Project Description

Interview with

JAMIE HUTCHINGS and DARREN CROSS

before their

‘Bedsit for Peacer’ tour

by Dave Bruce

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Two of Sydney’s most enduring creative forces – Jamie Hutchings (Bluebottle Kiss, Infinity Broke, The Tall Grass) and Darren Cross (Gerling, Jep and Dep) are teaming up for a run of shows throughout N.S.W. From Marrickville to Lismore. Jamie and Darren will be spruiking their wares in solo mode, pulling from their expansive back catalogues as well as their most recent solo albums.

Hutchings and Cross have been crossing paths since the mid ’90’s, Jamie as the front man for eclectic folk tinged feedback loving cult favourites Bluebottle Kiss, whilst Darren was out front of anarchic lo-fi  electro punks Gerling. In the times since, both artists have continued working prolifically with a tenacious D.I.Y approach to recording, releasing and touring with their various projects.

Jamie Hutchings most recent release is the sparse and acclaimed album Bedsit, of which Bernard Zuel recently wrote ‘… these are songs which carry their own heft, seduce with gracefully attractive tunes, and stay with you. Stay with you hard.’ Earlier in 2018 Hutchings did an extensive Australian tour which included sold out shows in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

Peacer is Darren Cross’ latest album. It has been described as “anarchic gospel-krautrock-indie guitar pop tunes to neo-folk fingerpicking spaced out meltdowns”. Moving forward down the acoustic guitar highway – Darren’s latest folk guitar in solo mode live shows conjur up something between Nick Drake, John Fahey and Leo Kottke on E.

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How did it all begin for each of you? Where did you develop your interest in performing music to an audience? What was your first big break that told you “I am in the right place”?
JH: My brother Scott and our best friend Mark used to dress up as The Beatles and mime to their albums with tennis rackets and vacuum cleaners. Because I was the youngest I drew the shortest straw and got to be George, which meant I didn’t sing as many songs, and the ones I did had a strong Indian raga influence. I guess that sent me on my way.
My big break was many years later playing in one of the early Bluebottle Kiss lineups at The Annandale hotel. The band booker’s name was Leo and he told me he liked my voice. I was surprised.
DC:I started making noise/experimental music when I was in high school. Before that I would just play the blues in my bedroom on a cheap guitar from when I was about 12 years old. My first big break was with a band I started called Gerling. I never felt I was in the right place as such lol. Playing to 35,000 (not sure official number) at Livid with Gerling on the main stage in 1999 was when I thought – wow this is crazy!

What kind of music did you both grow up on? Which artists inspired you?
JH:My father had tyrannical control over the family hi fi. He would play Frank Sinatra really loud, lots of big bands as well as the odd pop group like Chicago or Steely Dan. None of these artists inspired me at the time.
Early on after my childhood Beatles obsession I moved on to Split Enz, then U2, then Midnight Oil then a lot of punk and garage bands as my teens really kicked in.
I do love artists that keep working, the kind where you can tell that the process of inventing is the big thing for them. Tom Waits is probably one of the biggest for me because he’s such an adventurer.
DC: Sonic Youth. AM radio. Trumans Water. There also was a Blues radio show every Monday night on a community radio station where I lived and I used to tape and jam with!

With your latest projects “Bedsit” and “Peacer” can you describe their origins and evolution?
JH: Most of Bedsit was written in a room when I was living on my own for quite a while. I tried to retain that with the recording, there’s a lot of air on it. I recorded it myself with just a few microphones and an old tape machine that a friend taught me how to use. The mastering engineer told me it sounded like it was recorded in the ’50’s which made me happy.
DC: PEACER- is my second solo record. The first half of the record is upbeat/anarchic gospel-krautrock-indie guitar pop dream pop- I used some really old songs from my old computers (as I have my own Bernstein studios and I produce and engineer all my own music) – one of the songs was even a Gerling demo from a long time ago (Gerling broke up – I thought we would get back together eventually). As I dj for a living I like upbeat / indie stuff. On side two of the album is all neo-folk fingerpicking spaced out meltdowns- I have been developing alot of folk/acoustic compositions so this whole side of PEACER is all that style of music – it’s a natural progression from what I was doing in my other folk goth duo Jep and Dep (with Jessica Cassar).
With Jep and Dep we have out 2 records and have supported Johnny Marr from The Smiths, Gruff Rhys from Super Furry Animals, Kristin Hersh from Throwing Muses,Courtney Barnett, Mirel Wagner, Aldous Harding, Jessica Pratt and Low to name a few.
I’m really into John Fahey, Leo Kottke and Jim O’Rouke – guitarists like that these days!
I wrote PEACER with the vinyl format in mind Side A Indie crazy and Side B Folk Guitar bliss out. It works really well on the bright yellow PACMAN vinyl I released it on!

Which tracks would you call “signature” pieces for each of you?
JH: Change musical costumes a bit so I wouldn’t say I have a ‘signature’ piece.
DC: Right now I would say ‘Blank Sabbath” off PEACER.

What is the favorite track on the album for each of you and why?
JH: For me I think Second Winter, just because it’s a bit ambitious, I do a semi ad hoc spoken story at the start, I was pleased how it made its way on to that song.
DC: My favorite track off the album is called “Oh, Now There’s Whoah”, it’s just a really weird song that is totally unique and the lyrics are very provocative!

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Now, about the “Bedsit for Peacer” Tour, what was its genesis? Whose idea was it?
JH: I suggested to Darren that we do a few shows together, we both had albums out and were looking for opportunities to play. We’ve journeyed in the same realm for over 20 years so it seemed like a good match, and freshens things up a bit teaming up with someone else.
DC: This was Jamie’s idea!! He approached me with the idea which was nice! Jamie is a proper gentleman and we are both quite zany in our own ways so it will be fun to chat alot on tour!  We are very different people but both are very dedicated to our music and craft as songwriters. We both are promoting our latest albums as well – both on vinyl and we both run our own record labels so it’s a great way to make that happen as well!

Is it just planned for the East Coast and if so, why?
JH: We didn’t discuss it too much, we just looked for shows at irregular places. The kind of places where if you fail at the very least you’re failing in tandem with someone else. It’s nice to give regional Australia a go every now and then, you can only do the capital city circuit so many times.
DC: I guess it’s cheaper and we both have obligations at home with work etc etc. We’re open to more shows later on down the track!

So is it two shows for the price of one predominantly? Or do you have something else planned?
JH: That’s up for discussion.
DC: Two shows for the price of one – yes that’s a great way to pitch it to the punters!!

If you could pick absolutely anyone to bring on tour with you, whom would each of you pick and why? (Dead or Alive)
JH: Nancy Sinatra. I think her and Darren would sing and perform well together.
DC: British journalist Adam Curtis (Hypernormalisation), I love his work – I would just let him talk at us the while time!! Or comedian, dead Bill Hicks – he usually has said how I feel now 20 years ago! Musician – I would bring John Fahey – this American Guitarist changed the way an acoustic guitar is played and he lived liked Charles Bukowski – a true inspiration.

What are your major goals or milestones for the future?
JH: I’m hoping to start working with Infinity Broke more regularly again, recording another record with the group. And possibly doing something with some live solo recordings.
DC: I am releasing my new solo album later on this year which is my most accomplished guitar composition of my time playing guitar – it’s been a lot of hard work – also putting out some new music of a new new project I am very excited about!!!

Finally, this is a paragraph dedicated to some quick discovery for each of you. Really corny, but for the fans, can you tell me your favorite album, artist, movie, place, drink, meal and person (living or dead) and some brief reasons why? Answer some or all please?
JH: Favourite album, it changes all the time. Dinosour Jr – You’re Living All Over Me is probably my most played album. I’m a bit exhausted by it now but I’ve loved it a lot over the years.
Artist – Van Gogh. His paintings look like a lot of my favourite music sounds.
Movie – The Year My Voice Broke, it’s been so many years since I’ve seen it that my memory probably exaggerates its profundity.
Place – today I will say Binic in France, because when I’m there I’m just there to play music, so it’s la la land to me. And it’s very pretty.
Drink – probably a Saint Emilion Bordeaux, there’s lots of them but they all seem to be pretty good.
Person – Cholena, I’m married to her and she’s very patient and very kind, just one of those qualities would be good but two…
DC: Artist – Joan Miró –  seeing his Blue I, II, III from 1961 in at Georges Pompidou Center,Paris art gallery a few years ago almost knocked me over.
Movie – Wings of Desire – set in Berlin in the 1990’s, I love Wim Wenders movies
Place – Berlin – being going there since early 2000’s – some parts have gentrified to the max but the spirt of Berlin is still alive !
Drink – home made Black Coffee – no carbs – maximum caffeine – barista and their man buns are way too expensive for me – $5 a cup – Up yours!!!

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AMNPLIFY – DB