The Third Man – What She Wrote (2023)
Originally formed in 2001 by fellow students at the Edinburgh College of Art, Dan Wansell and Luke Westendarp explored “themes of layers and snapshots of life” in their art…and ultimately in their music. Joined by Pete Nixon (bass) who studied art and had a background in music production and Andy Grieve (drums) who performed with various bands, The Third Man grew in diversity, experience and influences.
Taken from their upcoming debut album Somewhere To Leave, the UK-based quartet release their debut single ‘What She Wrote’. Intrigued by the concept of leaving, the power to leave relationships, places or situations, Somewhere To Leave is a “collection of vignettes about this…” ‘What She Wrote’ explores the intricacies of a relationship at breaking point expressed through a wistful melody.
“For ‘What She Wrote’, Dan came up with most of the words and the initial music and sent it to me for a bit of polish (he plays the guitars on this track). I wrote the letter that the song is about and had the idea we could layer it underneath the main song. I asked my sister Sophy Teasdale, who studied drama at St Martins College in London, to perform it and she did a great job acting it out…” – Luke Westendarp on ‘What She Wrote’.
Produced by their bassist Pete Nixon, ‘What She Wrote’ is a haunting single oozing sorrowful melancholy within an elegantly layered sonic haze. Rumbling drums pass through a synth-y bass with Wansell’s guitar slipping through the arrangement. An interspersed piano lurks beneath enhancing the painful misery of the overall theme. Yet, while the melodic combination has a harmonic feel, Luke Westendarp’s singing press a heart-jerking sensation with Sophy Westendarp’s underlying spoken word contributing chilling despair.
One aspect I find intriguing about ‘What She Wrote’ is not the psychedelic layers woven into a haunting tearfulness. Instead, it is how the sophistication of the track is slathered with a raw innocence expressing the pain, frustration, confusion and complexity of loss. Touching on human fragility in a delicate way, The Third Man release their debut single ‘What She Wrote’. If this is anything to go by, I cannot wait for the upcoming album.
For more from The Third Man, check out their official website, Bandcamp and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
