Deconstruct Me (Departure Touch) By Susan McLean

Departure Touch released Deconstruct Me on 11/20. A highly personal project, Deconstruct Me catalogues the most emotional moments into raw and unapologetic epithets. Leaning heavily on elements of shoegaze, the album is the experimental brainchild of Conor Knox. Knox has always been involved in music and this solo album was inevitable after focusing on bass and guitar in college.  I was able to speak with Knox briefly about the creative process:

Why go such an experimental route?

I wanted to try to accurately represent the chaos of my thought process so a lot of the record was written in very emotional states. I wanted the record to be the most pure representation of what I was going through at the time and not dilute it into a specific musically style, so I let it be experimental.

What artists do you draw on for inspiration?

Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine, Dan Barrett of Have A Nice Life, Ian Curtis of Joy Division, Morrissey, and like a million others.

Why did you embark on making an album on your own, I'd imagine it to be terrifying?

I wanted to make the album on my own to push my writing capability (musically and lyrically) and see if I could create a product I was truly proud of. And yes, it was terrifying. When you do everything by yourself (writing, recording, producing) you become very self critical but I just wanted something I could be proud of.

The whole album is so emotional, what track is the rawest?

The last one, "Time Makes Me Miss You More". It was written the day after the end of a two year relationship and recorded in one take the same day. It wasn't touched at all after.
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The writing and recording process of the record took about a year so some parts were written when I was in a much better state than others. 

I love the album art, tell me a little bit about it?

One of my good friends, Jack Hollant, who I have been in multiple bands with, has always done artwork. They built the artwork based off the lyrics of the record that I sent them. Jack says: "A single shoe print walking away is about dealing with loss. A lot of the songs on the record seemed to be dealing with loss or longing. There were also a lot of motifs about winter on the record and the music felt cold at times, so that reinforced the idea."

What's next for you, musically?

As of right now, I'm starting to write the next record. It'll probably a slow process again, but I've already started on it.
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The lyrics I've been working on kind of center on the transition I'm going through between childhood and adulthood. A reflection on that is probably what it'll focus on, but it'll probably change a million times before its ever out.

Stream (and purchase) Deconstruct Me from Bandcamp below, highlights include 'Vacant' and 'Old Places Where We Once Lived,' but the album as a whole is incredibly cohesive and is definitely something to listen to when you want to feel things. Personally, I really appreciate how unsettling and emotional the project is. 

Knox's past projects include Mind Reduction Therapy and Colère.