I was on tour in the USA with Goodnight Thomas. I ended up having to use more strings than usual during those shows. It felt pretty cool so I decided to write music that used mainly strings and piano instead of guitar/bass/drums.
Aside from loving the sounds of string sections, I wanted to write new music on the piano… I used to show the band simple guitar demos of new songs and they’d all write their own parts. It was cool writing the songs together, but it didn’t feel like it was an absolute direct expression for me as a songwriter. I figured the music would feel a lot more personal if I tried to do everything myself.
The music took a long time to get right. I had to learn how to use the technology and had to re-record parts because of that. I figured it out eventually.
I used to be a scientist. I’d go mad from routine, but get told it was mercury poisoning from that thermometer I used to chew, thinking it was my pen.
Devoting myself to something as consuming and satisfying as music makes me happiest. Especially those quiet times at about 3am, at the piano, everything and everyone is asleep, you’re lucid, you find a new melody, it slowly comes together and you have a complete song by the time everyone wakes up.
I was pretty proud when I learned Richard Kingsmill liked the first single We’re Dying Alone enough to want to hear the rest of the album.
I’m off to New York to launch the album just days after the Melbourne launch this Sunday September 11 at the Northcote Social Club. When I get back I’ll be doing a regional tour up the east coast.
