Me Lost Me – the project of Newcastle-based artist Jayne Dent – delights in experimenting with songwriting, creating a beguiling mix of soaring vocals and atmospheric electronics that playfully push the boundaries of genre. She ‘s now shared ‘Ancient Summer’, taken from This Material Moment (out 27th June via Upset the Rhythm), which she describes as “emotionally raw”, and deems it her most honest and vulnerable album yet.
About "Ancient Summer", Jayne comments that "This was the first song I wrote for the album and the first time I’d made a mesostic poem. Taking words from a tourism leaflet for Pont du Gard, a Roman Aqueduct and art museum near Nimes, France, I wrote this song that’s got so much wonderfully hyperbolic and excited language. It reflects quite well how I felt at the time of visiting, I was so moved to be swimming in a river in this beautiful valley under an ancient monument. It’s a song that comes from suddenly noticing your place in time and space, that feeling of being in communion with a past and a future, of being a part of something bigger than yourself. Visiting historical sites is one of my favourite things, and this is a bit of a love letter to the places that I’ve been lucky to visit over the years."
“The music video,” she says, “is a kind of nod to ancient Roman Spring/Summer festivals and the English folk traditions I grew up with, like May Day celebrations, Morris dancing and well dressings. In summer 2024 I worked on some music for a dance project with some incredible performers including Lizzie Klotz, Rosa Postlethwaite and Alys North, which was on the theme Abundance. The process was really beautiful, and I knew I wanted to work with them on this video because it had a similar theme and feeling, plus I knew I could trust them to throw themselves into whatever daft thing I suggested we do! Videographer Amelia Read joined us on Newcastle’s Town Moor to film us dancing and playing games, it was very collaborative and intuitive which was perfect, as I wanted the video for this song to be joyful and light (with a hint of folk horror elements going on too of course!)”
AA
Photo credit: Amelia Read Photography
Aural Aggravation 