Getting under the hood
... pulling it apart to put it back together
I’m in the thick of tasking myself with writing the bulk of a new record in the next couple of months. The well feels full and I’ve got some ideas I want to explore. The time is right.
However, that doesn’t always mean that new songs apparate on a given day of my choosing. Sometimes you have to patiently will them. In recent years, I have found one of the things that’s really helpful in coaxing songs appear is to explore other songs by other people that really speak to me. Trying to figure out why I like them so much - how do they work? Why do they work? I call this practise “getting under the hood”.
So as I continue to lure these songs like a neighbourhood cat I want to give a gentle pat to on my afternoon walk, I thought I’d share with you some songs I’ve been getting under the hood of and why:
During a recent Saturday sesh at the pub, I was asked to cite what I felt an example of great writing was and I immediately thought of this song. I remember hearing it for the first time and being captivated by the compelling ambiguity of both Gigi’s voice and her lyrics. My interpretation of the song is that it draws on experiences of queer lust and the comforts we find in that specific kind of yearning. I don’t think it’s about ~love~ as much as it’s about embracing the beauty and connection that comes with those more immediate and sometimes opaque relationships. That particular complexity painted through really strong imagery (Looking like Anne Hathaway / Laughing while she hit her pen / And coughed) and the simple arrangement strikes a perfect balance to allow us to sit in it for a moment.
Perhaps the best song ever written about millennial male fragility. The thing I love most about Petey’s work is how he manages to inject so much humour into his songs and stories that are so personal and deeply vulnerable. The way he abruptly jumps from young men who “hate to say I love you” to referencing “[watching] three seasons of The OC til Marissa fucking dies” and somehow makes it all so poetic is masterful. There’s no veiling when it comes to what the song is about, which is hugely significant and very big picture topic, but it also zooms in and out of a very specific narrative along the way. I’m fascinated.
I think every songwriter at some point (or many points) attempts to create something timeless - something that transcends time and place by virtue of its message and character. Country songwriters are really, really good at doing this and I believe it’s a big part of why the genre continues to circle back into the collective consciousness time and time again (we’re seeing it right now, right?). Kacey Musgraves is one of my favourite modern artists and songwriters, and this song that she uses to close out her album ‘Golden Hour’ is a very current example of that timeless quality. The tried and tested chord changes, the melody and the inherent humanness of its mantra make it feel like it has always existed. I once heard someone say that some songs are written and some songs “arrive”. I suspect ‘Rainbow’ arrived.
Dude, for some reason I just did not understand or connect with this song for ages and I’m so glad I finally do. It’s FUN and funny and cheeky and sure of itself and playful and clever and I don’t know why all of these things didn’t dawn on me immediately. I love playing this song on the guitar and mucking around with different chords and voicings underneath it. You can make it sound like the most tragic ballad and it still hits. Obsessed.
Adrienne Lenker will go down in history as of one of the most significant songwriters of our generation and I am certain I’m not the only person who believes this. There is a stroke of genius in her approach that baffles me time and time again. Of all of Adrienne’s songs that I could write about here, ‘Half Return’ is the one that draws me in the most. A habit I have developed and at times actively try to deconstruct in my own writing is that I tend to reach for songs in a very linear way - sometimes I don’t want to write a song that reads left to right, but that’s how they typically seem to land. Something that Adrienne has mastered, in my opinion, is writing songs that I can only describe as feeling cyclical. You walk down the path with her, taking many twists and turns but always end up at that same familiar place but in a way that you can’t predict. I think it’s the guitar playing in this one that really does it for me. I like to bathe in it and let it lead the way.
Until next time,
AL x
AL READS
Meditations - Marcus Aurelius
This book has been sitting on my nightstand since the start of the year. Before I go to sleep, I try my best to actively read one or two pages then turn out the light. I’m not a huge consumer of philosophy texts and am hyper aware of how pretentious I may sound throwing this book into the mix, but despite the almost two millennia between ourselves and Marcus Aurelius, the dude knew his shit. His age-old mantras (or meditations…) of resisting meeting violence with violence, not letting your attention and consciousness being co-opted by questionable institutions and finding friends who help you find your own voice still feel extremely relevant and applicable to various happenings around the world and in our own lives today. Nice one, Marcus.
AL PLAYS
Rubik’s Cube
Over Christmas, I received a Rubik’s Cube in my family Kris Kringle (Secret Santa, for my homies across the Pacific). I took it out of the packaging and placed it on top of one of my studio speakers for pure aesthetic. After a few weeks of looking at it between scratch vocal takes, I decided I was gonna figure out how the hell the thing works. Thanks to a few YouTube tutorials, I can consistently solve the cube pretty fluently to the point that it has become one of the first things I do before I start my work. Is there a moral to this story or a deeper read other than revealing one of my tedious key personality traits of giving myself no choice but to get to the bottom of a process, no matter how inane? Probably not. However, I did tell my mum that solving a Rubik’s Cube is my new party trick (there was never an old party trick), to which she responded “sounds like you go to some shit parties.”
AL LISTENS
year of the slug - Caroline Rose
I’m very lucky to be able to call Uncle Carol a friend. Whenever I hang out with Carol I’m so drawn to their thought processes around making music and how to bridge the gap between artist and audience without having to subscribe to the seemingly unavoidable parasitic institutions that disrupt and bastardize that pipeline. Carol is a PUNK in the truest sense of the word and their approach towards the recording and release of their inspiring new record, ‘year of the slug’, is a huge testament to their unwavering ethos, core beliefs and faith in the power and impact of true artistry.
Forgiving Spree - Slowly Slowly
Five albums deep and Slowly Slowly continue to be one of the best bands in Australia right now. Ben Stewart is a remarkable songwriter - his commitment to conveying raw feeling and emotion through vivid imagery sets him apart form everyone else. Their new record could only come from a band that really cares. I went to see them play an acoustic set the other night and Ben finished the night by introducing the song ‘Hurricane’ with “if anyone here is really going through it right now, throw yourself back in”. I’ve been holding that one close this week.
Beauty And The Beat - The Go-Go’s
A few months ago I saw this Calvin Klein ad with Greta Lee that kind of….I guess, spoke to me? The music behind the ad is a song by The Go-Go’s called ‘We Got The Beat’ and it’s a PERFECT placement. This discovery sparked a sudden obsession in early-80’s era girl rock and pop groups - that pre-riot grrrl movement featuring an intriguing intersection of doo-wop, surf rock, R&B and punk sensibilities compounded into a super accessible and fun package. This Go-Go’s record has some ripper songs on it and has been on consistent rotation in my car this summer.
As always, head over to my infinite playlist to get the full neverending scope of what’s flooding my ears (best consumed on shuffle).
AND JUST WHILE WE’RE ALL HERE…
I’m playing a handful of solo shows in Melbourne, Sydney and Wollongong in March where I’m going to road test some new tunes for my next record (yikes) - you should come hang out
Our tour with Laura Jane Grace through the US kicks off in April and shows are already selling out! If you wanna come, get your tickets quick
Feed the beast - buy AL a coffee