The glorious Liz Stringer and Claire Anne Taylor are both featured artists at Mullum Music Festival this November.
Music lovers have a chance to get a little sample of their supply at the Mullum Ex-Services when the two women play in support of Stringer’s new album release: All the Bridges.
Liz, tell me about the concept for your new album All the Bridges.
To be honest there wasn’t really a concept going into it. I just wanted to record a bunch of songs that I hoped were good enough to make an album. That sounds very basic, but that’s where I was at when I made All The Bridges. I wanted to get myself back into the game. I hadn’t been writing a lot for a while and hadn’t recorded original material for three years. I needed a kick up the arse, creatively. And that’s what All The Bridges was.
Why did you choose to work with producer and engineer Adam Selzer? What has he brought to the recording?
Mick Thomas originally suggested I work with Adam because Mick had recorded with him and loved the experience. And Darren Hanlon and his partner Shelley Short, a great Portland songwriter and musician, also both highly recommended him. Adam is such a talented musician and engineer/producer. He brought really solid and creative ideas to the record, sonically and arrangement-wise too. It was fundamental to the record, having Adam, another musical brain and another set of ears, working on the songs with me.
Just eight days! How did you manage a whole album in such a tight timeframe? Were you stressed?
I actually had ten recording days booked in but we finished it before the end of the eighth day. I wasn’t stressed at all, quite the opposite actually! I like to work fast and so does Adam. It was so quick and efficient; we had a great flow going. I was sad that it didn’t take longer because I enjoyed the process so much.
Were there any songs that really surprised you in how they ended up?
Anyone, the first single and the first song on the album, completely transformed during the recording process. We tracked as a three-piece (drums, bass, my rhythm guitar) and then I took that mix back to where I was staying in Portland at the end of one of the recording days and completely re-wrote the melody and the lyrics. The song, in its original form, was pretty loose and didn’t have much direction so I was so surprised and stoked that the final Anyone revealed itself! That’s really how it felt at the time, that it had been hiding and chose the very last minute to turn up. Such a weird process, sometimes, songwriting!
When you write and play music that is so visceral and close, how does it feel to open the door to let people in on your ‘inner world’?
Well, I don’t always write from my own perspective, so I don’t always feel that sense of personal vulnerability. But sometimes I do and it can feel like risk at times, I guess. But there’re also so many ways to express something fully without completely revealing what it’s about, if that makes sense. In other words, I can disguise certain literal things in the poetry of the song, which can put some ‘safe distance’ in there. But sometimes the instinct tells you to put all your emotional cards on the table. And that’s the risk that all artists take many times over.
What song are you proudest of on the album, or which do you step into like favourite old jeans?
I just played a couple of weeks of gigs in Canada with a band, as well as countless solo shows, and I have to say that Enough always felt particularly fun and natural with a band, so I’m really looking forward to being able to do that again on this tour
What should we expect for your show at the Mullum Ex-Services?
We’ll be a four-piece band so it’ll be a big, full sound. And we’ll be playing the songs from All The Bridges as well as some brand-new songs that I’ve written over the last year. Plus some of the old faves! And maybe a surprise cover in there, which I’ve never really done before. There’ll be lots of vocals going on in this band. I’m really pumped to be touring with this mob.
You are joined by Claire Anne Taylor – wow, what a double!
I know, I’m SO stoked that Claire will be with us for a bunch of the tour shows. I’ve heard her sing live once and was really moved, so I’m looking forward to being able to hear full sets of her beautiful stuff several times over the month we’re touring.
Liz Stringer’s All The Bridges album launch at Club Mullum (Mullum Ex-Service). Wednesday 31 August 8pm, supported by Claire Anne Taylor.
Tix and info: www.redsquaremusic.com.au
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