In Wavelength EP. 4, composer and sound artist Alice Boyd shares how field recording became central to her music making. She blends natural sounds into her compositions, creates the Ffern Found Sounds series, collaborates on conservation projects like the RSPB’s Return, and encourages newcomers to learn by doing and to follow their curiosity.
Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into Field Recording and Music Making…
My name’s Alice Boyd. I’m a composer, sound artist and audio producer, making work that focusses on the natural world and our place within it. I’ve had a winding path so far - I studied geography at university and worked in the environmental sector for a while, before deciding to go freelance as a musician and sound designer for theatre in 2019. When we were plunged into lockdown in 2020, I began field recording as a way to start listening to my surroundings. I pivoted towards making radio shows and podcasts, as well as releasing my own music. Through making music and sound projects, I was able to talk about issues I cared deeply about in a way that felt creatively fulfilling to me.
photo by Tom Bright
I love how you blend field recordings with your music. Do you see the sounds you capture as another instrument in your compositions?
The field recordings are such an integral part to my music. I love how they can transport an audience to a place, or act as a starting point for me when I begin to write a song. My second EP ‘Cloud Walking’ was inspired by a trip I went on to the Cairngorm Mountains in Scotland as part of the Following Nan Project. Over 4 days, I joined a group of eight other women hiking and camping in the mountains, through rain, sleet and shine. Along the way, I collected field recordings and these became the foundations to the five songs on the EP, telling the story - the peaks and troughs - of what was a challenging, but incredible adventure.
Alongside your music, you produce the monthly Found Sounds series for Ffern's As The Season Turns. Do conversations with other creatives inspire or influence your own creative process?
Creating ‘Found Sounds’ for Ffern has been such a rewarding part of my practice. Every month, I interview someone who works with the land in a meaningful way, or perhaps their practice is rooted in folklore or heritage crafts. It is such a privilege to spend a day in someone else’s world, to be immersed in their craft and to create an audio piece that weaves their words with the sounds of their work and environment. When choosing who I interview for the podcast, I am always seeking out people whose work sparks my curiosity and is something I’d love to learn more about. I look forward to it every month!
photo by Michelle Sanders
In terms of whether it inspires or influences my own creativity, the conversations I’ve had and the lessons I've learned along the way have been so grounding. I’ve always valued the importance of speaking to other creatives and learning about different ways of life and work. What is becoming evermore apparent to me is the importance of working with our hands, finding ways to reduce time on screens and trying, where possible, to slow down. I can often be spinning a lot of plates, so it’s not simple - but that’s where I find field recording can be an incredible practice for calmness and presence through listening.
You recently featured in a short film by the RSPB called Return. It's fascinating to see how music and field recording can shape a project's storytelling. Is nature and conservation an important part of your creative identity?
Nature is central to my creative identity. When I was choosing what path to go down in my life, I was unsure whether to go into the environmental sector or the arts. Back in 2019, the year I went freelance, I heard Allison Tickell (CEO of climate arts organisation Julie’s Bicycle) say “the arts is the difference between knowing knowledge and feeling knowledge”. I felt I could add my voice to the climate movement through my love of music and sound. Storytelling is so essential to how we make change. Culture has incredible power to reach people, and so I wanted to be part of that - either through sharing my own thoughts through my music, drawing attention to wildlife and our environment through my field recordings, or documenting the work of others through my radio and sound work.
photo by Franci Donovan-Brady
Can you walk us through a recent piece (e.g Return of the White-Tailed Eagle) from initial recording to final mix, and share the biggest challenges?
The RSPB approached me and asked if I'd make a song for their film ‘Return’, which celebrates the 50th anniversary since the successful re-introduction of the white-tailed eagle, the largest bird of prey in the UK. As someone who gathers field recordings, I knew it was a no-brainer to try and record the eagle itself.
The film team and I headed to Pulborough Brooks, an RSPB nature reserve in West Sussex, which is home to at least one nesting pair. We sat for hours near to the nest, waiting for the eagle to call. After about 4 hours, I stopped recording to have a chat with the film team… and of course, Sod’s Law, the eagle called out in that moment. We waited for another two hours, but had no luck. It’s a reminder that you can’t control nature, and not every field recording adventure will be a success. In fact, through doing field recording, I’ve found it’s often much more enjoyable if you’re going with no particular goal in mind, other than to wait for the sounds to unfold around you.
Finally, field recording and sound design still feel like they are often male-dominated spaces. What guidance or encouragement would you share with other women interested in getting involved?
There will be people ready to tell you that you don’t have the right kit, or who might assume that you don’t know what you’re doing, or imply that you don’t know enough. My advice to other women interested in sound, and really to anyone, is to just start making. I’ve always learnt on the job: with each new project, I try and learn something new, and eventually over time you begin to realise you know a lot and you grow in confidence. I think particularly with a tech-oriented part of the creative industry, there are always new gadgets and gizmos, new plug-ins, new places to spend your money - it can be really overwhelming. Follow what interests you and you’ll find your own unique path and niche within the industry. And also ask people for coffee! I’ve learnt so much from chatting to my peers and finding out how other creatives work.
photo by Iain Boyd
A message from us.
Thanks Alice for joining us in this Wavelength Episode!
If you want to listen to music by Alice or check out the podcast she produces, follow the links below:
Website: www.aliceboyd.info
LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/aliceboyd
Spotify: Alice Boyd
Bandcamp: Alice Boyd
Instagram: @aliceboydmusic
YouTube: @AliceBoydMusic
RSPB Film: RETURN - a 50-year story of repair, resilience and White-tailed Eagles - wildlife documentary | RSPB
What is Wavelength?
Wavelength is a way to shine a light on the creatives that are part of the Rare Finds Community. Showcasing tallented individuals in the audio visual space.