doubt.  I almost wonder if certain songs should get retired.  Like maybe if a song reaches a certain number of plays it is removed from circulation.  Who do I talk to to make this happen?

Anything interesting in the works yourself for 2025?

A new full-length for kranky and likely some touring.  That’s my main focus.  The rest will be improvised as I go.