Interview: Kris Schroeder (The Basics)

By Lisa Dib

Interview with Australian Singer / Songwriter Kris Schroeder

Kris Schroeder

You might know Kris Schroeder better as one third of dynamic pop-rock act The Basics but did you know, dear reader, that the boisterous Basics bassist is also a consummate solo artist? 

Knowledge is power! Lisa Dib spoke to Schroeder in the lead-up of one of his much-anticipated rare solo gigs...

"I guess when you're playing solo, it's all on you" Schroeder notes on the inherent differences between his solo stage performance and that with his bandmates.

"When I stuff up in The Basics, which is quite often, it’s much easier to cover with drums and guitar. But it also allows you a certain freedom to move wherever you want, without needing to suggest or communicate that change to someone else. I can do whatever I want on stage; change chords, change words, change whole sets, and no-one is staring at me going – WHAT ARE YOU DOING???!".

If you are unfamiliar with The Basics (shame on you), they are a cheeky, ramshackle band of musical brothers hell-bent on catchy tunes, jocular live shows and making sure you’re getting all the bang you can for your respective bucks. 

Schroeder's solo work, while still retaining his part of the charming Basics machine, he describes as "contemplative [and] melodic". 

He goes on to explain what one might expect from his solo performances; "I try and capture the complexity of the social in a way that anyone can relate to it. I was very angsty when I first started writing, as many songwriters are, but I feel that’s evolved into a voice that has resigned itself to life’s ups and downs". 

"It’s like the blues without being the blues, if that makes sense" he says.

"Roger Waters is a good one" Schroeder offers when asked for his solo influences. "He has often managed to express some very complicated concepts very simply, like on songs like Time : brilliant. Same with Bob Dylan and Neil Finn; their use of allegory is second-to-none".

"Obviously, The Beatles still influence me, as they do in The Basics. And then there's the virtuosity of Jeff Buckley and his albino counterpart Heino".

Another difficulty (or freedom, depending on your view) in riding solo musically is the pressure of writing on one's own. Creative collaboration can, of course, be littered with arguments, differences of which can cause get rifts within the security of a band, and the inability for some to compromise. 

But it also can allow a back-and-forth of ideas, brainstorming and creative support. Swings and roundabouts, hey? Schroeder explains the process of writing his prosaic solo work.

"Well, for me, it usually starts with a single lyric; a line that I can really hang the rest of the song on, and after going over it in my head a few times, a melody will hopefully present itself and then we go from there. It's much like putting a puzzle together, picking up different pieces and trying to fit them into what you’ve got thus far".

"Sometimes you try to stick two pieces together that just don’t belong that way; sometimes you get lucky and you just happen to pick up a string of them that work and the whole thing is easy. But mostly it’s just days, if not weeks, of mulling over rhymes and synonyms and syllables and whether you’re staying on track".

Is there such a thing as "too personal"?

"I actually don’t think I can write from any other perspective!" says Schroeder.

"Maybe I'm just an ego freak, but I can't seem to place myself in another headspace sufficiently to satisfy the song-writing process. It's not like I can’t see other people’s perspectives or appreciate their lives, but I never feel like I’m doing it justice".

"I guess I delve in pretty deep to my own experience and have written about some very, very difficult times of my life – often when I'm going through them. Song-writing has always been a cathartic experience for me and allowed me some perspective on certain situations as you work through them as music and lyrics".

Kris Schroeder plays a rare solo set at The Bendigo Hotel - Sunday October 24, 2010 for the "Dog Day Afternoon : Lost Dogs Home Charity Event" with The Loop, Jasmine Eyes, Hunter and Have/Hold.

Doors at 3pm, $5 entry.