September the 18th marked the release of Songs To Play the latest record from singer-songwriter, guitarist and music critic and Australian music icon Robert Forster.
Songs To Play has been a long time coming. It’s been seven years since Robert Forster‘s last album The Evangelist a record that was widely regarded as his best solo album, and one that more than lived up to the many high points of The Go-Betweens.
Across his impressive catalogue of work with The Go Betweens and solo efforts there wouldn’t be many other figures in the Australian music landscape as influential as Forster has and still continues to be. We chatted to three of our favourite acts about how Forster’s influences has shaped their lives and careers.
Songs To Play is out now.
Julia McFarlane (Twerps)
“Beyond being responsible for some of the most important pop songs like Karen and Lee Remick, Robert Forster makes sentences you wouldn’t notice coming out of someone else’s mouth hit with profound clarity.
‘I got tired of draining the pool for you’ feels like the ring around a whole planet, even if it wasn’t meant to. It is an understatement to say there would be no Twerps without Robert Forster!”
Alex Gow (Oh Mercy)
“I read about the Go-Betweens in The Age. It must have been in 2005 when Oceans Apart was released. I was intrigued so I went out and bought it. I loved it and soon owned all their records.”
“I really like the way he puts chords together and I enjoy his phrasing. He sings in a similar register to me and his melodies aren’t overly sophisticated so I can sing along fairly easily. Which I suppose is why I model some of my writing around his songs. My favourite Go-Betweens album is Liberty Belle & The Black Diamond Express. I’m more often drawn to the songs written my Grant McLennan but Robert wrote all my favourite songs on that particular album. To Reach Me and Twin Layers Of Lightning. So beautiful and evocative.”
Favourite song? “‘Twin Layers Of Lightning’. Real moody and poetic to boot. The piano playing in wonderful. Great chords.”
Bob Harrow (Immigrant Union)
“Growing up I’d always kinda known who The Go-Betweens were but it wasn’t until my good friend Scotty married a girl named Emma that I actually started listening to them.
Emma was engaged to Grant McLennan when he passed away. When I first met Emma she’d bring up McLennan / Forster / Go-Betweens and I’d feel like an idiot not properly knowing what she was talking about. In the back of my head I’d always known I was going to listen to them (I save up bands that I’m pretty sure will be good to listen to, so I don’t blow em all at once, I don’t wanna be 40 with nothing left to listen too) so obviously this kicked me up the ass to do so.”
“It’s funny, I think Forster’s style of song writing has influenced me but not in a direct way because I’ve not listened to his music for a huge amount of in depth time.
I’m pretty sure bands like Belle and Sebastian have been influenced by Forster and I constantly listen to Belle. So it has trickled down to me. I’ve been listening to the Go-Betweens song ‘Head Full of Steam’ sung by Forster lately and I can hear big similarities with songs I have written, however I wrote these before ever hearing ‘Head Full of Steam.’ It’s actually kinda been freaking me out a little.”
My friend Emma has told me a bit about The Go Betweens and the thing that I found real cool was the fact that Forster and McLennan shared their songs / songwriting 50/50. If the song had Forster as the vocalist then he basically wrote it then brought it to McLennan / the band to get it going and vise-versa. I was stoked hearing that cause that’s exactly how Brent DeBoer and I work with Immigrant Union.”
Favourite song? “‘Head Full of Steam'”
‘Songs To Play’ National Tour Dates
Saturday 21st Nov – The Triffid (QLD)
Tickets: thetriffid.com.au
Wednesday 25th Nov – The Clarendon Guesthouse (NSW)
Tickets: clarendonguesthouse.com.au
Thursday 26th Nov – Oxford Arts Factory (NSW)
Tickets http://www.moshtix.com.au or 1300 GET TIX (438 849)
Friday 27th Nov – Thornbury Theatre (VIC)
Tickets: www.thethornburytheatre.com
Saturday 28th Nov – Queenscliff Music Festival (VIC)
Tickets: qmf.net.au
Sun 22nd Nov – The Mullum Music Festival* SOLO (NSW)
