Lockdown sends Sheffield hit-maker Eliot Kennedy's music in a thoughtful new direction

Songwriter and producer Eliot Kennedy’s career spans 25 years. Eliot has had major hits with co-writer Bryan Adams, including Baby When You’re Gone featuring Mel C, and the title song to Celine Dion’s massive album Let’s Talk About Love.

His song Never Gonna Break My Faith, recorded by Aretha Franklin and Mary J Blige, won a Grammy.

Eliot also worked as a talent director on ITV show The X-Factor, where he mentored the finalists.

His first number one hit was Take That’s Everything Changes, co-written with Gary Barlow.

Milestone hits since include Say You’ll Be There for The Spice Girls, and Picture of You for Boyzone, which won an Ivor Novello award. Eliot has written and produced for S Club, Five and Billie Piper.

Eliot said: “My new album, Mind Music, is worlds away from what I ordinarily do as a songwriter and talent developer, where the focus is hugely commercial.

"For me to feel the need to release something like this is a significant move and has come from an emotional shift.”

He added: “I made this album as a result of lockdown and anxiety and not being able to sleep well. It’s deeply personal as I found it therapeutic and cathartic to write and produce.

"It came from a different place – for my own sake really, to help with stress and anxiety.”

Covid-19 has presented huge challenges for musicians, he said.

“We’re stymied right now. There are no gigs, no audience, record companies can’t promote artists properly – from that point of view it’s extremely stressful.

"It’s the fact there’s no end in sight right now that’s really bringing about anxiety. So, I think it’s a good time for this album. I sent it to some people and got such amazing feedback on how it was helping them rest and to sleep.”

Eliot said he was inspired by nature and the environment as lockdown has put a renewed focus on its therapeutic effects.

“I wanted to do more than that zen-style of airy music associated with alternative therapy. I incorporate the sounds of the forest at night-time or ocean waves in a more meaningful way so the listener goes into zones – space, under water – and is transported - you can’t help but be emotionally taken away.

"The music is thematic with strong melodies with movement and arrangement, so it feels like it ebbs and flows. A lot of thought has gone into where the journey takes you, to make you feel immersed in that space.”

Off the Shelf festival goes ahead

Eliot feels lockdown has helped audiences and musicians refocus.

He said: “People are feeling this need to reconnect. They are realising the more important things like family and connections to other humans because we’ve been starved of it, and not celebrity and not things you don’t need in your life.

"It’s been a really good period for people to sort out their priorities. We’ve had almost a year without new reality TV shows and who really cares? Nobody is looking for the new reality star. It’s been really good on that level.

"More importantly, because we’ve been out of the way, the planet has started healing, we’ve seen the better air quality in our cities for example. It’s an interesting time of collecting one’s thoughts and prioritising - which is only going to have more and more positive effects.”

Eliot sees Mind Music as music therapy, helping to put anxieties in perspective.

“It comes from the heart. This album wasn’t something I wanted to do commercially, it started as a cathartic exercise to lose myself musically and see where that journey took me, and it’s incredible to hear how it’s helping people.”

Mind Music is available on Spotify, YouTube and other streaming platforms. Visit: https://spinnup.link/366895-mind-music

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