1.Growing Up
My grandfather played the piano, but I thought he was just old and silly. I was probably very wrong. The first time I played in public I hid behind a curtain. The last time was like walking a tightrope, but I’m well into it. I saw Tom Waits live when I was young. And Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. And Roxy Music.
2.Inspirations
I love Robert Smith. Glenn Campbell. The Monkees. I loved The Rolling Stones when I was 15. I also like a lot of ‘70s prog. And Talking Heads, XTC, Wire – post-punk. Guitars are great, but lyrics and melody are better.
3.Your Band
There are eight men in my band: BJ, CD, LP, LF, NF, EH and JB. And me. Five years ago, Robert Forster told me to go see them. Thank you, Robert. We all like different music, and yet we love the same music too.
4.The Music You Make
There are a lot of us, lots of strings. We play both loud and quiet. Dense and open. Always beautiful, I hope, but sometimes a bit scary. Last year we went to Nashville to record with Mark Nevers. He is particularly cool. The result, The Golden Halfway Record, is our fifth album. It was called “perfect” in one review. That’s pretty good. Crow are playing with us on Friday, they’re very good.
5.Music, Right Here, Right Now
I’m 59, so I probably don’t have much to do with the ‘scene’. Obstacles are many, but ideas and love of music are infinite. I love The Apartments. The best thing about anywhere is that people keep making music. Don’t stop believing!
Halfway’s The Golden Halfway Record is out now through Plus One/ABC. See them play, along with Crow and Sam Shinazzi, at Newtown Social Club on Friday June 24.
