|
|
 |
Machine Translations.
 "No
leather pants. No rear projection or anything like that. But
having said that, I think we're a much better live band than
we were a few years ago." While live presentation isn't necessarily
foremost in the mind of J Walker, the man who effectively is
Machine Translations doesn't seem too concerned, despite the
imminence of a nationwide jaunt.
"I've always been terrible at presentation when we play. I just always think about songs and getting them right. I daresay I'm not the most animated performer. I want to the music to stand up for itself as much as possible and I think the people who like my stuff get that."
He's probably right: those who have succumbed to Walker's special brand of inventive pop probably aren't too concerned about his lack of commitment to industry-standard image-projection protocols, though he does admit to sometimes having little choice but to go play along.
"Obviously, the music industry is set up for poster-boy images. I find it weird and don't really want anything to do with it. But of course, no-one will run a story without a photograph, so we always end up having these really bad photo shoots because none of us really want to be photographed. We just want to play music."
Speaking of which, Walker seems excited at the prospect of giving audiences who have now had time to acquaint themselves with the recent 'Venus Traps Fly' a chance to see how the songs have evolved from their studio incarnations.
"My basic method is to record the songs as they're being written, so by the time they've been mixed and mastered and everything, I've got a much better sense of what sorts of songs they are. And then when the band's been playing them for a few shows it starts to take off in different directions. It's really satisfying when it does sound a bit different to the record version because it means they're still alive.
"I think I'm getting to the point now - 'Venus Traps Fly' is album number six for me - where I've realised that it's important to make different kinds of records. I wanted to make a quick record and I wanted to make it more raw and organic-sounding. I tried not to edit too much and I tried not to fuss over it too much, so as a consequence it sounds a little less hi-fi. As I was writing that batch of songs I realised they were meant to be a little bit rough around the edges. Most of them came together in the two months I was recording."
In many ways, Walker fits into the classic songwriter mould: someone who is compelled to write and hence become immersed in the craft of song construction. He now seems so adept and comfortable with the medium that one gets the impression that it he must find it effortless. This, he insists is definitely not the case, especially when it comes to lyrics.
"Occasionally a song will just kind of drop from heaven, and that's just fantastic, but generally I have to write heaps of lyrics - hate most of them - but try to find a couple of little threads that I like and elaborate on them. I've got books and books: for every song there are probably ten pages of crap along the way. The thing is that you have to be able to sing it: it doesn't have to be the perfect lyric, it doesn't have to make perfect sense, but you have to be able to sing it with the right intention. It's amazing what does and doesn't work."
Right now, of course, Walker's focus is on the upcoming shows which will see the band take in the nation's capitals over a six week period.
"It's not that long a tour, but it's kind of spread out. I enjoy touring heaps and I'm getting better at surviving with my sanity and health intact at the end of it. There's a bit of an art to that. In the past I've found it's knocked me around a lot, but I'm getting better at it."
It seems, in fact, that he's taking steps to enhance his rock fitness...
"I've played eighteen holes of golf today. Me and a bunch of other musos have started playing every Wednesday. We like to think we're way ahead of the pack in terms of our health regime. It'll help me be more energetic on stage next time, hopefully."
Jeremy Reglar
 |
Machine Translations play at Jive on Sat 31 July. 'Venus Traps Fly' is out now through Spunk/Inertia.
|
|
|
The latest issue
available now!
|
