Interview: Jen Cloher
By Sean Lynch
Interview
with Singer / Songwriter with the band: Jen Cloher & The Endless
Sea
While
she still calls Australia home, Aria nominated singer/songwriter Jen
Cloher has been busy traversing the home of The Conchords, bad accents
and sheep jokes - New Zealand.
The Web Wombat Music Channel's Sean Lynch caught up with the bubbly
artist, to talk all things music, family... while in a car... on the
phone... on the way to a world class haircut...
Are you
actually driving at the moment?
Yeah. You're allowed to drive and talk
on your mobile phone here still! [Laughs].
I'm
amazed they even have mobile phones in New Zealand...
I know, they actually have phones -
that's the first thing that's pretty amazing!
The big
question about being in New Zealand at the moment is... has the country
gone nuts since Flight Of The Conchords became huge?
[Laughs]
Well, you probably saw the results at the New Zealand music awards -
and Flight Of The
Conchords actually won best band!
Not "Comedy Act", but "Best Band".
Does
that bother you that, musically, a novelty act is considered the best
the country has to offer?
It doesn't bother me, because they kind
of are real rock stars. They've played in other bands as well. [One of
them played with The
Black Seeds] so they've paid their dues in the School of
Rock'n'Roll.
Back to
yourself and The Endless Sea, you guys have been out of the spotlight
for almost a year now...
Yeah. The last shows we did were
co-headlines with Laura Veirs. That was back in January 2007 and we did
one show for the Dalai Lama One Earth concert in June of last year and
that's it. So, I've been away from the live circuit for close on two
years now - which in independent terms, and the life of an indie
musician - is quite a long time.
I
suppose if you're going to take a break, you can't finish on a much
better note than playing for the Dalai Lama...
Well, that's right!
I would have liked to have stayed on and kept on playing and going from
strength to strength - because we were really going from strength to
strength. We had just been nominated for an Aria, which we didn't
expect to win... and we didn't [Laughs],
but we had a nice energy behind the release and people were interested
and we were getting really good numbers to our shows.
But my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimers Disease, and being Kiwis,
my parents moved back here to retire and it was just that situation
where there wasn't really a choice - I had to come home and spend time
with them and help them out.
You
actually brought you're mum to the Arias back in 2006
didn't you?
[Laughs]
How did you know that?
I have
a feeling we were all sitting on the same table that night...
That's right!
Was
you're Mum diagnosed before or after that night?
[Laughs]
She was living very squarely with Alzheimers at that time...
Because
she was lovely, I had a really good chat to your mum, she was such a
nice lady! If I had of taken my mum to the Arias she would have fallen
asleep - but your Mum was still kicking on, it was really good to see...
She was
kicking on. She is such a beautiful person. She had a bit to say during
the proceedings, some things she didn't agree with - she wasn't much
keen on The Veronicas I think [Laughs].
Is it
upsetting - are you torn between the duty of a family and the love and
passion of music?
Absolutely. I mean, it did play on my
mind, there is always that aspect where you think "I should be back
touring and getting out there in the public eye and building on all the
hard work we did".
But at the same time, I know when I'm on my death bed looking back at
my life, the choice to be a rock star or spend time with my mother - I
know what will win. I would hate to look back and go "Yeah, my parents
needed me, but I had to go touring".
You're
an old softy aren't you [Laughs]
[Laughs] Well I am!
Human relationships are the most important thing to me. I mean, music
is a passion, but it's not my whole life.
With
the time off from touring, did you find yourself writing more - or
being inspired by different things during that period?
Absolutely. I was quite isolated here,
and it really gave me some time to reflect and think about where I was
and catch up with myself a bit. Because I'd been so busy managing the
band, going for touring grants - you would know what it's like - it's a
lot of hard work.
People think you're out there being a rock star, but you've really got
to do it yourself. And doing that, I wasn't getting time to do much
writing - so coming here and just being away from all of the
distractions it was actually a really good thing for my songwriting.
I read
somewhere that
you're original introductions to music was through old Diane
Warwick/Burt Bacharach covers albums (which you're mum used to "seduce"
your dad). Did going back with you're parents spark any new or old
musical inspirations in you? [Laughs]
A
love for Burt Bacharach songs [Laughs].
When big stuff happens in your life, it really forces you to go "Why
are you making music" and "Why are you doing what you are doing"? When
someone close to you is really sick, or someone dies, or a chapter of
your life ends - it sort of puts everything into perspective.
And, I think, being around my mum and my dad... well, it was full on.
There is a lot of grief with a disease like Alzheimers because you're
watching someone die slowly in front of you. Or, at least, who you know
them to be.
Alzheimers has often been described as "Death of Self" - and the person
just sort of slowly disappears. I wrote a song for the album called Watch Me Disappear...
and then discovered that Augie March
have an album by that name [Laughs].
But it really does sum up what the experience living with my
mum was like.
I'd
imagine getting back into recording the new album was a happier time. I
understand it was all recorded live - was that through artistic choice
or budgetary restraints?
It's a bit of each. I personally think
that when you're playing with you're band, you're just going to get a
much better sound when it's live, it's a lot more immediate.
It just means, for an independent band like us who don't have a whole
lot of money for recording to sit around for six weeks and make an
album - getting a really tight sound together comes from rehearsing.
We spent a couple of weeks in pre-production just rehearsing until we
felt they were ready to commit to tape. Then you can go in, it's really
time efficient, you save money, and you get a good sounding
album.
You
worked with Paul McKercher on this album, does he have any say in the
direction of the music - because it's sounds, in a way, almost larger
than the previous album.
The first album was very much
singer/songwriter focused. Very intimate. And you could tell I'd
written the songs in my bedroom, late at night and then gone to a band
as an after thought.
Whereas with this album - because I've got a great band, and I've spent
a few years touring with them - I was much more aware that I
was writing with my band in mind.
So, while the subject matter is very personal, it's far less
introspective - and sonically it's bigger and it's a good old fashioned
band album.
Is
that what you tried to get across with the single Hidden Hands?
Well, all of these songs are, really, about my mortality. It's about
looking at my parents lives coming to their natural end.
I wrote this song [Hidden
Hands] for my family and for my friends, I didn't write it
with a specific audience in mind. There is a quote that I really love,
that you would probably be aware of, which is "The personal is always
universal".
Because we are human beings, we are all moved by the same things.
So if I write about things in my life, then people are always going to
relate to that truth.
Jen Cloher & The Endless
Sea will tour Australia during November 2008.
Hidden
Hands will be released digitally on October 10th, 2008.
Official Site: www.jencloher.com
|
