Writing dreamy music about romantic moments, Cheek Mountain Thief is a new experimental folk project, curated by former Tuung co-founder Mike Lindsay.
Whilst taking a break from Tuung, musician Mike Lindsay decided to head in a different direction with his sound. Moving to a small village in northern Iceland, Mike upped sticks and relocated to a cabin studio in the middle of nowhere. Arriving with no music, songs or direction, using only borrowed equipment and instruments from local musicians his new material is a product of the idyllic Icelandic countryside. Seduced by the relaxed way of life, culture, landscapes and people, a warm melodious tone resonates in the chords Mike pieced together. Naming his music after a particularly special spot in the village, Cheek Mountain Thief’s tunes are predominately acoustic, created using no electronic equipment other then a Dx7 synth. Playing at Iceland’s Airwaves Festival last year, accompanied by a local male voice choir, Mikes plans for Cheek Mountain Thief are as organised as his thoughts; impulsive and sporadic. After scooping an exclusive first glimpse at the video for aplty-named new track ‘Cheek Mountain’, i-D online caught-up with the unorthodox instrumentalist to chat monster trucks and the northern lights.
Describe a typical day in Iceland? Wake up, make coffee and stare at the Cheek Mountains, then get in the monster truck and go to the geothermal pool. Whilst I’m in the pool I try to chat Icelandic politics with the old local dudes and pretend to understand what their saying. Then I’ll eat some lamb for lunch/dinner before climbing back in the monster truck and heading up to the mountains to look at the sparse, baron, prehistoric, jagged landscapes before heading down the one pub in the village. Then I’ll sit back and singalong to the troubadour in the corner and walk back home at 4am under the northern lights.
What mustn’t we miss in Iceland?
1) Lake Myvatt, breathtaking volcanoes and lava fields with natural hot springs.
2) Gyser, one hundred feet of spurting hotness.
3) Gull foss, huge waterfalls and a massive gorge covered in rainbows.
4) Kaffibarin
5) Cheek Mountains, for obvious reasons.
What do you think your music expresses about you on a personal level? All the sweet things you hear are the dark part of my soul, all the dark parts you hear are the sweet parts.
What’s the last song you listened to? “Da ra da” by Gruska Babuska
If you weren’t making music what do you think you’d be doing? Travelling
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Text: Milly McMahon
