1.Growing Up

One of my first musical memories was being moved by Christmas carols – the spiritual ones like ‘Carol Of The Bells’ and ‘Silent Night’. I’m not religious but the feeling they give is grounding, like there’s a balance between history and whatever’s now – chaos. My family is musical but I never felt it in me growing up. I never thought of myself a singer until about ten years ago someone told me they had a vision of me singing as an old person. I wanted to live up to that. I wouldn’t be playing music if I’d had the childhood I was ‘meant’ to – no-one in our band would, I think.

2. Inspirations

One of my favourite singers is Bim Sherman, who I first heard via the New Age Steppers covers with Ari Up (which are spine-tingling). Shortly after I heard his voice, about 15 years ago or so, and that was it. It’s like Nina Simone or Jimmy Scott – the second that tone hits your ears, your eyes well up. I read as much as I can, even though it’s my job. My favourite authors at the moment are Elena Ferrante, Hilton Als, Karl Ove Knausgård and B. Traven.

3. Your Band

The band is Mel, Steve, Jesse and I. We all met through Mel, who had the initial idea of what we became. We were/are very interested in rhythm, repetition and balance on the musical end, and pretentious ideas on the lyrical end, because pretence is better than having no ideas. Being dumb is good too – dumb is elemental. The worst is a void that thinks it’s clever.

4. The Music You Make

We’re essentially a rock band without being tied to a lazy definition of what that means. Our last record came out a couple years ago and the next one will be out next year. People who want to see us live can expect to be entertained.

5. Music, Right Here, Right Now

Music now is just like always – there’s a few great things happening and a lot of muddled shit that’ll be forgotten. The obstacle most musicians have to overcome is to not be distracted.

New War playLo-Fi // Sci-Fi, withAu.Ra, Miles Brown, DCM, Buzz Kull, Noise In My Head and Sex Tourists, at the Chippendale Hotel on Saturday December 19.

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