Patrick Watson

As told by Patrick Watson.

I’m happy to share with you all a new song, “Silencio”, featuring this wonderful singer November Ultra. We met when we were both on the same radio show in Paris. The moment I heard her music, I had a really strong feeling it would be great to do a song together. She’s totally magical. You will see as soon as you hear her voice. 

This track was recorded in a lovely little loft in Paris, overlooking Montmartre. It was once an old painter’s studio, with an enormous window and so much old Parisian charm and ghosts. We were so lucky to be able to record in it. 

It’s funny when we got to the loft, we quickly realized that we needed a classical guitar. Because it felt like that’s what the space wanted to hear. So we went down to this music store and then we got really lucky and found this super lovely sounding guitar. Mishka called the guitar Steve, which really doesn’t suit it, but it’s stuck. 

Mishka and I sat down with Nova to make this song. And it was pretty magical. Her wonderful wit and beautifully soft caring tone was very inspiring. The song just kind of wrote itself, AS THOUGH IT WAS A CONVERSATION WE HAD BEEN HAVING OUR WHOLE LIVES. It was lovely. And I guess that’s how this record begins, for some reason. 

The lyrics are made up of two different stories. Nova was having a tricky moment and so was I. As for her part of the story, well, she’ll tell you all about it. 

My part of the story was about how I couldn’t talk for two and a half or three months. Since I talk too much in general, it was kind of good for me. The song is built on a bunch of impressions I had during this period. 

I realized a lot of the things I wanted to say to people, but couldn’t, were probably not that interesting to them anyhow. It made me wonder, maybe I was talking to myself, and not other people a lot of the time. 

I noticed my interactions with people were so different when I left them the space and they filled the void left by my silence. I realized that you’re much more vulnerable when you’re the one talking, versus the one that just listens. 

And it’s funny how people suddenly treated me as though I was smarter, now that I was shutting up. That’s a funny note I enjoy. It reminded me of my first meeting with Wim Wenders. I sat down for coffee across from him, and he didn’t talk for the first fifteen minutes. I tried to hold the silence and then I caved, and started my rambling. I just remember leaving feeling so silly. Why would you want to talk, instead of listening to such a wise and interesting person? 

Also, I would get so worked up in hindsight about things I said, because I talk too much. But when you don’t say anything, everybody just spills their guts. Then they have to worry about what they said, and it’s great. 

I do have my voice back 100%. I think I talk 7% less which is still a win. 

NOVEMBER ULTRA  

When I met Patrick, we talked about our voices, our fears of losing them… what would we do if it happened? 

What would we learn in this forced silence?  

It happened to Patrick, and then it happened to me as my body shut down after my first tour – I could hardly breathe and had to relearn. 

I realised the silence humbled me and also made me listen more carefully, to my surroundings, to others… What do we answer when someone asks us how life’s going? How many times should we ask until the other person feels like they can gift us with honesty? 

That’s what this song “Silencio” felt to me, honesty through silence.