Staycations

The band approached the Trust with the idea of recording the album in National Trust properties across the country – haunted houses, ancient chapels and protected forests and borrowing pianos and harpsichords along the way.

Perhaps surprisingly, the Trust agreed, and instead of being released through a record label, Staycations is being released as a ‘creative collaboration’ with the National Trust.

The packaging has been designed by YCN, where Kotki Dwa singer Alex Ostrowski is design partner.

Ostrowski says the designs aim to evoke traditional British heritage, and reference the National Trust (even going so far as to use the Trust’s oak-leaf identity) although Kotki Dwa wasn’t subject to the Trust’s brand guidelines.

YCN’s Jon Lister created the Holiday Sans typeface for use on the album, and a limited-edition run of 50 cloth-bound-book CD sleeves were produced, each containing a book foreword.

Other collateral, such as promotional posters, uses photographs of National Trust property, taken by Alex Edouard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQPcRzFbwo0

In addition, YCN is holding an exhibition of work inspired by the theme Staycations, which runs until 27 August at YCN, 72 Rivington Street, London EC2.

Kotki Dwa’s Staycations album is available through Bandcamp for £8.