On his first release proper, Bored Nothing flirts with endlessly bending guitar leads and lyrics concerned by youth and heartbreak, but never with too much concern at all. Sonically, there’s mixing and matching of sounds of that same era, from shoegaze and sludge-metal to loner folk and riot grrrl. Fergus Miller’s idea from the start was to write songs with electric guitars while trying to maintain a sort-of Daniel Johnston-esque approach to making and sharing music. It didn’t matter whether anyone liked it or not – the music was simply a talking point.
What can we expect from your debut album, can you give us any hints, are there are surprises?
The album is pretty all over the place, it’s all previously recorded stuff so all the tracks vary in fidelity and style.
Your debut album is made up of tracks from your EPs as well as some new ones. How do the new ones differ from your previous work?
I think they all fit pretty well together. When I made the newer tracks I was experimenting with guitar-tones a bit so those songs don’t keep that same two dimensional feeling as the earlier ones, but apart from that I think they all gel nicely.
Your previous EPs were recorded on your ‘little’ 4-track recorder, did you upgrade for the album?
I’ve always recorded with a bunch of different methods at the same time, and that hasn’t changed a bit. My recording set-up was slightly different for every track on the album; sometimes I’ll record drums with a dictaphone and the play it through guitar pedals, or sometimes I might record all my guitars with a computer. I like to mix it up to stop things feeling stale. My first EP was very lo-fi and crumbly sounding but even then I was still using a computer for some things.
Your music takes some cues from the 80s and early 90s, was that necessarily where you got your influences from or what inspired you?
Absolutely. When I started playing electric-guitar late last year I was listening to a lot of Sonic Youth and MBV, their tones and melodies inspired me a lot, and still do. I was also digging on a lot of songwriters that harked back to the sixties like Elliott Smith, Daniel Johnston and Brian Jonestown Massacre. The spirit and attitude that was happening in the early nineties with DIY is what lead me to start making music and giving it away as much as I could.
Do you have any particular ritual before you go on stage, or even a lucky charm you take with you?
Scotch is always a winner, it helps my voice loosen-up (and also ensures the audience gets cursed at).
If you could choose anything, what would you request on your rider for your tour with Bleeding Knees Club? We want specifics!
Group-hug with Bloody Knees & Step-Panther
Exactly 100 beers
Tall bottle of single-malt whiskey
Plain white T-shirt & a Sharpie
Because it’s more fun to do things together, which living Australian artist would you most like to collaborate with? Tell us why?
Me and RL Jones (formerly of the middle east) need to make some serious beats together one day. We see eye-to-eye on a lot of electronic music, so it’s just fate really.
Can you let us in on your plans for 2013?
We’ll be touring the album through oz early in the year as well as playing with lots of sweet bands, then who knows? Touring overseas? More recording? Our own reality TV show? ??
Where we can see you play next, what releases do you have available and where can we get them?
My self-titled debut is out now on Spunk Records, you can get it at all good record-stores or itunes or whatever.
We have lots of shows coming up in November, then we’re taking a break till January.
Frid 16 Nov – In-store performance @ Polyester Records (city)
Sat 17 Nov – Corner Hotel, Richmond w/ Bleeding Knees Club + Step-panther
Sun 18 Nov – Ding Dong Lounge, City U18 w/ Bleeding Knees Club + Step-panther
Frid 23 Nov – Espy w/ Lurch and Chief
Sat 24th Nov – the Tote w/ Going Swimming
www.facebook.com/Bored-Nothing
