I'm working - reasonably - hard on the next Sean Duffy novel and I thought you might like to know what I'm listening to on my down time. I remember talking to Irvine Welsh once about his writing process and he told me that the first thing he did on starting a new novel was to prepare a mix tape (he said tape but surely he must have meant CD) to play while he was writing. I couldn't possibly do that. The slightest thing distracts me and I use it as an excuse not to write. If a tap is dripping in a house three streets over I will stop for the day. But I do listen to a lot of music in and around the writing process. Often during spell and fact checks and on those long diversionary journeys into Wikipedia that take you far far far from where you wanted to go.
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For the last couple of weeks I've had the Handsome Family on heavy rotation. They're alt folkies from Chicago who very much channel Jim Thompson into their lyrics. Here's two of their songs for your edification. The second one might be my new favourite Christmas song. The first one, an extremely creepy murder ballad, already has 40 plays on my ipod. You can read the chilling and beautiful lyrics to Down In The Ground, here.
