Project Description

Interview with

FRASER A. GORMAN

Interviewer – Benjamin Smith

.
Fraser A Gorman
.

Originally hailing from the Victorian coastal town of Torquay, Fraser A Gorman embraces an old-world style of story-telling, drawing inspiration from early dustbowl singers like Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan as well as modern songsmiths such as Justin Townes Earle. Benjamin Smith caught up with Fraser recently for a chat.

.

OneBigLink

.

It’s been about 3 years since the release of Slow Gum. What have you been doing in the interim?

I’ve been doing a lots of stuff, I guess writing and recording my second record, a little bit of random touring, working as a carpenter in Melbourne and travelling back and forth to America a lot to visit friends. Kind of just living my life. It’s funny, time goes by really fast.

.

I understand you’ve been working on a new release. What can you tell us about the writing and recording process for that record and how it differs from Slow Gum?

Most of the writing took place in my living room at my house in Alphington (leafy suburb of Melbourne) or at my desk. When I had days off I’d get up and grab a coffee and go to work except i’d write songs not shoot nail guns and cut timber. It’s nice to mix it up sometimes.
I’d say it’s a bit more lush than Slow Gum and a bit more realised. Maybe a little less country as well. But it’s still just a collection of my songs so in that way the albums both exist in a similar vein. The recording took place in a studio in Melbourne called Head Gap and was mixed at Nicolas Verhnes’ studio, Rare Book Room in Greenpoint NYC. It was a kind of fun, kind of stressful but exciting whirlwind of a time. I don’t think i’ll ever forget it.

.

Is there anyone you might have liked to work with on this new record you didn’t get a chance to this time?

Not really, It was nice working with Nicolas, he is a good guy and great mixer. My friends Dan Luscombe (The Drones) worked on this record as well, he worked on Slow Gum also. It was engineered by Rohan Sforchina, he’s a great fella too. I’m not sure who i’ll get to make my next record. All I know is that I’d like to record it in a house. I find recording studios a bit stale sometimes.

.

.

Do you have a release date for the new album yet? And have you locked in a name?

It’s called “Bye Bye Wolves” I named it that after I went to a wildlife reserve with my god son, Ernest and on our way out he yelled out to the dingoes in their cage “Bye Bye Wolves!!!”…  I found it funny that he said goodbye to some dogs that he thought were wolves in such a loving way, like they were his old friends. The record is pencilled to come out late June (unless the vinyl pressing plant takes too long, it happens sometimes, but this australian winter for sure!!).

.

I happened to catch a show a while back where you opened for Paul Dempsey. Have the two of you ever discussed the possibility of a collaboration on either of your records?

Paul and I have joked in the tour van about making a side project together called “eternal rest stop” which is a silly name for a cemetery. I hope it happens. But in all seriousness i’d love to make a record with Paul one day. He’s a supremely talented musician and one of the best people going around. He’s a great friend.

.

I also happened to see you play in a Milk Records showcase type event a few years ago with Courtney Barnett and Jen Cloher and the East Brunswick All Girls Choir and The Finks. One of the things that struck me about that was the genuinely ensemble-style feel to it all. It seemed like you all swapped between playing back up singer, rhythm guitarist, guitar tech or whatever for each other. Did that kind of thing translate to the recording process as well. Did you play on each other’s records at all, or get involved in the writing or creative process for each other’s pieces?

That was a fun tour. I guess we were all sort of helping each other out and collaborating. I’ve played Harmonica song of Courtney’s called “3 packs a day” a little while back but other than that we usually keep it pretty straight up. It was nice being part of that collective and those people are all great friends of mine. Playing with different musicians is one of the best parts about playing music in general I guess.

.

Fraser A Gorman

.

Will the new record also come out through Milk?

I’ve parted ways with Milk Records, but all of the people involved with that label and we are still very good friends. I saw Courtney play a secret warehouse gig for her new record the other day, her new songs sounded great.It was nice to catch up, she’s a legend.

.

You’ve spoken about the influence of Bob Dylan on you as an artist. Do you still engage with his music? If he releases a new record do you listen and if so do you get as much out of it as say Blonde on Blonde or Blood on the Tracks or Highway 61 Revisited era Dylan?

I’ve never stopped listening to Dylan since I was 12. I listen to lots of his music, new and old. Some of his later records are great, in particular “Modern Times” is an absolute classic. I saw him when he was touring it and it was unbelievable. There is so much to take from all of his records, not just lyrically but musically as well. My favourite Dylan record changes a lot also, ‘Another Side..’ was my favourite for a while but right now i’d probably say the ‘Blood on the tracks’ demos are what i’ve been enjoying the most. He recorded so much material, there is a lot to take in. So drink up.

.

I noticed you once on social media giving a bit of a plug to John Prine’s new record Tree of Forgiveness. What is it about his work on this record that particularly spoke to you?

A lot of amazing songwriters have made some of their best records at the tail end of their life, so to speak. I’m talking about records like ‘Blackstar’ by David Bowie and in particular Leonard Cohen’s last record ‘You want it darker’..

There is something particularly gripping about an artists last record, their last gasp of air to tell everyone how it’s been for them, and how they want you to feel once they are gone. I say this because it’s been fairly publicly noted that John Prine is rather ill. Maybe he’s got another record in him I don’t know….

But the feeling I got from this record is that it’s written from the view of a man looking back at the great life he’s had and the wisdom he’s got to share. I also think John Prine is a brilliant songwriter. I love songwriters that can go from writing gut wrenching folk ballads to writing sort of tongue in cheek country jammers. I like people who aren’t afraid to poke fun at the world. Not everything needs to be so serious. At least I think anyway.

.

.

Is there anyone else that you’ve discovered recently who’s work you particularly like?

I’ve been listening to a songwriter named Max Clarke, who plays under the name ‘Cutworms’. He put out a great record of demos called ‘alien sunset’. It sounds sorta like the ‘please please me’ era Beatles. He really nails the sound and his songs are great. He’s not come out to Australia yet but I hope he does soon.

.

There was talk there about the live music industry in Australia being in a bit of trouble, with the closure of a couple of iconic venues and some legislative activity that was thought of as a real choke on the live scene. As a touring musician what is your sense of how healthy live music in Australia is right now?

I’m not too sure how I feel the live music industry is in Australia. I feel like it changes so rapidly that you really have to pay attention to keep up..

It is indeed sad to see great venues close down. But music is so transient these days, I’ve lived in Melbourne for nearly a decade and the face of live music in this town looks a lot different to when I started out here, even where people live (or can afford to live) is different now.

I remember sort of complaining to my friend Woody about how it’s sad because music (and culture) is getting sorta getting pushed out of Melbourne because housing prices are too out of control. But he sort of explained that music, culture and art and things like that are transient and always on the move and the best art is usually made by people on the lower end of the socio economic table. Things change, things end and start up somewhere else. Life is weird like that.

.

Do you have any live dates planned in the near future?

I have a tour planned for mid August to mid September. I’ll post online about it soon. I’m looking forward to it. ThanksBenjamin. Good questions.

.
Fraser A Gorman
.

Follow FRASER A GORMAN

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

.

.

OneBigLink

.

AMNPLIFY – DB