How Passenger Is Inspired By The Heartbreak Of Others

Mike Rosenberg's new record Young As The Morning, Old As The Sea is somewhat of a departure from his previous style of writing. Recorded partially in Auckland, it's an album inspired by the mountainous panoramas of New Zealand and Iceland. "It was a much more collaborative recording process with the band this time," he says. "We tracked it live, and as a result it feels bigger and more natural." However, the influence of location goes beyond the album's expansive sound. "There's a new theme of landscapes and nature occurring throughout these songs," he says. "I've always talked about people before, and their very specific stories. With this record, there seems to be this really new and exciting geographical theme."

"There's so many ways of interpreting that song, yet everybody hears it and can relate to it in some way. It's a very fine line to balance."

It's part of Rosenberg's increasing attempts to universalise his songwriting. "I think after years of writing, you learn how to do it. It's not possible with every song. I think Let Her Go is possibly my best example of it. The song about a break-up, which is something very specific that I was going through at the time, but it can relate to everyone. It's very broad, to the point where it's not just concerning relationships or break-ups, but people hear that song and think about people they've lost. There's so many ways of interpreting that song, yet everybody hears it and can relate to it in some way. It's a very fine line to balance, I think."

His years spent busking around the world have helped lend him this perspective for the universal, as he's been able to gather the stories and experiences of people he's met. He comes alive for the first time in our interview when telling the story behind Travelling Song, off his previous album, about an Australian he met in Denmark. "I was busking, and it was going really badly. No one was listening, but this man came and sat and listened for an hour. He was probably in his 70s, I would say. We had a chat afterwards, and he told me this tragic story about how he and his wife had always planned to go off travelling. They'd never been out of Australia before, and had agreed that when the kids grew up they would go around the world together. They were putting money aside and saving every month, and eventually, after years, and years, and years, they booked this huge trip around the world. Before they left, she suddenly passed away. And this guy still decided to go travelling on his own, out of respect for her. Having a conversation like that with a stranger was incredible. That's the kind of interaction that, somehow, from playing music on the street, you can evoke from people. It's amazing."