Taylor Swift recalls hearing Aaron Dessner’s “immediately, intensely visual” instrumentals


Taylor Swift has spoken further about working with Aaron Dessner on her two 2020 albums ‘Folklore’ and ‘Evermore’.

The National musician Dessner co-produced both of the records as well as co-writing a number of tracks with Swift.

Speaking in a new New York Times profile of Dessner, Swift recalled how his approach to songwriting inspired new ideas for her own own music.

“The quality that really confounded me about Aaron’s instrumental tracks is that to me, they were immediately, intensely visual,” Swift said.

“As soon as I heard the first one, I understood why he calls them ‘sketches.’ The first time I heard the track for [‘Folklore’ track] ‘Cardigan,’ I saw high heels on cobblestones. I knew it had to be about teenage miscommunications and the loss of what could’ve been.”

Aaron Dessner of The National (Picture: Brian Rasic/WireImage)

Swift added that her experience of listening to Dessner’s instrumental ‘sketches’ is the closest she’s ever come to experiencing synaesthesia.

“I’ve always been so curious about people with synaesthesia, who see colours or shapes when they hear music. The closest thing I’ve ever experienced is seeing an entire story or scene play out in my head when I hear Aaron Dessner’s instrumental tracks.”

Swift is set to feature on Big Red Machine’s new album ‘How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last?’, with Dessner describing her contribution recently as “really, really stunning”.

The singer features on two songs – ‘Birch’ and ‘Renegade’ – on the record, which is the second studio album from Dessner and Bon Iver‘s Justin Vernon.