All ears, no hands

Mads Mathias is a jazz musician. He plays the saxophone and he sings like a world-class crooner. When he asked us to design the cover for his album All Ears, our first instinct was to have him cover his face with his hands, leaving his ears in focus. Mads Mathias loved the idea. But on the day of the photoshoot, when he held up his hands, we just couldn’t stop staring. And although the story of how Mads Mathias overcame losing three fingers in a traffic accident, at the age of 17, to become one of Denmark’s most sought-after saxophone players, is both fascinating and inspiring, it wasn’t the story we were trying to tell here. So, for once, we went with a simple headshot. It is to Mads Mathias’ credit that it worked. Thanks to the look in his eye, you can actually see him listen. The back of the cover is, of course, the back of his head. And on the inner sleeve, if you look closely, you can see a pattern made of cotton swabs.

Photography by Søren Rønholt.