Ampersand is more than an album—it’s an immersive listening experience designed for quiet reflection, where Dan delves into the lives of remarkable women and men who, despite their unique contributions, may have been misunderstood or forgotten by mainstream history. The album shines a light on a tapestry of characters: Eve, reimagined in “Paradise Lost”; Zheng Yi Sao, the powerful Chinese pirate; poet Emily Dickinson; and Marie Curie, who sacrificed her health in the pursuit of life-saving discoveries. Dan even examines mythological characters, like Narcissus, and themes from historical figures, casting his storytelling net wide.
Each story pairs Dan’s love of music and storytelling with his lyrical skills, brought to life through collaboration with friends, family, and artists across disciplines. Ampersand combines live-recorded, unpolished sound elements that embody warmth and closeness, capturing creaks, background rain, and other organic noises to give listeners the feeling of being present in the recording space. At its heart, Ampersand represents a quieter, stripped-back folk approach—something intimate yet layered with meaning, where Dan’s own personal influences and interests are clearly felt.
The project, ultimately, is Dan’s invitation to explore the lives of others, to be momentarily immersed in their worlds. It stands as a testament to his curiosity and reverence for shared humanity, as well as his desire to create music that connects listeners not only with his art but with each other, through the quiet, powerful stories that have often gone untold.
SETTE: Dan, “Ampersand” takes your music in a whole new direction. What inspired you to create an album that focuses on telling other people’s stories?
Dan Smith: It’s less about telling other people’s stories and more about my curiosity in other people’s lives. I wanted to explore aspects of them that either resonated with me or intrigued me. For years, I’ve written songs that have touched on other stories—whether it’s people, history, or pop culture—as a way to dive deeper into my own writing. On this album, I kind of formalized that idea, deciding that every song should be about a pair of people, a person and their ideas, or a pair of ideas. That was a useful framework for me to work within while creating this music. It was a really enjoyable process, honestly. Over the last few years, I’ve watched films, read books, and explored articles about fascinating people, and I wanted to use these as inspiration to dive deeper into their lives. It’s like a side project that’s been incredibly fun and creatively rewarding. As much as I love touring and performing, there’s a lot of repetition in it, and I find myself craving more creative freedom. Writing has always been my greatest source of creative satisfaction—whether it’s for me, other artists, or even film and TV. So, this album was a chance to do something different and to learn a bit more about the world.
It sounds like you were craving something more creatively fulfilling. And this project—an album, podcast, and more—seems like a huge creative outlet for you.
Yeah, it’s definitely been a bit of a selfish endeavor in that sense! I had the chance to collaborate with so many different people—musicians, visual artists, printmakers—across this album. It’s been a journey of learning new things, from old-school letterpress techniques to finger-picking guitar styles. For me, it was also about diving into other areas, like working with academics and filmmakers, learning more about history, and getting into the world of printmaking. I’ve been able to explore these side projects, and it’s been a nice way to keep my brain active. For all the great aspects of being in a band, there’s this feeling of routine that can creep in when you tour a lot. While it’s an incredible privilege, I find that I get much more satisfaction from writing and creating. It’s a way to push myself, to discover new things. For this album, I worked on it over the last few years—watching documentaries or reading about people and their histories, and that led me to start writing new songs, which was a refreshing process.
You’ve mentioned that this album marks a return to some of your early influences, like Leonard Cohen. How did these influences shape the album?
Growing up, my parents played a lot of Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Simon and Garfunkel. Those artists had a huge impact on me. When I was younger, I was also drawn to artists like Sufjan Stevens, Damien Rice, and Laura Marling—singer-songwriters who had distinctive voices and told stories that felt complex and mysterious. What I loved about these artists was their individuality. They didn’t sound like anyone else, and their lyrics spoke to me in a personal, relatable way.
A lot of Bastille’s music has a much bigger, more theatrical sound, but my true musical loves lean toward more stripped-back, acoustic styles. I’ve always been drawn to the warmth and intimacy of folk records—where everything is recorded live with acoustic instruments. That sound has been a big influence on this album. On this project, I really wanted to pare things back and focus on the subtleties. For instance, I worked with Moira Mac, a singer with a big voice, but she brings such restraint to her performances. Her voice has the power to soar, but she chooses when to hold back. That was a perfect match for this album. We also had a really small, tight-knit group of people working on the album, and that helped shape the vibe—it was all about simplicity, intimacy, and calmness.
Speaking of recording, I’m fascinated by the process you went through. You mentioned you spent three weeks recording this album away from home. What was that experience like?
One of the biggest differences for this album was that the songs were already written before we began recording. I’m usually someone who writes and records simultaneously, so setting myself the challenge of having everything finished before we went into the studio was really helpful. I went into it with a solid base of demos, and then it became this shared process where everyone added their own creativity.
We spent the first week recording at my house, and then for the next two weeks, we moved to a studio on a farm. It was like a weird little wintery summer camp where everyone had their own station. Charlie Barnes worked on the piano in one room, Johnny Abraham focused on string arrangements in another, and Mark Crew worked on other elements in yet another space. Amy, the engineer, managed the main room where we did vocals. It was a great setup for creativity, allowing us to work on different aspects simultaneously. What I loved was that we could all go off and experiment with different things—try out ideas and pull them together later. Some of the best moments came from mistakes, like when we accidentally created something beautiful while trying something else. For example, one of my favorite tracks, “Eve in Paradise Lost,” was recorded live in my sitting room late at night, with just the three of us. It was raw, spontaneous, and felt right for the vibe I wanted.
That sounds like an incredibly immersive, productive environment. You also mentioned that you intentionally left the human touch in the recordings, even little things like creaky chairs or rain on the roof. How did that influence the final sound?
I really wanted to capture the human side of the process. In previous recordings, we might have edited out those imperfections, but for this album, I wanted to keep them in. You can hear little things like the rain on the roof, the sound of fingers on guitar strings, or even the creak of the piano stool. These imperfections make the music feel more alive and intimate. I wanted the listeners to feel like they were in the room with us while we recorded. I worked on lowering the pitch of some of the songs, not only to make them easier for me to sing but to help create a sense of calmness and intimacy throughout the album. It was about creating an atmosphere where the focus was on the lyrics and the story rather than on flashy production.
You also mentioned working with your mom, who recorded backing vocals on the album. How was that experience?
It was such a special moment. My mom actually sang on the original demo for one of the songs years ago, when I was still a teenager. I’ve always wanted to revisit that, but I didn’t want her to feel stressed or uncomfortable about it, so we did it in the most relaxed way possible. I took a recording setup to her house, and we recorded the vocals there, with my dad listening from outside the room. My mom used to perform folk music in South Africa to help pay for her college fees, and she had this beautiful voice that I grew up hearing. It was always a special thing when she would sing, especially when her friends would encourage her after a few drinks. Now, she sings in a local choir, but for me, bringing her into the studio felt like a beautiful full-circle moment.
That song, which we revisited for this album, has always had a place in our family’s life. It’s one of the first songs I ever wrote, and though it never saw the light of day before, it’s taken on this strange, almost symbolic meaning over the years. Bringing it back into the fold, along with my mom’s vocals, felt right.
It must have been an emotional process, revisiting such a personal piece of music.
It really was. It’s not necessarily about me, but it’s about the idea of this song and its place in our lives. It’s about a woman in San Francisco, from decades ago, who unknowingly left this mark on our family. The track turned out so beautifully—it’s simple, with Charlie playing piano, me singing, and my mom’s vocals adding this extra layer. I can’t believe how it’s turned out—it’s one of my favorite songs on the album.
Thank you so much for sharing all of this, Dan. It’s clear that “Ampersand” is a deeply personal project, full of growth, reflection, and collaboration. We can’t wait for everyone to hear it.
Thank you! It’s been a really fulfilling experience, and I hope people can feel the care and energy we put into making it.
– Interview by Dylan Lodise; Main Photo by UMG
