Interview with Damian Fowler, founding member/chief songwriter/lead singer of The Secret Radio.
Hello, Damian, Let’s talk about The Secret Radio’s new single, “Swimming Pool on Mars,” what is the meaning?
“Swimming Pool on Mars” is a song about loneliness, nostalgia and the dream of reunion with someone who’s far away in space and time. I’d like to think there’s a touch of the Romantic (capital R) longing for the sublime in the song, especially in the chorus. So, it sort of fluctuates between an extravagant fantasy and the melancholy of isolation.
I wrote this song after hearing “Lago en el Cielo” by the brilliant Argentine rock musician Gustavo Cerati, former frontman of Soda Stereo. Though I don’t speak Spanish fluently, I translated the lyrics, which start, “A lake in the sky is all that a heart could wish for.” The song is dreamy, impressionistic, and soaring — all at once.
I also want to say, the song can’t escape the gravitational pull of Life on Mars?, Bowie’s masterpiece from his 1971 Hunky Dory album. Bowie really helped define space as a metaphor for isolation. I love the idea of filing my song in the ‘bibliography of space’ category, hopefully drifting out there with the cosmic classics.
Which artists in the current industry inspire you the most?
I’m drawn to literate artists who perhaps lean toward melancholy. British bands like Elbow and Radiohead have always resonated with me. Nick Cave is endlessly inspiring and smart in everything he sings and writes. If you haven’t already, subscribe to The Red Hand Files. You won’t regret it. One of my songs, “Red,” was directly inspired by Cave’s Murder Ballads album. I love pretty much anything on the Nonesuch label, especially The Black Keys and Lianne La Havas. What else? In recent few years, I’ve been drawn to the music of Birdy and The Japanese House, and lately, Circa Waves’ single, “Let’s Leave Together,” has been on constant rotation.
What is the best thing about being a musician in 2025?
The ability to record and release music with relative ease, whether you’re in a living room or a studio. Since we formed The Secret Radio in 2006, recording technology has advanced dramatically. You don’t necessarily need a Neve mixing desk or a major-label budget to produce high quality recordings. For me, releasing this music is just one part of my life, and while I’m not in a position right now to tour with a band and promote it in a traditional way, I’m grateful that technology has changed the game. Streaming services mean the music can travel for us. It still blows my mind to check Spotify and see listeners on every continent. I’d like to believe that a song, once released, can find its own way in the world.
Is there a certain place you often go to write? E.g a certain room, or environment?
My wife, Magdalena, is a classical pianist, which means we have a 6-foot Yamaha grand dominating our living room. It takes up half the space. At night, after the kids have gone to bed, I love to sit there in the low light noodling on an idea that’s forming. Sometimes it goes nowhere, but other times it sticks around and becomes the seed of a song. I love that moment. I grab my iPhone and record it, so it doesn’t dissolve into the ether.
What is your first memory of music?
My parents had an incredible vinyl LP collection, marking the formative years of my childhood somewhere between the mid ‘70s and the mid ‘80s. On weekends, my sisters and I would be conscripted into house-cleaning duty, but at least we had a killer soundtrack to get us through the dusting. We’d listen to Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life, Billy Joel’s The Stranger album, Ray Charles Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, Bob Dylan’s Bringing It All Back Home, Dusty Springfield’s Dusty in Memphis to name a few.
Eventually, we started buying our own LPs. One sister was into David Bowie and The Cure. She was cool! The first album I ever bought was Ghost in the Machine by The Police. I’m still obsessed by Sting’s bassline on Spirits in the Material World. Great times and great music to which I always return.
Photo Credit: The Secret Radio.