Singer-songwriter Alison Sudol, best known as A Fine Frenzy, unleashed an interactive e-book and animated short film Tuesday to coincide with the release of her nature-inspired third album, Pines.
Sudol wrote the The Story of Pines companion ebook and lyrics on Pines to combat the stressful emotions she felt about the fact-paced lifestyle she and people around her were seemingly forcing themselves to live.
"I was in a very low place when I started this album -- I got lost and it was terrifying," Sudol told Mashable while giving us a test-drive of the e-book. "I couldn't fit my whole story onto the record so I did this book."
Along the way, Sudol got happier. Her deceleration paved the way for something unexpected: "I fell in love."
"I was in a very low place when I started this album -- I got lost and it was terrifying."
The e-book features her narration, snippets of audio (music from Pines and nature sounds) as well as animated illustrations of animals and forest scenery.
Rain falls, deers move and birds blink at the e-book reader's tap of a finger. Sudol hopes the experience translates into a therapeutic environment for readers.
To get a glimpse of the e-book, flip through the gallery, or watch Sudol describe it in the video below:
The ebook tells the story of an "a pining tree who is given the unheard-of chance to make a life of her own choosing." Trailer Park developed the ebook, bringing Sudol's words and Jen Lobo's art like this one to life:
The 119-page e-book from Virgin Records costs $5.99 and is compatible on iOS devices.
The illustrations are also featured in the animated short film Pines, which was released ahead of the album of the same name and e-book: