Following the success of his first solo album, Queen Of Denmark (2010), it would have been easy for John Grant to pick up where that album left off. With his latest release, Grant has married the brilliant word play that he is renowned for with his love of a different type of music.
Talking from his digs in Iceland, Grant reflected on his new record Pale Green Ghosts, the theme of creativity-versus-popularity, and how this process can be impacted by past success.
“If anything it (success) makes it harder. The difficult part of success is that you are expected to go beyond where you were before and do better. There is a certain amount of pressure there. I think I did a really good job of ignoring that voice inside my head. I knew that it was not helpful to me and I knew it was not going to help me make the record I wanted to make,” Grant mused.
“I did not want to have any of that pressure and I had to ignore the voices telling me to do a continuation of Queen Of Denmark. There was part of me that wanted to do that and part of me that really wanted to delve into the electronic stuff – or at least get started on that journey into electronics, because I love it so much.”
“This is the record where I chose to do that and it makes a lot of sense because the first record was rooted in the 70s where my childhood was, and this record deals with a lot of adolescent stuff,” Grant said.
“The difficult part of success is that you are expected to go beyond where you were before and do better”The singer-songwriter did not set out to create an 80s record. The musical arrangement is used, as it was on his first record, to set the stage for the period in his life that he is singing about. This biographical style, his excellent turn of phrase, and a voice that makes you take notice form the composite that is Grant’s talent.
“For me, my art is a good thing. It is about figuring out what has happened and why things have been the way they are. It is also a process of letting go of things that you wish were different that you have no control over.”
“It really is about me observing and commenting on my little tiny human experience which is relevant to me and it is everyone’s experience. Everyone is going through some sort of shit in different colours and different ways.”
“It does not really matter that I am talking about HIV or having a hard time dealing with my homosexuality – it could be anything. It could be the fact that your father does not love you because you did not become a lawyer like your brother did or whatever. It is just about the pain of being a human and that is just part of the deal,” Grant explained.
Grant believes that one of the positives to come from his art is the ability to encourage people to discuss things that may not be acceptable conversation in their community. The emotional content of the musician’s writing is couched in his ability to create laughter as he does in ‘GMF’ (just listen to it to find out the meaning of the acronym) and ‘Black Belt’, songs that feature on his new record. This ability to laugh at the world and his own part in it makes him very loveable.
Grant enlisted Icelandic help in making the record with Birgir Þórarinsson (aka Biggi Veira) at the helm of the synth production.
“Everyone is going through some sort of shit in different colours and different ways”There’s also another special guest on the record. With tongue firmly planted in cheek, “Mrs John Grant”, as she is credited on the album, adds some angelic background vocals. The legend behind the moniker is none other than Sinead O’Connor.
“Sinead covered ‘Queen Of Denmark’ and we became friends as a result of that. She and I were hanging out one night and she asked me if I had any demos of the new record. This was a bit terrifying for me to play them for her, but I played her a couple of the songs.”
“She basically took off the headphones and told me she was going to sing on this record. I was perfectly fine with that,” Grant laughed.
Just like leaves do on trees, the tracks on Pale Green Ghosts grow on you. The album cover is adorned with some accoutrements of Grant’s life, as well as a brooding, intense portrait of the artist sitting at his favourite coffee shop in Reykjavik. It is quite a striking image.
Grant has his finger on a creative pulse that is moving along at a healthy pace, even if life continues to throw him curve balls – as it does us all.
When Grant last performed in Australia in 2011 as a solo performer, he was mesmerising. With a full touring band, which includes mostly Icelandic mates this time around, the lushness and the beauty of his music will certainly be brought to life when he tours Australia in January 2014.
John Grant Australian Tour 2014
Sydney Festival: 16th January – more details here
www.sydneyfestival.org.au
Adelaide Festival: 17th January, Adelaide Festival Centre
www.bass.net.au
Melbourne: 18th January – The Corner Hotel – Presented by RRR
www.cornerhotel.com
Tasmania: 19th January Hobart, MONA FOMA 2014 – more details here
www.mofo.net.au
