How Music Becomes Fragrance: My Creative Process

You may have noticed that at Seldom Out, we don't tend to follow the seasons, which is odd for a fragrance business. You'll rarely find a pumpkin spice or a Christmas tree scent here. So I thought I'd describe the way in which I create our fragrances, because honestly? It's nothing like what you'd expect from your friendly, local chandler. I don't start with trends or seasons or what everyone else is selling. I start with music.

What Are "Olfactive Observations"?

I call my fragrances "olfactive observations on music and nostalgia" because that's exactly what they are. My attempt to translate what I hear and feel into something you can smell. It's synesthesia by design, turning melodies and memories into scent.

Step 1: Collecting Musical Moments

I'm a serial hoarder of songs. Yes, I'm that person Shazaming tracks in the grocery store (I know, I know). When I hear something in a movie, at a bar, in a restaurant - anywhere - I save it. It's a disorganized mish-mash and a growing source of potential inspiration.

Step 2: When a Song Sparks an Idea

At some point, one of these songs will trigger something. A feeling, a memory, a mood. That's when I start deep diving that scrappy playlist for a theme and a curated playlist.

Step 3: Finding the Feeling

I'll listen to this playlist on repeat. Over and over. I'm searching for the feeling that ties everything together. Once I've found it, I head to my spreadsheet where I've cataloged hundreds of fragrance notes, each tagged with the moods and feelings they evoke.

This is where translation begins, matching scent notes to the playlist.

Step 4: The Science Experiment Phase

Then comes the fun part: experimentation. I create dozens of combinations, tweaking and adjusting, trying to capture that ineffable feeling from the playlist. Some combinations are immediately wrong. Others are close but not quite there. And eventually, it all comes together.

Step 5: Perfecting the Technical Elements

Once the fragrance itself is settled, the real technical work begins. Safety testing, performance testing, finding the perfect ratio of wax to fragrance oil. And here's something most people don't know: our wood wick isn't just one wick. It's actually about six different wick options, because each fragrance needs something slightly different to burn properly.

Step 6: The Waiting Game

Getting all of this right takes time. From initial inspiration to finished candle, it can take 6 to 12 months to create something, an since I'm letting the music inspire me rather than following seasonal trends, sometimes by the time I've perfected a fragrance, it's not the right time to launch it.

So it goes into the vault, awaiting the right time. 

Why "Volumes"?

This is why I name all my fragrances as Volumes. They're not seasonal collections or trend-driven releases. They're individual observations, musical chapters, moments in time captured in wax and scent. Each one is a complete work, released when it's ready and when the timing feels right.

Like albums.

Every fragrance I create is an olfactive observation, a feeling preserved, nostalgia made tangible. If you've ever wondered what your favorite song might smell like, you understand what I'm trying to do.