Project Description
Interview with
OLIVER DOWNES
Interviewer – Dave Bruce
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“An impressive and eccentric work of baroque pop, [‘Ultraviolet’] packs soaring melodies and sharp wit in equal measure, underpinned by intricate and eclectic chamber instrumentation.” – Tone Deaf
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1. Tell us about how you got into songwriting?
I was living in London in the late noughties and was asked to play bass in a band with a friend. I had no idea how to play bass – and still have no idea! – but it turned into a pretty instructive lesson in the fun that can be had in making original music. We never played a show, but everyone in the group contributed songs, which led to me writing my first one. It was utterly terrible, but I got totally hooked and haven’t looked back.
2. How would you describe your sound?
Art pop, which is to say, there’s a pretty big blend in it. I played classical piano growing up, so my fingers work pretty well which I suppose people can hear – many people ask if I like musical theatre, which I find pretty amusing as it’s one of the few kinds of music I don’t like! I grew up listening to people like Rufus Wainwright, Ben Folds and Tori Amos, and my stuff is pretty piano-driven pop, but it’s got a bunch more Yann Tierson (the Amelie soundtrack) or Phillip Glass in it than say, Elton John. My hero for the last couple of decades has been Leonard Cohen, so he’s in there as well, ditto Joni Mitchell whose ‘Hejira’ was my model for my new album, ‘The Wheel’.
3. Where is your favourite place to play in Australia?
My loungeroom! Just JK. I always have a great time playing Smith’s Alternative in Canberra. It’s a good vibe.
4. Tell us of some of the struggles of being an independent musician?
Not being paid enough! Or at all. Streaming services have enabled independent musicians to reach a huge audience, but they’ve also completely destroyed the possibility of getting paid for one’s work. That’s been a big problem, as it basically means that you have to self-finance things without knowing how to get a return on your work. My work around has been to crowdfund my last two albums, which has been a wonderful way of connecting with fans and enabling the recordings to get made.
5. Your new album ‘The Wheel’ was just released. What was your writing process for the album?
I always write the music first. Three or four the songs on the album were already floating around in some finished form by the middle of 2017, but I was a long way to having everything done. Then I was accepted to do a songwriting residency at the Banff Centre for Creativity and the Arts in Alberta, Canada. This was a minor game changer, as it allowed me 5 weeks of uninterrupted writing time in the Canadian rockies. It was a wonderful experience and basically allowed me to write the rest of the album.
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6. We must know who came up with the idea for the awesome ‘Look To Windward’ video?
That would be me!
7. What is your greatest achievement as a musician?
I think that ‘The Wheel’ is the best thing I’ve made as artist – I thought that about my previous album, ‘Ultraviolet’, and about my debut EP ‘at the end’ way back in 2014 as well, so I guess that means that I’m still getting better. As far as greatest achievement goes… I think that the fact that I still love doing it is a big achievement – there are many obstacles for musicians in Australia and it can be easy to become disheartened. I can’t really imagine doing something else though, so I think that’s a big one.
8. Favourite food to eat whilst on tour?
Red Rock Deli chips.
9. What would be the 3 tracks from the album that you’d recommend to new listeners?
‘Look to Windward’ is a beautiful uplifting song about finding the brightness on the far side of a breakup. ‘A Minor Place’ I think is the best song on the album and is about the quiet places in the landscape where you can hide away on a hot day. ‘Borderline’ is a kind of oblique story-song in the vein of Kate Bush or Suzanne Vega that touches on illegal migration and human trafficking.
10. What is next for Oliver Downes?
Well, my partner is giving birth in six weeks, so probably fatherhood! I have an idea to write an album of love songs for my partner and our daughter, so once I’ve recovered from releasing ‘The Wheel’, I might start working towards making that happen.
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April 12th – Petersham Bowling Club, Sydney, NSW
Tickets | 18+ only
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Follow OLIVER DOWNES
Facebook – Website
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