Hearing In Colour

Album: Hana (2023)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Synesthesia is a neurological phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory pathway leads to involuntary experiences in a second sensory pathway. People who report a lifelong history of such experiences are known as synesthetes. Synesthesia is not a disease or a medical condition, but rather a variation in how the brain processes sensory information.

    There are many different types of synesthesia, including chromesthesia where people hear sounds as colors. Sophie Ellis-Bextor's producer, Ed Harcourt, has this condition. "When he plays chords he can see colors and days of the week," the singer told The Sun. "And I'm really fascinated by that idea. There is even something called mirror synaesthesia where someone can feel someone else being touched."
  • Other musicians who are synesthetes include Coldplay's Chris Martin, Pharrell Williams, John Mayer, Lorde and Charli XCX.
  • Sophie Ellis-Bextor recorded "Hearing In Colour" for her seventh studio album, Hana, which is the Japanese word for blossom. The feverish dream-like song is one of several inspired by a 2020 trip Ellis-Bextor made to Japan just before the COVID-19 pandemic. Musically, she sought to create a fantastical world for the album inspired by her time in the Far Eastern country.
  • Ed Harcourt plays the piano on the track. The other musicians are:

    Simon Byrt: synthesizer
    Richard Jones: bass guitar
    Pablo Tato: electric guitar
    Jackson Ellis-Leach: drums

    Richard Jones is the bassist of the rock-pop group The Feeling and Ellis-Bextor's husband. They met when he auditioned for her tour band in 2002.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Chris Rea

Chris ReaSongwriter Interviews

It took him seven years to recover from his American hit "Fool (If You Think It's Over)," but Chris Rea became one of the top singer-songwriters in his native UK.

Kristian Bush of Sugarland

Kristian Bush of SugarlandSongwriter Interviews

Kristian talks songwriting technique, like how the chorus should redefine the story, and how to write a song backwards.

U2 Lyrics

U2 LyricsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the lyrics of U2?

Joe Ely

Joe ElySongwriter Interviews

The renown Texas songwriter has been at it for 40 years, with tales to tell about The Flatlanders and The Clash - that's Joe's Tex-Mex on "Should I Stay or Should I Go?"

Tim McIlrath of Rise Against

Tim McIlrath of Rise AgainstSongwriter Interviews

Rise Against frontman Tim McIlrath explains the meanings behind some of their biggest songs and names the sci-fi books that have influenced him.

Max Cavalera of Soulfly (ex-Sepultura)

Max Cavalera of Soulfly (ex-Sepultura)Songwriter Interviews

The Brazilian rocker sees pictures in his riffs. When he came up with one of his gnarliest songs, there was a riot going on.