Sharing joy in music 10
PO¯NEKE MUSICIAN Miles Calder is back fromnewyork and Geneva with a newband, a newsound, and new music. Wecatch up with him for 10 questions.
Describe yourself/your music inonesentence.
I’m a singer-songwriter from Wellington whowrites overly self-reflective folk songs and then disguises them in swirling psychedelic rock arrangements and rolling atmospheric ballads.
Whatbroughtonyour change in musical direction?
Previously confined to writing on the acoustic guitar, I ended up with a piano where I was living a fewyears ago and just loved learning it, so naturally started writing on that. At the same time I felt drawn to the electric guitar and ended up playing in a covers band of 60s/70s rock stuff. I was also listening to a lot more indie-folk/ psychedelia artists like Kevin Morby, Sam Cohen, Damien Jurado, Richard Swift and doing deeper dives back into late-era Beatles and 70s Pink Floyd. Thesenew songs reflect this influence and aremuch different in production to what I’d previously done. I was also suddenly writing muchmore inmyownvoice, with more personal lyrics coming out.
Howdoes yournewmusic reflect your fearsand emotions?
I wrote Takemeback Tohowit Waswhen I was feeling lost and isolated near the end of a year living overseas . . . wanting to get back through distance and time to the sanctuary of a previous home. It’s about not knowing where to go next, being nostalgic for the past, uncertain for the future and escaping the present.
Lake Geneva was written at the same time, but I’m singing more about feeling overwhelmed by the steady march of time and inescapable changes thatweall fear but have to face. This song is a sigh of acceptance ultimately, if a rather downcast one.
Dothese themes reflect the weirdness of living through 2020?
It felt so right to finish the mixing and release these two songs this year. Those feelings of isolation and wanting to be able to see people face to face, and the need for everyone to shoulder the weirdness of thenew worldwefind ourselves and just press on, are all so 2020.
Whatoneinstrument could younot live withoutand why?
At the momentit’smy1969 Wurlitzer200 electric piano.
Whatdoes success as a musicianmeanfor you?
I mainly want to make something good . . . write and record records that I’m proud of and havesome value or dare I say beauty in them. And on top of that, to be able to go through that creative process working with people I love, and then perform and deliver these results to people whomight getsomemeaning or comfort or joy from them is reallydamnawesome.
Whathasbeenthe best development in the music industry in the past few decades?
I think the accessibility for artists to record athomeat tiny expense and quite easily get the music online and out to peoplewho mayenjoy it.
What’sonething you’d change about the music industry ifyoucould?
Attention spans. I find a lot of people don’t have the time ormaybe appetite to listen to awhole album. That can be an incredible experience that you get lost in and find joy and sadness and presence and inspiration. I try and do that on walks and runs now.
Ifyoucould only listen to onealbumfor the rest of your life, whatwouldit be?
Gosh, formysanity, it might be something ambient from Brian Eno like Music for Airports.
Ifyouwerecurating adream music festival, whowouldbe onthe bill, alive or dead?
The Beatles, Prince, Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix, the Phoenix Foundation, Sam Evian, Father John Misty, Outkast, Damien Jurado, Janis Joplin.