Roscoe James Irwin has cemented himself as a kind of musical mastermind in Australia. The genre-bending composer, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has attained almost iconic status as a bandleader, producer, and large-scale composer and arranger. His material has been described as strikingly original, darkly surreal and soaring and joyful.
From his work with seminal Australian bands The Cat Empire and The Bamboos, to his numerous and varied recording and performance credits including Paul Kelly, Belle and Sebastian, Angus and Julia, Washington, Brian May (Queen), Harry Connick Jr., Suzi Qautro, Gossling, Josh Pyke, Wycliffe Gordon, Tinpan Orange, Brooke Fraser, The Paper Kites and Regurgitator – just to name a few, Irwin has become one of the most exciting and unpredictable artists out there. Roscoe will be doing a number of shows around Australia in support of his new EP release, Wasted.
You recently launched your EP Wasted in Melbourne with an extended lineup. Who did you get to join you?
I had my old friend Ben Edgar on guitar, banjo, lapsteel and mandolin. He’s spent most of the last couple of years touring with Gotye, so it’s great to have him back in town and on the Roscoe train. I also had another old friend, Tinpan Orange drummer Danny Farrugia. Carlo Barbaro (who played sax in The Cat Empire back in the day) played flute and bass clarinet, and finally, Aaron Barnden on violin. Aaron and I have worked in the studio a lot together. He’s one of the go-to guys at the moment for strings on new records, having done Electric Empire, The Bamboos, and Gossling all in the last little while.
What kind of lineup do you usually perform with?
It varies depending on the show. I just finished doing the support on the Vance Joy tour, where I played completely solo, with a bunch of instruments, pedals, and a looping station. Frequently, it’s a duo with Ben Edgar, and occasionally it’s a larger lineup. The ultimate will be to have a large ensemble with strings, woodwinds, electronics and more. I want to create a really modern, layered live sound.
The new EP sees a lot of instrumental layering. Do you write your songs on any instruments in particular or with any certain process?
I’ll usually begin on either piano or guitar, but I’m often thinking of a bigger picture for the song right from the start. Once in a while a song will brew in my head with multiple layers already formed. This usually happens when I’m just about to go to sleep. There is also the times where a song will be born not from the piano or guitar, or any regular songwriting tool, but begin their existence as more of a concept or mental picture. These are some of my better tracks I think.
What kind of artists do you draw on as a writer?
I love Andrew Bird, Brian Eno, Yann Tiersen, Bert Jansch, James Mercer …and Phil Collins. Recently I’ve been really loving a new-ish Canadian artist, Patrick Watson, he’s really interesting and great. Also been diggin’ on Blitzen Trapper lately as well.
Where do the arrangements fall in the songwriting process? Are they considered during the writing or later on in the studio?
It’s happened both ways many times. Sometimes a song will come into my head almost fully formed, arrangement and all. But then sometimes I’ll write a tune on guitar and I’ll have no concept of how to expand it in any way. That’s when I take it to Ben Edgar or John Castle to give it their fresh ears and ideas.
You’re currently on tour with The Cat Empire, how’s that going?
It’s been great! Every show is a party. We’re really enjoying playing the new songs. 12 years on, and people are still coming to dance, smile and listen, and that’s a pretty special thing I think. Tinpan Orange are on the road as well supporting which is always a treat. I’ve been squeezing in my solo launch shows in the tour gaps, which has been exciting and challenging all at the same time.
How did you get involved with The Empire Horns in the first place?
We (being Felix, Ollie, Ryan, Will, Harry, Ben Edgar and Myself) have been playing together since we were 15, maybe 16. We were all in a different band together before the Empire. So after the Empire formed and had been playing for a year or so, they decided to add horns. Felix came to me to put the section together because we’d played a lot together before, and he knew I was into the arranging side of it as well. So naturally I got Kieran, who’s my oldest high school mate, to play Trombone, and Carlo, who I’d been playing a lot of jazz with at the time, to play sax.
Your solo work is a pretty far cry from your work with The Bamboos and The Cat Empire. How important is it for you to have a separate creative outlet?
I guess it’s become very important to me. I love playing with both the Bamboos and The Empire, but I was feeling like I had a lot more to say, and I wanted to say it in a very different way. So that’s how my solo records/shows came about. Both those bands are essentially party/energy bands, and my thing is much more ambient and spaced out (apart from a few choice “up” songs). It’s definitely a deeply satisfying project.
How do you find performing your solo work compared to working in bigger bands?
They both have their pros and cons. Just last night I launched my EP in Sydney, in a great, intimate little venue called The Newsagency. It was so amazing to play my set to a captive, listening, quiet audience who hung on the lyrics and the sounds, and we’re really there just for the music. It was so gratifying. Having said that, there’s nothing quite like walking out on the main stage at a festival with The Bamboos or The Cat Empire, and have the crowd scream and party with you for an hour. I guess they’re both really satisfying in their own way.
Roscoe James Irwin Tour Dates:
Thursday 10th October @ The Wheatsheaf Hotel , Adelaide
W/ Kaurna Cronin
Roscoe James Irwin ‘Wasted EP’ Available now through iTunes & Bandcamp
Listen to ‘One Eye Open’ below:
