STACK June 2017 Issue 152

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taking devices that are used in one style of music [...]
and reapplying them, re-contextualising them, and kind
of twisting the meaning. Using that device in a way that
hasn’t been done before, in a way that’s confusing and
exciting, hopefully, and original. I was jacked on Swedish
House Mafia and David Guetta – the level of production
and ambition in those songs. But equally, I was jacked on
new country, and then on some of my old favourite bands
of all time.
In the way those club moments go from triumphant
to eerie, do you think there’s always the chance of
something threatening or malevolent emerging in
moments of greatness?
I hope so. I think with any good work, if it’s real, it
needs to align with the everyday existence we have –
that all these things have danger. Speaking of country
music earlier, I went and saw one of my favourite country
artists Dwight Yoakam last week. After the encore at the
end of the show he sort of lifted off his hat just a little
10 JUNE 2017
continued
visit MUSIC NEWS
You and [new label] EMI clearly adore one another.
Do they allow you to spread your wings as much as
you want?
So far, so good. Personally, I’ve never been more
excited with the level of enthusiasm, and thought, and
action, and energy being put into it. The other thing is
I made the vast majority of the record before signing
to EMI. So even if they wanted to, they didn’t have an
opportunity to stick their grubby little fingers in the
action. I’m joking. But, in all seriousness, I don’t expect
that from the next record either, and if they did it would
be the best, ‘cause I trust everyone there.
In comparison to the guitar-heavy electronica
of Embracism , you've moved towards these
transcendental club moments on Bravado. They’re
meaningful bangers, with a sinister edge. Were you
inspired by that actual environment?
Have I had immersive club experiences? I’ve dabbled
in a little bit of that my whole life, but it was more about
bit, and he told everyone to get home safe. And it implied
that there was this great danger out on the streets; it was
sinister and sexy when he said to get home safe, as well
as being genuine and caring. I hope that’s in the songs. I
hope that makes sense.
It’s been four years since Embracism – you said
you’d written most of Bravado before your signing,
but was it big label machinations which delayed it?
[The album] honestly hasn’t changed much since
2014, but that was more to do with the place I was at
psychologically, emotionally with it. But in terms of when
I’m playing and setting limits on that sort of thing, I was
in the studio with [producer] Aaron Cupples, sometimes
until the sun was coming up. We were living together as
well, so we’d ride our bikes back to his place in London
along the canal, and get home and talk about the record
more and fall asleep and wake up and continue the
conversation, and then ride our bikes along the canal
back into the studio. Seven days a week, for months on
end. We were so absorbed in it, which was cool, but it’s
easy to get lost in there as well. I think that’s part of the
reason it’s such a strange record, which for me has no
obvious touchstones. We just went down the hole really
deep.
The lyrics on Down 2 Hang are absolutely stand-out
– you’ve thought of every possible interpretation of
the word 'hang' and woven some grody poetry. How
did it come together?
I was bored, on tour. I think I got a message from a
beautiful girl in New Zealand who I’d been flirting with
online; she wrote to me and said she was ‘down to
hang.’ And I just got thinking about other things that are
down to hang… it went all the way from a peking duck
to Jesus.
In Family Home there’s a little melodic plonking
noise – it reminds me of John Farnham’s A Touch Of
Paradise. What is that effect?
I know what you’re talking about – that’s my mouth. I
was sort of beat boxing a little bit, but I’m also doing this
spatial, three-dimensional chopped up guitar thing, which
is rhythmic as well. So it might sound a little more foreign
than just a human voice.
There are several amazing guests on the album –
the Finn family, Weyes Blood, Alex Cameron, Jorge
Elbrecht, Jimmy Barnes, Connan Mockasin. Your
good pal Mac DeMarco even has a credit on Friend
Of Lindy Morrison, but there’s no obvious sign of
him. Where is he?
Yeah, he does feature on there. The truth is I was
with him a couple of weeks ago. I showed him the album
artwork and he started looking through the credits and
he was like, “Where the f-ck am I?” - which is him being
really funny. He sings a small backing vocal on there. I
was like, “Sure, I’ll give you that.” At the same time, I do
feel a little conflicted, mainly because Natalie – Weyes
Blood – sings a beautiful duet with me on the record and
I don’t want it to take away from her! But, for the record,
he sings the Michael Jackson backing vocal in the final
chorus. It was throughout the song but I deleted it except
for the final time it happens, just because I knew he’d be
very upset if I didn’t put him on there. ZKR
Bravado by
Kirin J Callinan
is out June 9
via EMI.
KIRIN J CALLINANINTERVIEW
Kirin J Callinan has always operated on the edge of the rock/mock knife.
From his notorious 2013 show at Sugar Mountain Festival, through his
astonishing and decorated album of that year, Embracism, across his
ongoing flirtation with Instagram’s rules of indecent exposure, his close
friendships with the brightest minds in the local and international arts,
and his recent mockumentary which featured massive musical icons
lamenting his fictional fall from grace… the gently-spoken musician is
pushing a personal study in which his musical talent is all gnarled up
with a provocative faux-megalomania (just look at that album cover).
Now signed to a major label and releasing his second album Bravado,
Callinan spoke to STACK from Sydney.