Jen Cloher is a Melbourne based songwriter who’s currently driving up and down the highway on a national tour with Courtney Barnett for a split 7” vinyl they just released. In 2011, she founded imanagemymusic.com a cool workshop forum for musicians to meet and talk about the challenges of the independent scene in Australia today.
She has an album called In Blood Memory due out early 2013 and recently shot a video for her new tune ‘Mount Beauty’ that saw her ravaged, Bear Grylls style, by the wildlife in Warburton Victoria. She’s currently addicted to Boardwalk Empire and reruns of Kingswood Country (only kidding about the last one).
What’s your earliest memory of performing and who inspired you to start?
I got to play a pirate in a year five play, there’s nothing quite like the thrill of wearing a bandanna whilst brandishing a sword. Then one day a friend walked into my kitchen with his guitar and sang me this song he’d just written and I thought “That is the coolest thing in the world. I wanna do that.” So I did.
Tell us about the concept behind the film clip for the new single ‘Mount Beauty’.
I think the director Bec Kingma wanted me to die. She drove me out to Warburton and threw me in the woods and then filmed me trying to survive the rapids of the Yarra.
You worked with Nick Huggins for the single and recorded live to tape, did you have any problems or funny moments in the studio?
One day Nick said he was glad I wasn’t a kitty licker. I was taken aback so enquired as to what a ‘kitty licker’ was. He said, “You know, those girls that sound like they’re licking a kitten when they sing.” God I love Nick Huggins.
Your forthcoming album In Blood Memory is due out early 2013, tell us how it’s turned out.
It’s different to my last two albums which is exciting. My first album Dead Wood Falls was my folk album, Hidden Hands was my country album and In Blood Memory is definitely my rock n roll album, but in a downer Lou Reed kind of a way.
You’ve just embarked on a national tour with Courtney Barnett, do you have favourite places to play?
I like to play anywhere there’s an audience willing to listen. We just played Canberra and Adelaide and people literally came up to us and thanked us for coming there! How cool. A lot of bands (due to financial constraints) often leave those towns off their touring circuit so they really appreciate it when you go there.
‘Fess up. What records have you stolen from your parent’s record collection and why?
Dionne Warwick singing the songs of Burt Bacharach because it is BANGIN!
How do you find new music?
Triple R Melbourne. Best radio station on the planet.
Do you have any particular ritual before you go on stage, or even a lucky charm you take with you?
I remind myself that people have paid money to come and see me play so I’d better give them something worth coming for.
Because it’s more fun to do things together, which living Australian artist would you most like to collaborate with? Tell us why?
Imagine making an album with the Dirty Three as your band. That would be the ultimate collaboration.
What is your band’s music the best soundtrack for?
The Wide Open Road.
Where we can see you play next, what releases do you have available and where can we get them?
This Friday we play the Flying Saucer Club in Elsternwick and the Northcote Social Club on the Saturday then onto Black Bear Lodge in Brissie and the Republic in Hobart. I have my new song ‘Mount Beauty’ available as a free download at www.jencloher.com. You can check out the full dates and details of Jen Cloher’s national tour here.
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