LeeAnn Perry (she/they) is a speculative fiction writer, electronic musician, generative audiovisual artist, and scientist based in San Francisco.

I initially came to the Fish Factory intending to work on fiction pieces, and as soon as I arrived I was inspired to experiment with form: I wrote a piece that took the form of a crossword puzzle, and another that took the form of notes on a mixtape.

Soon, I realized I wanted to make something that was of this place and only of this place: of its grand peaks and aurora borealis, of its lichens and rocks and fjords. I started researching Icelandic history and folklore, a rabbit-hole that took me into news stories, academic journal articles in anthropology, the eddas and sagas, and personal accounts of encounters with the supernatural.

I became fascinated with the huldufólk, elven beings resembling humans but living in a parallel world, interwoven into the mythos of the land, and with the útburður, the ghosts of children who were abandoned to the elements. Reading deeper into these legends revealed a history of selective female infanticide, a topic that resonated emotionally for me due to its parallels in Chinese history. Soon I realized this was not meant to be a written story, but a series of intertwined songs. Fortunately for me, the Fish Factory has a recording studio complete with a beautiful piano.

Though I had worked with singers and songwriters before, I had never before written lyrics, or sang on a recording– my traditional domain was in the instrumentals, ambience, and production. I credit the exploratory and generative culture of the Fish Factory with giving me the courage to try writing and singing vocal parts for the first time.

In my songs, I imagine an alternate history where both the girls left to the elements and the mothers executed for infanticide were resurrected by the huldufólk with elemental rune magic and integrated into their world, and in turn lived to continue the cycle of salvation.

Musically, my pieces are built from layering dark drones, piano recordings manipulated with various effects, and vocals drenched in ethereal reverb. One of the tracks also features guest vocals by a fellow resident, @katebelanger, a testament to the collaborative and supportive nature of our tight-knit group of residents. I am currently mixing and mastering these songs, for release in 2025.

Many thanks to the Fish Factory for this wonderful opportunity to explore and express, and also to my cohort of residents, without whom I could not imagine this experience.

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