Meursault’s music flits between genres and styles, incorporating synthesised beats, noise, acoustic guitars and piano. It has been described, seemingly oxymoronically, as ‘lo-fi epic’, a sort of maximalist approach to telling intimate stories. Similarly, live shows are amorphous. At a Meursault gig, you might encounter leader Neil Pennycook playing solo or as part of a larger band; it all depends on the occasion.

Meursault’s latest album, notably self-titled, started out as a linear story set in a dystopian world. At one point, Pennycook considered making this story into a graphic novel rather than an album. However, his storytelling naturally pointed him in the direction of music, and the songs organically developed into their own thing. In prior Meursault projects, Pennycook has created characters and worlds to communicate his ideas. For this album, he is instead looking inwards. ‘I found myself gravitating towards my actual self rather than the caricature version,’ he insists. As such, the new songs represent different stages on his own creative journey, tallying what Meursault means to Pennycook.

While this is not a lockdown-specific record, he acknowledges the profound impact those years had on his craft. Finding himself essentially using Bandcamp as a sketchbook, he released three EPs that he considers ‘essentially demoing the album in public’. Yet, the most significant impact of lockdown on Pennycook’s process was finding himself writing solely for piano for the first time. ‘My main push as a musician at the time, lockdown aside, was to make myself more confident and competent with the piano, each morning bringing with it the question, “what are we going to get better at today”?’

For his upcoming live shows, Pennycook has recruited some familiar faces, including Robyn Dawson, Calum MacLeod and Reuben Taylor while the other spots have been filled out by people that he worked alongside during the pandemic: Drew Boyd, Fionnbarr Byrne, Emma Capponi and Graeme Young complete what has become known as The Geist Collective. ‘It is a different kettle of fish to the band before,’ Pennycook notes. ‘Everyone now involved in Meursault has their own project and is a solo artist in their own right.’

The decision to perform under a collective name gives the group much more scope to switch up and support one another on each of their individual pursuits. It’s clear that at least one of the keys to Meursault’s longevity is how Pennycook cares about his fellow musicians and the scene he is a part of. This compassion allows for an openness, leaving behind the escapist lyrics of yore to embrace the new reality.

Meursault is out now on Common Grounds Records.