Yuck interview

Bobby Townsend has a chat with Daniel Blumberg from Yuck about making music and living up to expectations at St Jerome's Laneway Festival:

"I have no idea what to expect." 

Despite taking a trip there to visit family when he was young, Daniel Blumberg has few memories of Australia and little in the way of preconceptions of his band's upcoming debut performances there. He is looking forward to it though. "We toured with Tame Impala and they said it was really great. I've heard [Laneway is] a really good festival too."

Yuck are a four piece - sometimes a five piece - made up of London-based vocalist/guitarist Daniel and guitarist Max, bassist Mariko from Hiroshima, New Jersey's Jonny on drums and part-time fifth member Ilana, who joins brother Daniel for the harmonies on the album and occasionally live. Their record, self-produced and recorded in the homes of Max and Daniel, has received so much acclaim and attention that it has led to the band being on tour pretty much solidly since its release early last year. In May, they sold out headline shows at New York's Bowery Ballroom and the Scala in London, as well as making their debut TV appearance on Later with Jools Holland. Such a hectic schedule means they haven't had much opportunity to look forward to - or even think about - their turn at Laneway. "I need to check the line-up," Daniel laughs as we discuss who he is looking forward to seeing. "We haven't really had time to prepare. I know that it's coming, but we're on a three-month tour so I haven't been thinking that far ahead. When we come back from a tour, we're back for about a day or two and in that time we record a song or paint tour posters. Straight away from the airport I'd be setting up my paints for the poster for the next tour, or we'd go straight to the studio to record a song."

All of which means that, while they put out their own singles, there hasn't been a lot of time to think about a new album just yet. Considering the DIY ethic involved in the first recording, one wonders whether, now that they have a raised profile, they will do things differently next time round? Will they take themselves to a swanky studio in LA, or will it be back to Max's bedroom for a makeshift set-up? "It depends on the songs. Now, more people know our music so maybe there are more possibilities in terms of producers. I guess when we finish writing we will talk about it. But it won't be the same as the last album, because that was all we had equipment-wise."

The band's first record offers many reference points - all the while without sounding derivative in the slightest. For instance, Get Away bursts from the speakers with Pixies basslines, Sonic Youth guitars and Malkmus vocals, the outstanding Shook Down is Teenage Fanclub at their most romantic and Georgia is My Bloody Valentine mixed with The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. It was clearly pieced together with a love of these kind of bands but, joyfully, still sounds fresh and exciting. However, Daniel admits that his interest in the music that influenced Yuck's sound came about relatively late-on. "When I was younger I listened to a lot of Blink 182. I'm not from a family that had lots of records lying about except for things like Joseph and His Technicolour Dreamcoat and Elton John. I did find a Neil Young CD once, which was very rare. I discovered Harvest when I was about 17, and that was when I really started listening to music."

Stumbling upon Neil Young led the singer on all manner of musical paths. "First it took me to Will Oldham, Smog and Lambchop. I remember being blown away by those bands. Then it was Silver Jews into Pavement and then someone recommended Dinosaur Jr. Once you get into those bands, you start noticing the record labels that are putting things out." He starts listing other groups. "Neutral Milk Hotel, Sparklehorse, Royal Trux. There's a band called Video Nasties that changed a lot for me."

And so, influenced by these great sounds, Daniel and his chums crafted an album which has caused such a buzz that they arrive in Australia to a certain amount of expectation from attendees of St Jerome's Laneway Festival. However, the band aren't really feeling any particular weight on their shoulders. "I think I'm detached from those feelings of expectation. I just like the idea of putting on a good show," Daniel shrugs. "The music has gone so much further than we thought, but we're just doing what we're doing. If people don't like it, then we're not going to change. That's pointless."

So honest and exciting is Yuck's sound, it seems hard to imagine people not liking it.

Interview by Bobby Townsend. Find out more about St Jerome's Laneway Festival here. 

The Panics interview

As The Panics prepare to play at St Jerome's Laneway Festival, Heidi Pett spoke to frontman Jae Laffer about Republicanism, Peter Garrett and, of course, their latest album:

Your latest album - and a lot of your output - has been described as cinematic and particularly Australian. What do you think it is about your music that creates this perception? 
I don’t know! *laughs*. I can understand the cinematic thing, on a surface level we have a knack for making sparse and grandiose sweeping... well... pop songs. I kind of understand it and sometimes I think we could do a pretty good job of making a film soundtrack sometime.

As for sounding Australian, it’s kind of flattering. I guess it’s the occasional bit of language or the description of an environment. I don’t set out to write songs that are over-the-top Australian, I think it’s to do with that sparse guitar sound that a lot of Aussie bands can get and that the boys in my band do very well, and mixing that with a certain kind of lyrical delivery. I see where that comes from and it's something that I like in a lot of my favourite bands, so that’s cool.

Did you find there was a certain pressure after the success of 2007’s Cruel Guards? Did it alter the way that you wrote? 
There’s always been far greater pressure from within myself and within the band. [The success of Cruel Guards] made the whole prospect of writing more songs quite exciting, because you get a taste for what it's like when you notice you’re being played in the shops or on the television and you get this great feeling that something you’ve been working on has somehow slipped into popular culture, you get to change the atmosphere around the place just in a small way. You start to think of the possibilities of how that must feel if it’s ten times the size - being played in taxi cabs in America. That kind of crazy idea is really exciting.

I’m in it for the long haul, I want to be making records for many years to come. I have great faith and confidence in what we’ll be able to achieve in the future, I don’t really feel the pressure at this point. I just keep striving to make that great record in my head.

 
This album was written in Salford, a very different environment to what you would have been used to. Do you think that in some way coloured the sound of the album?
I can listen to the songs and hear the main things that colour it and a certain feeling overall. I find it quite claustrophobic in a way. It’s very internal. It’s not always the most uplifting atmosphere that we create! The boys certainly counteract more moody lyrics with some really great and sparse and driving music and it creates this blend. The great thing about trying your luck with different places and different producers is that it all has a great effect on how the record finishes up. If we were recording at Woodstock out in the forest it would sound completely different, likewise if we’d produced it ourselves it would sound different again.

The first single, Majesty, has a certain pro-republican vibe. How have people responded to the lyrics in that one? 
I’ve made a conscious effort not to make it too over-the-top. I don’t think I’m ready for a big political rant of any kind but it’s exciting to have lyrics that are not just about love for a change. I’ve done loads of interviews where suddenly people are asking me about my thoughts on the Queen, or religion or something and it makes life far more interesting!

It's nice to get to an age now where I feel comfortable talking about things in society that affect me and matter to me - to put it on the table. I’m not overly passionate about any particular stance, I just think it’s healthy for people to talk about such things.

It must be nice for people to see you as more than just a one-dimensional character?
Yeah well otherwise you’re just the slightly moody, inward-thinking kinda guy who writes songs about breakups and stuff. Sometimes I think my music doesn’t represent me very accurately. It’s funny that I seem to have so many songs that are so retrospective, when I’m naturally really positive and really opinionated.

No plans to be the next Peter Garrett though? 
I’ve got a great respect for Peter Garrett. When it comes to that highly opinionated and highly political music, it's so hard to get right and I look up to them [Midnight Oil] very much. You don’t choose to go on that path though, you have to be called to it. Though I’d like to get to the stage that if I need to have a conversation on political matters on the television or something like that, I could hold my own. You need people on all sides of the spectrum speaking about what they think is right and what our generation wants to stand for - what we’re prepared to tolerate and not tolerate from politicians. We’re the generation that’s gotta look after the place, it’s worth talking about all things that we want to stand for.

Another thing you seem to be quite passionate about: you’ve mentioned previously that you like to help out other Perth bands, having recently toured with Split Seconds... Do you feel a certain responsibility to the next generation of Australian musicians? 
Not so much responsibility, it’s just one of those things where it feels good to help people out. It’s a real tough slog being in a group, especially form Perth. You’ve gotta spend a lot to get over to the Eastern states and really try to get noticed by the rest of the country. We had a lot of troubles on our way so it's nice to even just be the band that helps out and lets people use your gear.

I spoke to the guys from Georgia Fair a while ago. They said they had a great time on the Rain On The Humming Wire tour, that The Panics taught them a lot and that you were very hands-on with your music. Can you tell me more about that? 
*laughs* That’s a nice way of saying we’re absolutely in poverty and have to do everything ourselves. We lift every box and every amp and we set the whole place up. We like to be hands-on and feel part of everything that’s going on, and I think we just like to be busy, to tell you the truth! We’re very proactive with the whole show. We’re not just going to turn up at showtime, we like treating the whole thing as one big project. It’s good to be in a band that wants to be that hands-on.

I don’t have many rules to go by but all I know is we’ve been together... I don’t even know how many years. Our first EP came out ten years ago and whatever we’re doing we’ve generally done it right. We may not be mega-successful but we get to do things kind of on our own terms, we’ve stayed together and people seem to respect it. I’m very proud of the boys and myself for being persistent and keeping not just the dream but the passion at that high level. We don’t wanna let it get casual. We want to make another record very soon. We’ve managed to stick it out and learn a lot along the way, and we’ve set ourselves up to be in a position where... you know... I’d love us to be like R.E.M, making 20 albums, and maybe your 10th is your best. I love that idea.

The Panics play at this year's St Jerome's Laneway Festival.

Interview by Heidi Pett. You can read her own blog here.  

Breaking M83, Anna Calvi and Twin Shadow tour news.

Some Laneway sideshow news hot off the press is that pioneering solo orchestra M83 has added an extra date to his sideshow run. His mighty fine album Hurry Up I'm Dreaming has made a mark on countless best-of-2011 lists and tickets to his first two dates in Sydney and Melbourne have completely sold out, so you'd do well to make a note of the sales deets below. You snooze, you lose suckers.

Thursday 2nd February 2012 Prince Bandroom, MELBOURNE
Tickets through Moshtix, online or 1300 GET TIX (438 849) and The Prince Bandroom, online or 03 9536 1168 Tickets go on sale 9am, Thursday 22 December (that's tomorrow, by the way).

In other sideshow news, ANNA CALVI and TWIN SHADOW will be joining to forces and playing co-headline shows in Sydney and Melbourne (a coming-together of their previously-scheduled sideshows). Here's the score:

SYDNEY: Monday 6 February, Oxford Art Factory, Sydney. Tix on sale now from moshtix.com.au.

Tickets for Anna Calvi at the Metro Theatre will remain valid for the new Oxford Art Factory date on Monday 6 February, or customers can elect for a full refund. A Century Venues representative will be contacting patrons, or alternatively, customers can call (02) 9550 3666 to make arrangements. 

MELBOURNE: Wednesday 1st February, Corner Hotel, Melbourne. Tix from Polyesters (City and Fitzroy stores) or cornerhotel.com

Tickets for Anna Calvi on Friday 3 February will remain valid for the new date on Wednesday 1 February or customers can elect for a full refund. The Corner Hotel Box Office will be in contact to make arrangements, or alternatively, customers can call (03) 9427 9198. 

Glasser interview

Bobby Townsend chats to Glasser as she prepares to make her Australian debut: 

"I've been expecting you, Bobby," says Glasser in her best Bond villain voice as she picks up the phone to chat about her upcoming visit to Australia. Her impression makes way for a laugh. It's an infectious belly laugh that will feature heavily over the next few minutes of conversation. It turns out, you see, that Glasser - aka Cameron Mesirow - is just about the loveliest person ever.

Glasser heads to the Southern Hemisphere early next year to play at St Jerome's Laneway Festival on the back of critical acclaim for her debut album, Ring. "I'm so excited. I cannot wait," the New York-based singer/songwriter says of her first ever trip to Australia. "My only expectation is that it will be warm."

Warmness is something associated with Laneway, from the general vibe of the crowd to the fact that the weather always seems to be baking hot on the day of the event. Having never played on these shores before, is Glasser looking forward to the opportunity of playing the festival to win over some new fans? She takes a few seconds to answer. "Erm. yeaaaaah," she says, as if in slow motion. Most of her answers start in such a fashion. "That's an interesting thing, I guess. Winning new fans is really great, but at the same time it's great when people are already excited and know all the songs."

That is more likely to be the case at her sideshows, in which she features in a double-bill with Chairlift. However, regardless of whether you head to one of her club shows or you see her at the festival, you're best advised to pay attention to what is happening on the stage. "In both cases, the crowd is quite loud," she says if I ask whether she prepares differently for an indoor show and a festival. "There are some quiet parts to my set sometimes that require attention. I use in-ear monitoring so I don't hear people chattering, but I often see tweets after I've played where people were saying 'I'm at the Glasser show and the people behind me won't shut up.'" She stops herself. "I don't know. I've had enormously good luck so far so I don't want to sound ungrateful. People are usually really respectful. I have a nice time." When I tell her that the worst thing about going to gigs for me is, in fact, the other people in the crowd and that I would be happier if it were just me in attendance, she laughs. "A personal gig?"

So, if the uninitiated pay attention, what can they expect from the show? And how does her one-woman-orchestra dynamic translate to the live arena? Does she bring a bunch of musicians with her to achieve the intimate, luxurious sound she lays down on record? "I have done but now I don't. I have one person who travels with me and he is the wizard behind the live show. But it's really, like, a show of me dancing and singing. What can people expect? They can expect quite a lot of my voice. Yeah," she chuckles, before continuing. "They can expect that I want them to be happy and entertained by my show."

Glasser's lyrics are rather abstract and cryptic, which leads me to wonder whether that is just her natural writing style, or if she consciously goes out of her way to encourage people to join the dots? "I've experimented with a lot of different styles of writing. I cringe when I write anything that is too specific. I like to keep a vagueness in the writing. I think there are things that I can do better and that I have a long way to go as a lyricist and a musician. But I think that I am definitely moving all the time. I'm not just staying in the same place, so that's good."

Her musical style is quite unique in that it draws from a whole spectrum of sounds and gels them together. But did she have the vision to create such a sonic landscape from the very beginning, or did it come about organically? Her answer again, starts off slow and considered, before accelerating rapidly. "Err... I think... a little bit of both. There were definitely some things that I couldn't help but do. I know that's true. There is always going to be something about the way that you write an article or the way you brush your teeth or whatever that is uniquely yours almost by accident, but then there were things that I felt very calculated about. I think the latter is more common for me." By this, she is referring to the way she creates her sound by taking influences from here and there and piecing them together. When something is moving too far in one direction, she'll consciously go the other way. "I intend to exhibit myself as a fan of many different types of music. I'm not sure if I've finished doing that, but it is definitely something I have in mind when I'm writing. Not being too much of this or too much of that, and to throw a little bit of the opposite into the mix. If that makes sense."

Before Laneway, the musician will be spending some time at home, where she will be crafting some new tunes that, who knows, might just make their way into her set at the festival. "I working on new music. I'm in New York and I'm really excited about being here because I've been away touring for a long time. It feels so good to be back. I've just been smiling at everyone on the street." Of course, she ends this sentence with a laugh.

And what is the Glasser masterplan? The Glasserplan, if you will. Does she want to see a zillion records, or make one more album and then move onto projects new? "Ermmm... I don't..." She stops, and starts again. "I've never considered going into business as, like, a farmer, or anything like that," she offers, rather strangely, before chuckling to herself. "I have every intention to stay creative. But I can't say if it will continue to be music forever because I have lot of other creative interests and I have a million ideas all the time." More giggles. "I don't know... books... and... different types of internet start up companies." She can barely finish her sentence through laughter. "It's a funny world I live in."

Before she signs off, she says, "I hope you like the show." If her performance is half as engaging and fun as this 15 minute telephone conversation, that seems in little doubt.

Interview by Bobby Townsend. For more details on Laneway, click here. See Glasser's tour dates here.

Portugal. The Man interview

 
Bobby Townsend talks to Portugal. The Man's Zachary Scott Carothers about the band's upcoming appearances at Australia's St Jerome's Laneway Festival:

"I'm just outside of Paris and I'm feeling a little sick. I took a bite of the worst thing I have ever eaten in my life today. We didn't know what we were ordering. It was intestines stuffed with other intestines. I've eaten some really nasty food in my life, just to try things. But this was by far the worst."

Portugal. The Man's Zachary Scott Carothers might be feeling a bit rough in the gut department, but it isn't tempering his high spirits at the fact that he and his three bandmates are soon to embark on their first ever jaunt to Australia. "We're really looking forward to it. I have some family in Perth but none of the band have ever been there. I've heard it's a really nice place. Everybody that I've talked to in other bands says it's really nice. It's known to have a really good rock n roll scene"

And the reason the Portland band are on their way over to Aus is because they are set to play at this summer's Laneway Festival. While they are looking forward to the opportunity to win new fans with their dreamy brand of psych-rock, don't expect to see them down the front checking out all of the other acts on the bill. It turns out that the four dudes who make up Portugal. The Man are pretty much the hardest working fellows around. "The Laneway line-up is rad but I actually don't know if we'll get to see anybody. One of the bummers about this job is that a lot of the times we don't get to see any bands because we are doing press and just really busy all day. It happens at all festivals." Not that Zach is especially concerned about this. He has other priorities on his debut trip to Australia. "When it comes to going to a country for the first time, I'm more excited about seeing the country, eating the food and drinking the drinks more than seeing other acts because I can do that in places that I've been before. To be honest I'm more interested in seeing whatever of Australia I can."

The band will arrive in Aus with six albums under their belts. Having been around for the same number of years, that's a pretty prolific turnaround, which brings us back to the hardest-working-band-in-music thing. "It's something we set out to do," he explains when talk turns to their album-a-year output. "We've got a very strong work ethic. We're not going to rush it. If a record isn't done, we'll wait until it's finished but we never really take days off. A lot of bands take a really long time with records but we love playing music. It's our hobby, it's our job, it's our passion, it's our career. It's really all we do. We're always doing something, whether we're on tour, rehearing or writing new music. We take advantage of the position that we're in but we definitely don't take it for granted. We know that it takes hard work to do this."

So, having logged over 800 shows and written, recorded and released an album every year since they started out, do Portugal. The Man ever have just straight-up time off? "Definitely not," Zach laughs. "Except for Christmas Day. I know that I don't have to do anything band-related on Christmas Day. Besides that, we're always doing something. There's never a week where we can turn off our cell phones and not answer our emails. We're pretty much on call 24 hours a day. Which is fine. There is so much more to playing in a band than just the music. There's artwork, videos, photos, blogs, video updates. There are so many things you can do to make it better. We really want to do this for our whole lives so we try to put ourselves in the mind-state that, no matter what time it is, we're always thinking 'what can I do right now that will take ten minutes that will help our careers?' We like to have fun and we do like to relax and, honestly, I would like a vacation every now and again, but most of the time, our job is fun. It's playing music, It's what we've wanted to do our whole lives so we work hard at it."

Portugal. The Man's new album, In The Mountain In The Cloud, is their first on a major label. Considering their DIY, homegrown ethic, one wonders whether it was a tough decision to sign with Atlantic. "Yeah. It was a hard decision.  Major labels have been contacting us since we first started six years ago but we always said that we wanted to build it our own way. We had an idea of where we wanted the band to go. We wanted to start out doing everything ourselves and our way. We had some great help and great management - I consider our manager as family - but when we released a record and there was only the four band members plus our manager, booking agent and publicist working all day every day... you need more help if you want to get to the next level."

While it was clear that the band were ready for the clout of Atlantic behind them, it was still something that took serious consideration. "We took our time with it. We talked to them almost every day for about nine months before we signed with them. They really made us feel at home from the very beginning. Obviously we were a little sceptical and very scared because there is a lot to live up to on a label like that. They have this legendary roster: Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Led Zeppelin... and then us! We put a lot of pressure on ourselves but, when it came down to it after hanging out at the offices and talking to everybody, they are just really big music fans and they are smart and cool. I'm glad that we did it. It's not like we're some band that has played 20 shows and a label has picked us up and crafted us into what they want us to be. We ask them for advice but they never make us change anything. All they do is help. They like us for what we've done and what we do."

As anyone who checks Portugal. The Man out at the 2012 St Jerome's Laneway Festival is sure to discover, they are indeed a hugely likable band.

Interview By Bobby Townsend

Laneway Festival announces artist sideshows

Right now at Bobbysix.com, we're frantically interviewing lots of acts that are set to play at next year's St Jerome's Laneway Festival. Expect to see the fruits of our chats cropping up all over the site like a rash (but a nice one) over the next few weeks.

Of course, the impending Laneway also means SIDESHOWS! Whoop whoop! Today, a bunch of them were announced, so pay attention as we slap you round the chops with a whole lotta exciting tour news.

ANNA CALVI
Hot damn, this chick (above) is on fire at the moment. The half-Italian, half-British artist’s dramatic vocals and darkly cinematic instrumentation have won countless plaudits, including a Mercury Music Prize nomination and praise from no less than Brian Eno, who calls her, ‘the best thing since Patti Smith’.

Dates and Venues:
Friday 3rd February 2012 - Corner Hotel, Melbourne (18+)
Tickets through Corner Hotel Box Office, www.cornerhotel.com or 03 9427 9198
Polyester (City & Fitzroy stores)
On sale Wednesday 23 November

Wednesday 8th February 2012 - Metro Theatre (18+), Sydney
Tickets through www.ticketek.com.au / 132 849
On sale Wednesday 23 November

THE DRUMS + CULTS (CO-HEADLINE SHOWS)
Two of the most talked about bands of the past 12 months join forces for a night of seriously compelling indie pop.

Dates and Venues:
Friday 3rd February 2012 - Palace Theatre, Melbourne (18+)
Tickets through www.ticketek.com.au / 132 849
On sale Wednesday 23 November

Wednesday 8th February 2012 - Enmore Theatre, Sydney (All Ages)
Tickets through www.ticketek.com.au / 132 849
On sale Wednesday 23 November

FEIST
After four years, the Laneway Festival welcomes back Leslie Feist, whose new record, Metals, is a typically gorgeous, acutely observational collection of tracks ranging from low rumbling and moody ambiences to those more brutal and intense.

Dates and Venues:
Wednesday 1st February 2012 - Palais Theatre, Melbourne (All Ages)
Tickets through www.ticketmaster.com.au / 136 100
On sale Thursday 24 November

Tuesday 7th February 2012 - Enmore Theatre, Sydney (All Ages)
Tickets through www.ticketek.com.au / 132 849
On sale Thursday 24 November

Thursday 9th February 2012 - Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide (All Ages)
Tickets through Venue*Tix, www.venuetix.com.au or (08) 8225 8888
On sale now

GLASSER 
Prepare to be mesmerised by the one-woman orchestra of Cameron Mesirow (pictured above).

Dates and Venues:
Wednesday 1st February 2012 - The Toff in Town, Melbourne (18+)
Tickets through www.moshtix.com.au or 1300 GET TIX (438 849)
On sale Friday 18 November

Wednesday 8th February 2012 - The Standard, Sydney (18+)
Tickets through www.moshtix.com.au or 1300 GET TIX (438 849)
On sale Friday 18 November

M83
French electronic dream-pop!

Dates and Venues:
Friday 3rd February 2012 - The Prince Bandroom, Melbourne (18+)
Tickets through www.moshtix.com.au or 1300 GET TIX (438 849)
On sale Friday 18 November

Thursday 9th February 2012 - Metro Theatre, Sydney (18+)
Tickets through www.ticketek.com.au / 132 849
On sale Friday 18 November

TWIN SHADOW
Propulsive beats and romantic drama!

Dates and Venues:
Wednesday 1st February 2012 - Corner Hotel, Melbourne (18+)
Tickets through Corner Hotel Box Office, www.cornerhotel.com or 03 9427 9198
Polyester (City & Fitzroy stores)
On sale Friday 18 November

Monday 6th February 2012 - Oxford Art Factory, Sydney (18+)
Tickets through www.moshtix.com.au or 1300 GET TIX (438 849)
On sale Friday 18 November

WU LYF
Their live show justifies the not inconsiderable hype surrounding the publicity-shy, record label-averse Mancunian four-piece.

Dates and Venues:
Thursday 2nd February 2012 - Prince Bandroom, Melbourne (18+)
Tickets through www.moshtix.com.au or 1300 GET TIX (438 849)
On sale Friday 18 November

Monday 6th February 2012 - Metro Theatre, Sydney (18+)
Tickets through www.ticketek.com.au / 132 849
On sale Friday 18 November

Laura Marling interview

When I first spoke to an 18-year-old Laura Marling in early 2008, she talked of her disinterest in stardom and of how creating great art meant more to her than fame ever would. She absolutely had no desire to be the Next Big Thing.

Fast-forward three years and she has managed to gain critical acclaim, winning Best British Female Solo Artist at the Brit Awards and Best Solo Artist at the NME Awards while also capturing the hearts of the record-buying public. Although there is no doubting she has stuck to her guns – her beautifully-crafted folk music still bursts with the same honesty and integrity that has been so important to her since the very beginning – there is also little denying that, in 2011, Laura Marling is a big deal.

“It doesn't feel that way, from where I sit in a café in London,” she chuckles. “It's very lovely to hear...” She pauses, half-starts another couple of sentences which try to make sense of her career trajectory, before settling with, “I try not to think about it too much.” Regardless of the awards and big-selling records, it's very apparent that we are talking to the same polite, gently-spoken and completely unassuming young lady that we were three years ago.

As, according to Marling, England “crawled to the end of what has been a miserable summer,” her third long-player, A Creature I Don't Know, was released to the general acceptance that it was her finest work to date. Considering the plaudits she had already received, that's quite the achievement. While the album deals with the themes that Marling is best known for – strength, weakness, love, womanhood, desire, yearning – the most noticeable difference between this and her previous offering, I Speak Because I Can, is that there is a touch more levity this time around. “When I made I Speak Because I Can, I felt like I had to do myself a service and make a point, for my own sake,” she says of her incredibly solemn second record. “This album felt like it was just going to be a lot of fun to make. Some of the lines I came up with for The Muse and All My Rage make me chuckle when I sing them now. Yeah, it's not so serious.”

While A Creature I Don't Know, which Marling demoed at home before giving the full band treatment, is her most expansive sounding album, lyrically, it is still weighty, intelligent and challenging. Happy to let the listener decide which parts are autobiographical and which are fiction, her inspirations are far-reaching. “It comes from a lot of different places now. Maybe more so than before. I'm not more of a magpie, but I'm more willing to accept that I'm a magpie now. I take a lot from books and from conversations that I overhear.” For instance, lead-single Sophia was inspired by Rebel Angels: Robertson Davies' novel about God's female counterpart. Meanwhile, the song Salinas refers to an “obsession” Marling had with John Steinbeck's wife which manifested itself after reading the biography she penned about her husband. Yet the refrain of the song (“I am from Salinas, where the women go forever,”) refers indirectly to a friend's girlfriend who died when their baby was a year old. The song perhaps acts as a microcosmic example of how, rather than handing straightforward lyrics to the listener on a plate and delivering a tale from start to finish, the album as a whole uses themes and ideas to create a story. “When I was putting the songs together, there seemed to me to be a narrative. I think when I got to writing The Beast, I'd already written half of the album and it became apparent that the themes in it had cropped up in other songs. So, it's organic to a point, until I become aware. Then I know there are things that I want to deal with.”

Just as the themes develop naturally, so does the music. “I have a guitar wherever I go and if I've got a spare moment I pick it up. Sometimes a song comes and sometimes it doesn't. I don't tend to write things down. An idea or an emotion will crop somewhere and it will plague me for a while until I've written a song about it. As I pick up a guitar, I'll tinkle around and put it in a different tuning until I find the tone that I feel is appropriate for the mood I'm in, and then they just kind of form, I suppose,” she says of her technique almost dismissively, as though she were talking about some half-baked ditties rather than the beautifully constructed folk music that has critics clambering for superlatives. “I wasn't taught guitar professionally – I was taught by my Dad – so I've never really known what key I'm in or what chords I'm playing. I think that's been the biggest bonus, because I don't tend to think about chord structure or song structure. So many of my songs don't have middle-eights.”

A new album, of course, means a tour, and after playing around the UK and the US she'll be taking her band to Australia in the new year for a series of dates that includes a slot at the Laneway Festival. After a debut visit over four days in 2008 which saw her “completely insane with jet lag,” she returned with her band in 2010. “I remember playing at The Famous Spiegeltent [in Hyde Park] and I was amazed by how different the audience was to other audiences I had played for. They were really attentive in a different way than I'd come across before. It was really good.”

When talk turns to the longer-term future, unsurprisingly there seems to be no big master-plan. Already so lauded and with such an impressive back catalogue at just 21 years of age, there's the genuine prospect that Laura Marling could go on to become one of the all-time greats, yet, of course, she plays the idea down. “I think I'll do it as long as I have stuff to write about and then at some point I hope somebody will tell me to stop, if needs be,” she laughs. “For the moment though, I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing.”

Interview by Bobby Townsend. It first appeared in Sydney's Drum Media.

St Jerome's Laneway Festival announces its 2012 line-up

At Bobbysix.com, we've been fans of Laneway since the early days. We were there in 2007, watching The Temper Trap belting out anthemic tunes at Sydney's Circular Quay before most people knew who the hell they were. We saw Daniel Johnston's heartbreaking performance, Mumford & Sons' triumphant display and Florence + The Machine's lung-busting turn in 2010.

So we're excited to bring you the line-up for the 2012 event, which, once again will take place in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Auckland and Singapore. Highlights of next year's event include the wonderful Laura Marling (above), Feist, The Horrors, Portugal The Man and Yuck.

So, without further ado, here's who you can see at next year's Laneway: ACTIVE CHILD, ANNA CALVI, AUSTRA, BULLION, CHAIRLIFT, CULTS, DZ DEATHRAYS, EMA, FEIST [except Adelaide], GEOFFREY O'CONNOR, GIRLS, GIVERS [Syd + Melb], GLASSER, HUSKY [Bris, Syd, Melb], JOHN TALABOT, JONTI, LAURA MARLING, M83, ONEMAN, PAJAMA CLUB (feat. Sharon and Neil Finn), PORTUGAL THE MAN [Syd + Melb], SBTRKT (Live), TRIPLE J Unearthed Winners, THE VERY WEST, THE DRUMS, THE HORRORS, THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART, THE PANICS, TORO Y MOI, TOTAL CONTROL, TWIN SHADOW, WASHED OUT, WU LYF, YUCK

Tickets go on sale Wednesday October 19th at 9am (EDST) through Greentix.We said it last year and we'll say it again, if you want to go, you'll need to be on the ball when tickets are made available. If you snooze, you lose.


You can keep up to date with all things Laneway on Facebook and Twitter.

Laneway Festival Announces 2011 line-up

Since its inception in Melbourne in 2004, and through its continued spread to other cities, St Jerome's Laneway Festival has always been about bringing great music to people who really appreciate it, in a nice environment. You won't find gangs of shirtless wonders off their chops at Laneway, that's for sure, but rather you'll be surrounded by polite beardy men in cardigans and girls in geek glasses, which leads to a much better atmosphere. Anyway, the music-lover's music festival today announced its bill for next year, and it's a good one. Here goes:

!!! (Chk Chk Chk)
THE ANTLERS
ARIEL PINK’S HAUNTED GRAFFITI
BEACH HOUSE
BEAR IN HEAVEN
BLONDE REDHEAD
CLOUD CONTROL
CUT COPY
DEERHUNTER
FOALS
GOTYE
THE HOLIDAYS
HOLY FUCK
JENNY & JOHNNY
LES SAVY FAV
LOCAL NATIVES
MENOMENA
PVT
RAT vs POSSUM (excluding Perth)
STORNOWAY
TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB
VIOLENT SOHO
WARPAINT
WORLD’S END PRESS
YEASAYER

St Jerome's Laneway Festival takes place in Brisbane (Alexandria St off St Paul’s Terrace, Fortitude Valley) on Friday the 4th February, in Melbourne (Footscray Community Arts Centre) on Saturday 5th February, in Sydney (Sydney College of the Arts) on Sunday the 6th February, in Adelaide (Fowler’s Live, North Terrace) on Friday 11th February and in Perth (Perth Cultural Centre, Northbridge) on Saturday 12th February.

Tickets go on sale on Wednesday 20th October at 9am from the Laneway website or by calling 1300 369 882. They are sure to sell like hot cakes, so get online or on the phone at nine. If you snooze, you lose.

Laneway Festival, Sydney

LANEWAY FESTIVAL
Sydney College Of The Arts
31/01/10

The venue may have changed, but the pleasant vibe that Sydney's most discerning festival crowd has created in previous years remained, and the SCA provided a pretty backdrop as Portland five-piece Hockey got festival-goers in the right mood with bucket-loads of infectious energy.

Philadelphia Grand Jury were their pleasingly chirpy selves and The Middle East's set featured some really strong moments, like Blood, which was Angus and Julia Stone meets Arcade Fire. While UK's Wild Beasts falsettoed their way through a faintly disappointing turn, the sassy and stylish Bridezilla (below) were simply divine. In a constantly impressive performance, Heart You Hold and Saint Francine in particular illustrated the combination of songwriting depth and enthralling stage dynamic that has become synonymous with Sydney's favourite quintet.

If The xx were overwhelmed by the crowd's fervour at their excellent display, then Mumford & Sons must have been pinching themselves at both the size and the reaction of their audience. “As a nation, you've embraced us more warmly than any other country, including our own,” singer Marcus Mumford gushed. Confident enough to throw away Hottest 100 winner Little Lion Man at the mid-point, the Brits' set may have lacked edge, but was nonetheless a nice mix of upbeat folk and quieter numbers.

Watching anti-folk legend Daniel Johnston (below) is never an entirely comfortable experience, and, dishevelled and singing from a lyric sheet, he cut a fragile figure. However, it didn't take long for his distinctive vocal and innocent yet melancholy lyrics to lodge themselves firmly in the hearts of fans well aware of his battles with the demons of his mind. When he sang: “That rock 'n' roll, it saved my soul,” it was a moment of unforgettable, unparalleled resonance.


As the food queues grew to ridiculous lengths at the back of the site, Sarah Blasko took people's minds off their rumbling bellies with a beautiful and immaculate performance, Echo and the Bunnymen offered up some hits with typical swagger and then Florence and The Machine (top and below) ripped through the headline slot with gusto. Backed by a band which included a harpist, Florence Welch - all long legs and red hair - prowled the stage as she belted out songs from her lauded debut album with an unbelievably stunning and powerful vocal. Her stage presence too was mesmerising. She bashed a drum, climbed atop amps and struck poses in front of an awestruck audience. By the time she ended with a winning trio of Dog Days Are Over, You've Got The Love and Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) - all of which showcased that lung-busting voice - she had the crowd going apeshit. She may only have one album to her name, but tonight proved that Florence is already a worthy headliner and well on the way to becoming an icon in her own right.

Sydney Laneway 2007

Inside the festival, shaded spots were at a premium, and people frantically waved fans infront of their sweaty brows, as the sun continued to beat the crowd into submission. Still, at least there were no Homebake-style downpours.

Oh, the bands. Of course. Well, pick of the bunch were Melbourne's The Temper Trap, who manage to make musical that is both interesting and fun. Also good were The Archie Bronson Outfit, Peter, Bjorn and John, and Holly Throsby. But, hell, I wasn't reviewing, so, to be honest, rather than concentrating too hard on the music, I really just took the opportunity to hang out all day with dear friends. The only review I shall give is that it is one of the best one-day festivals I have ever been to. There were no mashed-up morons and no-one was drunk and stumbling. It was just an affable gathering of music lovers, and the perfect way to spend a Sunday.

Bravo, Laneway.

Words, Rob Townsend