Andy Bull is one of a raft of artists who, instead of recording music the traditional way, is helping pioneer a new way thanks to technology and the sharing possibilities the internet provides musicians.
“When digital technology started becoming available, people started doing things on the cheap, using MP3s and that’s blossomed, now you can get any beat, percussion sample, synthesizers, any kind of plug-in and you don’t have to pay for it. You just kind of share it.
“There’s this whole class of electronic musicians, like Flume, who are the rock stars now, but they just did their records on their laptops.” Andy points out that not only has this new approach to writing music been birthed out of the pure cost benefits of the ‘bedroom record’, but that not all creative types work best in the typical writing songs, then going to a studio to record them blueprint.
“I still think of myself as a song writer but I’m not doing the old traditional route of song writing.” He acknowledges that it may not be an overly efficient process, however it certainly seems to be working for him. Both songs he released in 2013 placed in the triple j Hottest 100 despite delivering no album. Baby I Am Nobody Now’s brilliantly original video clip, which sees Andy portray the main character in a fake film trailer, was voted in rage’s Top 50 most popular videos of 2013.
Earlier single Keep On Running and Baby I Am Nobody Now should both feature on the new album despite being released several months ago. While in earnest the forthcoming album is a follow up to his 2009 debut We’re Too Young and the first release other than singles since The Phantom Pains EP in 2010, he doesn’t see it that way. “I don’t even really think of it as a follow up album, it kind of feels like the first thing I’ve ever done really.” It’s obvious that the person he was then feels like a lifetime ago, and the themes of youth and young love are a distant memory.
His recent singles have garnered a whole host of new fans, and the buzz he’s created has been rewarded with a spot on Australia’s favourite regional touring festival; Groovin’ The Moo alongside acts like Dizzee Rascal, The Naked & Famous, The Presets and Vance Joy. The festival will be the biggest Andy has played so far, and after attending the Canberra leg as a punter last year, he says he’s looking forward to being involved on the other side of the fence this year.
“I thought it had a really good vibe and it [always] gets a great line up, last year they had Tame Impala, so this year I’m pretty happy to be on it. My [live] guitarist played last year with Hungary Kids of Hungry and he said it was a really fun festival to play and that they treat you really well, so I think it’s going to be another good one [this year].”
If you do catch Bull at Groovin’ The Moo, St Kilda Festival or any other show this year, something that may strike you aside from his obvious musical talent is his irreverent humour between songs. When prompted about this, Andy is clearly aware that while he wants to make a show enjoyable for everyone involved, he doesn’t want it “turning into a vaudeville show”. “I used to play solo shows a long time ago, and it’s just you and a keyboard and a lot of silence in between songs, it can be a bit boring and one dimensional, so you end up telling stories and playing the role of a kind of troubadour and telling jokes.” He’s careful of maintaining a balance and wary of detracting from his music on any given night, “this isn’t variety hour”.
“I think you’re trying to give some sort of experience if you go see a show, I think to ideal outcome is to be affected.” Bull’s main reason for storytelling and jokes he says is that having several hundred people in a room together and no one saying anything is a strange thing in itself. “The only other time it’s like that is when you’re on a train,” he suggests, and at a gig, people aren’t wearing headphones and scrolling through their newsfeeds, so giving them something to focus on while tuning instruments or getting a sip of beer is all the more important.
Bull’s collaboration with Lisa Mitchell on the song Dog on his last EP was a huge success and brought him to a wider audience. When pressed about the prospect of having any special guests appearing in songs on the new record Andy says there’s a possibility but is keeping mum on the exact details. “You put the feelers out there, but it’s sort of just providence what ends up coming out of that, I always put the feelers out and sometimes you get a vibe and other times not. The Phantom Pains EP I did had a lot of collaborators on it and that happened really easily, almost by accident, so I figure that’s a good way to do it.”
While nothing concrete so far, Andy has plans to tour internationally in the not so distant future, building off the back of solid domestic shows. And while the album may not yet have a release date, and the recording of whatever it evolves into has certainly not been straightforward, judging by his recent releases and his obvious passion and painstaking work ethic, it’s sure to be something special.
BY ALEXANDER CROWDEN
