“He’d never touched an instrument in his life. I gave him the cello and he made a sound. That was a moment – music is something to be part of, not just consumed”: Jo Quail’s music education was free. She believes yours should be too

Jo Quail.

Since the release of her debut album in 2010, virtuoso Jo Quail has demonstrated that the melancholic-sounding cello has a place beyond the realm of classical music and spooky movie scores. On latest album Notan she strips her otherworldly sound back to its purest parts, with an orchestral companion is due next year. She tells Prog why less is sometimes more.

It’s a warm and sunny evening, and Jo Quail’s disposition entirely matches the glorious weather. “I’m constantly learning,” she says from the kitchen of her Sussex bolt-hole. “I think each time I make an album, it’s a snapshot in time of that particular moment. With each release, I have progressed as a composer and as a performer as well – so I learn a lot more. I try to improve my skills in production, as well as creative and writing skills.”