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Q1/
It sounds like Jeremy has known
Great Keppel Island all his life, and he
encouraged you to visit, and now it
holds nostalgia for the both of you.
I know the shell house is a heritage-
listed building there – is it privately
owned? Does anyone live there?
Close. It definitely holds nostalgia for
both of us but Jeremy was big-noting in
the promo video - the truth is that I was
going Keppel before he was born. The
shell house used to be a place on the
island you could visit to buy shells from
all over the world and share a cuppa
with the caretakers. It is now privately
owned by a family of wild legends, and
although the shells remain, the vibe
is different. Everyone is welcome for
barbies, camp fire jams and parties.
Q2/
David Ryan Harris contributed to
Getaway Car
; what do you guys like
about his ideas and playing style?
He’s a ridiculously talented man, so
just watching him play guitar is inspiring.
But we really loved the subtle chord
changes he brought to the table. He
makes it feel natural but it’s really quite
challenging to play.
Q3/
Do you ever do the stompbox
when you’re doing acoustic versions,
or is it always Jeremy? More
generally, how are you performing
these tracks live: acoustic or with a
larger band?
Have you seen the size of Jeremy’s
calves? They’re magic! I won’t be playing
Cajon anytime soon. We have really
loved playing these new tunes acoustic;
the harmonies especially feel better than
ever.
Q4/
Where did that excellent photo
on the album cover art come from?
It’s a classic Great Keppel Island
postcard. The couple in the picture used
to be the caretakers of the shell house,
and the mural is now one of the walls of
the current building.
Q5/
Who is playing the banjo/
mandolin across the album, or do
you both swap stringed instruments
wherever you feel?
Jeremy. He plays almost everything
on the album except for my guitar parts,
and my vocal of course.
BONUS QUESTION:
Tom, did you
know there’s a haunted chair with
your name? I did not.Thanks for
broadening my spooky knowledge.
Yes. I was sent this a while back, but
thankfully I’m not afraid of the dark so
it’s all good, unlike Jeremy - he’s also
shit-scared of frogs.
Busby Marou - mates in life and collaborators in music,
Thomas Busby and Jeremy Marou - have just released
their album
Postcards From
The Shell House
. We shot
some questions at Tom about Great Keppel Island (the
gorgeous location which inspired the record’s tracks),
and whether he’s aware of his spooky namesake.
Postcards From
The Shell House
is out now via Warner.
BUSBYMAROU
STACK
MUSIC