The Wind Down With Scott Quinn

Musician and producer Scott Quinn, shares his favourite winding down rituals, nostalgia-inducing songs and the five musicians he'd like to stay at home with...

What kind of music feels like home to you?

I listen to such a varied mix of music but certain artists are very nostalgic for me. The Carpenters, Stevie Wonder, Nat King Cole, Earth Wind and Fire and all musicians that my parents played a lot when I was a kid, so any of their songs feel like home to me.

Scott sleeps in Relaxed Cotton in Ink

What was it like being a musician in lockdown and creating music at home again? 

To be honest I didn’t feel any great shift, I guess because I’m used to being self-employed and working from home. Of course, having to stay inside and working virtually with other musicians posed challenges but I found writing with people I knew well made things easier. 

There were definitely some pros to lockdown though, such as saving so much time/money on not having to commute all over London to different studios and being able to dip in and out of different sessions simultaneously with people in different parts of the world!

If you’re staying in on a Friday night, what music would you listen to? 

Ventura - Anderson Paak is a great album that I’ve on repeat when having people round for dinner or game nights. I’ve also really been enjoying Hope Tala, Emawk , The Internet and Lous and The Yakuza.

What are three things that you have in your bedroom that feel like home? 

1. Plants are a staple of my bedroom and flat in general. I recently had to cut down and propagate a huge devils ivy that had grown around my room, but plants always make a space more inviting for me. The rest of my flat is overflowing with plants. 

2. I have a memory foam pillow that I’ve had for a while now that definitely feels like home to me, especially when I come back from travelling etc. although I’m yet to meet anyone else who actually likes the pillow... I often lean it up against the radiator with the window open and sit watching people passing by. 

3. Musical instruments are a must for me. I currently have two keyboards and my friend’s guitar in my bedroom. I find playing music very cathartic so spending too long away from a musical instrument will send my brain whirring! 

Name five musicians you’d like to stay at home with? 

Pharell Williams, Rick Rubin, Lianne La Havas, Stevie Wonder, James Blake

What is your winding down ritual?

I recently started a decent skin care routine that I do in the morning and at night. It’s something I’d never really focused on before but aside from the obvious derma benefits, I find it very soothing just before bed.

Is there a song, album or artist that could put you to sleep?

Path 5 (delta) - Max Richter and Grace Davidson - This song is a hauntingly beautiful, atmospheric choral piece from Max Richter's aptly named album ‘From Sleep’. It’s 11 minutes long and very repetitive which helps carry you off to sleep.

Is there anything other than music which makes you feel at home? 

I find so much comfort and nostalgia in scents. My favourite smell is a wood fire and I’m always harping on about it whenever I catch a whiff! I also love the Scandi way of ‘Hygge’ and finding comfort/joy in the smaller details of life; a candle in a dimly lit room, making slow coffee, taking time to be still etc.

Scott’s Lie-in List

Read:

Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke

Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge

Sapiens / Home Deus by Yuval Noah Harari

Watch:

Money Heist, Lost In Translation, 7 Pounds, Unacknowledged

Listen:

My Dad Wrote a Porno, Serial, Emawk, FRAMA playlists, Sufjan Stevens  

Follow:

@nowness

Check out:

Dark Arts Coffee, Aesop Reverence hand balm, Nura headphones, Problem Press prints.

 

 Scott sleeps in Relaxed Cotton in Ink. Click here to shop the look.