Thea Gilmore turns anonymous public messages into songs
Thea Gilmore has launched The Echo Line, a project that turns anonymous messages from the public into songs. After decades of writing largely from personal experience, she says the project helps put other people’s lives at the centre of her music and offers contributors the experience of being heard without judgement.
People send hopes, fears, confessions and everyday stories through the project’s website, and Gilmore reads or listens to every message before writing songs inspired by one or more submissions. She received 150 messages in the first two days after launching in January, and the fourth song, “He Walks Like War”, was played more than 10,000 times before being removed. The songs cover subjects including grief, family estrangement, NHS work and the connections people share; Gilmore says treating contributors’ experiences with care carries a real responsibility.
In short
- Thea Gilmore turns anonymous public messages into songs.
- The Echo Line received 150 messages in two days.
- “He Walks Like War” passed 10,000 listens before removal.
Explained simply
Thea Gilmore is a British singer-songwriter known for writing songs drawn largely from personal experience. The Echo Line is a project in which members of the public can send her anonymous accounts of their lives through a website.
Gilmore uses the messages as inspiration for songs about subjects such as grief, family relationships and work. The project raises questions about how personal stories can be turned into music, and how a songwriter can handle contributors’ experiences with care.
For listeners, the songs offer a way to encounter experiences beyond the songwriter’s own. Contributors can share what is on their minds without being named, while Gilmore decides how those accounts shape the finished songs.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “‘It’s not my pain. There’s a responsibility in that’: Thea Gilmore on writing songs from anonymous confessional voicemails”.