Melbourne’s indie-pop songstress Georgia Fields is playing headline shows in Melbourne and Sydney this month kicking off in Melbourne tonight at the Toff In Town. Since releasing her debut album last year she has garnered much critical acclaim and plenty of radio play and even an appearance on RockWiz on SBS.
Matt Walters has had even more of a dream run, signing to a major label deal with Universal after playing a single song to their head of A&R at a ‘chance meeting’. He’s collaborated on his debut album with the likes of Megan Washington and Sarah Blasko and also launches his deut LP Farewell Youth at the Northcote Social Club in Melbourne tonight.
Hence it seemed like it’d be a good idea to see what inspires their muse as singer songwriters.
We asked Georgia to hit up Matt for his thoughts on life, music and loving. Little did we know we were setting him up for her to ask him out on a date.
Your album is called ‘Farewell Youth’. That is something I’ve been saying to myself a lot, as the sun is beginning to set on my 20s. What inspired that title? Are you saying farewell to your youth and hello to your post-youth 30s like me? Is it a melancholy departure for you?
Definitely not! I just turned 25 – so I guess I’m still young. Although it’s time isn’t it? How can you not reminisce and be reflective I just feel different all of a sudden. Music is (and has been) such a huge part of my life leading up to this release. But I’ll never make music like this ever again. I started writing songs when I was 18 and some of them made it onto the record. Some of them are naive, but that makes them beautiful to me. I just remember being utterly committed to being honest and myself through this whole process. And to me – Honesty is a big part of being youthful – especially when you’re trying to make art.
I heard that you were signed to Mercury Records in quite an unconventional manner. Were you shitting yourself when you decided to play a song at a chance encounter with head honcho A&R guy Peter Karpin?
Love Pierce Brothers?
Get the latest Pierce Brothers news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more
Not really – I don’t think I knew completely who Pete was. It was never the aim to get signed. I know plenty of people say that, but it’s true. I was so focussed on my songwriting. And I was happy to be in a studio recording my stuff for free. But it felt right. From the moment I met Pete, it’s been about the music. We talk about music a lot. He’s worked on a lot of records – with everyone from Daryl Braithwaite to Leonard Cohen – so from the beginning i’ve felt like I’ve been working with someone who loves music just as much as I do. And you know, when you meet people you click with – you can pretty much say anything – they get you, and you get them.
There seem to be a few producers collaborating with you across the album. How did you find that process? Greg Arnold produced my self-titled debut and I learned so much from him – it was such a wonderful musical pairing. For the next record, I’m considering producing myself and ‘head hunting’ specific producers for specific songs. Did that work for you?
Yeah it’s interesting. I had never made a record before so it was fucking daunting! You know, one minute you’re trying to scrape together some change for a six pack and the next you have the money you need to make your dream album. So, it’s safe to say I had no idea what the hell I was doing when I got into the studio. We did a few sessions that didn’t work out – but there were a few songs – and moments – from those sessions that I really liked and they seemed to fit. But the bulk of the record was done with Paul McKercher. It was just a period of learning. I needed to go through those early sessions to figure out what I wanted. I love the idea of producing myself one day – but really – unless you’re quite hands on I don’t know how you can walk out of a studio very happy. I loved working with Paul because he’s very open minded and he’s a great engineer – I felt like we were on the same page from the moment we spoke on the phone for the first time.
What song do you wish you’d written?
Suzanne by Leonard Cohen – it’s perfect
What’s in your music player now?
I’m listening obsessively to the Blue Nile. Have you heard them? They made 2 albums in the 80’s that I think are beautiful. They weren’t very well managed so it didn’t really work out for them in a commercial sense – but their music was incredibly influential. I don’t think Coldplay would sound the same if the Blue Nile hadn’t have made records.
What is your favourite way to spend a day off?
The Movies. I’m at the Nova in Carlton every Monday! I could see 3 or 4 in a row. Quite sad really. I go by myself all the time.
What are you most excited about for this upcoming NSC show?
Sending this album off properly with a great band. I’m very lucky to be joined by the same brilliant guys that played on my record. There really is nothing better than playing with a band when you do so many shows alone – wouldn’t you say?
When are you going to ask me out on a date?
When are you going to ask me? It’s 2011 after all.
We’ve got a confession to make – Matt was flirting all the way through his interview with Georgia too. Check out Walters asking Fields about the seductive art of songwriting.
Maybe it’s a secret you’d like to keep, but how do you come up with your songs? I often feel like I’m clamouring through the dark one minute, creatively speaking, and then inspiration strikes like lightning the next – In that moment I can’t get enough written down or recorded…But if i don’t have that moment – it’s hard to be inspired to work hard on something.
Heya Matt. You know that feeling you get when you know you need to pee? Maybe not right away, but in the next hour or so? That’s kind how I feel about songwriting. I’ll have something on my mind, and then I’ll just kinda feel that a song is coming. Then it’s a matter of finding a block of time alone with my piano / ukulele. I don’t write much on guitar anymore.
Boring but imperative question…Lyrics or Melody first?
Oh I have to write them together, or I get stuck. I have a gig tonight (Thursday) at the Toff In Town, and I’m still trying to finish lyrics to a song that I wrote the melody to first. I really hope I don’t have to sing “do do do” for the whole verse! Anyway, I reckon the interplay between melody and lyrics is the bee’s knees, and for me they have to be written together for it to work.
What most often separates a great idea from a not so great idea for you? Is it melody, a lyric / line or a theme?
If I dump an idea in the toilet, it’s usually because I consider it to be too obvious or cliché. I’m more likely to dump cliché lyrics than I am cliché melodies.
Do you find that hearing great music inspires you to make better music or makes you depressed? I’ve never understood how people say, “When I hear Leonard Cohen’s Tower Of Song, or whatever, I get really depressed because I don’t think I’ll write anything as good.” Can’t people just enjoy music?
I think that comes down to your personality type. I’m incredibly competitive and very hard on myself, and sometimes when I’m met with an incredibly overwhelming piece of art, my instant reaction is to compare… and if I’m comparing myself to someone like Leonard Cohen, I’ll always come out feeling second (third, fourth, one millionth) place. I’ve learnt – correction: ‘am trying to learn’ – to give up making comparisons and just enjoy music. I had a revelation last year when I sang a song with Clare Bowditch on her tour: we’re all on the same side. There’s no use being competitive among musicians. We’re all in this for the same purpose. The beauty of music.
How do you work up your material? I have a little home studio that I’d be lost without. I’m not sure I’d finish any songs unless I felt compelled to demo them.
I record them on my iPhone. Then, if there are orchestral bits, I write them out on manuscript. I often collaborate with my cellist Judith Hamann on the orchestral things, particularly strings because she knows a lot about extended techniques and other cool shit. I write out chords for my musicians, including my drummer, and when we rehearse I give them whatever direction or ‘feel’ ideas I have. Then we go from there. Most times I’ve got a pretty good idea of how I want the song to be produced when I write it.
What was your first song about? I wrote mine about my Mum when I was 12.
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. That is so cute. I wrote mine about being a cowgirl when I was 8.
I really like your song ‘All The Kings Men’. Great Chorus. What’s that about? How did it come about?
Why thank you Matt, how kind of you! That song is about domestic bliss, about setting aside woes of the day and being with your loved one. I wrote it on my uke in the car on a drive up to the country, and then wrote the bridge section in my head a few days afterwards, while riding my bike.
What about Lyrics? Sometimes I just wanna sing whatever comes into my head – do you ever feel like that?
I’m currently covering a song by Dylan in my set called “You Ain’t Going Nowhere” – it’s a classic Dylan nonsense song and I love it for that – In fact it makes more sense because it’s utterly nonsensical. I have a song called “Sightseeing” that’s like that in a way – I just sung whatever I sung as I was writing it because sounded good. I was self conscious about it for a while – now I really like how free it sounds.
I really admire you for that! I’m terrible at co-writes for that very reason. I simply cannot just sing whatever comes into my head like that. I’ll get started that way, but I scrutinise the lyrics to the point of agony. Then I just have to let them be. I should practice you and Dylan’s technique some more.
What songwriters inspire you that I may never have heard of?
Do you know Pete Uhlenbruch? He plays under the name Owls of the Swamp. I don’t know if you’ve heard of Charles Jenkins, hopefully you have, he is incredibly amazing. Most people know Angie Hart from Frente but her solo stuff pierces my little heart!
Do you find you write better when you are in or out of a relationship? It’s that classic thing isn’t? I hate to admit it, but it’s harder to write songs when you’re settled. Ahh, you can never have it all.
I think it’s less about being in a relationship and more about having some drama to write about. Trust me on this – you can have drama and be in a relationship! It’s a bit of a goal of mine to write more non-autobiographical songs, to tell stories about imaginary characters. I wrote a song about a student who wants to fuck his teacher recently, with made up characters. That was really fun. I arranged it for just voice and string quartet.
What is it about songwriting that keeps you coming back? I’m 25 now and I’ve quit music 5 times this year…haha. And then I write a song or buy a great record and I’m back, and it’s stronger than ever.
Greg Arnold, who produced my debut record, said to me once that songwriting is a life sentence. He meant it in a good way, and I agree with him. Writers interpret their life experience by documenting it, and if that’s the way you are, then that’s the way you are. I’m sure it’s the same for visual artists too. I read an interesting article with Neil Gaiman (fantastic American author) recently, and he said (I’m paraphrasing here) that if you’re a writer and you have a car crash, you could be pulling yourself out of the flaming wreckage and seeing the sparkling glass and the oil slick and hearing the crunch of metal, and you’ll be thinking, “I have to remember this, because I might need to write a car crash someday.”
Thanks! I’d come to your show on the 12th but I have to play my own! Look forward to seeing you next time.
GEORGIA FIELDS LIVE
Thursday 12 May at The Toff In Town (MELB)
w/ Sophie Koh & Duke Batavia. Tickets via www.moshtix.com.au ph 1300 438 849
Sunday 22 May at The Vanguard (SYD)
Supports to be announced. Tickets via www.thevanguard.com.au
MATT WALTERS ‘FAREWELL YOUTH’ ALBUM LAUNCH
Thursday May 12th Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
Tickets via www.cornerhotel.com/boxoffice
