STACK #149 Mar 2017

STACK

1

MUSIC

BUSBYMAROU

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.

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.

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

Postcards From The Shell House is out now via Warner.

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