Interview : Dan Kelly on tour with Gareth Liddiard

Interviews — 14 March 2011

Interview by Ross Hatton

Set to embark on a national tour with GARETH LIDDIARD in March, Melbourne’s wiry-haired story-teller, DAN KELLY talks with us about life, touring and his very unique music.

Are you looking forward to your upcoming tour with Gareth?

“Yeah, I’m looking forward to having a run of shows and taking the idea of solo work and seeing how it develops. I’ve been representing the record really strongly with the band and now I want to mix it up a bit with some old songs, some covers and you know, see if I can hold an audience for 45mins.” Gareth is so captivating I’m hoping that it will be a good scenario for me,” Kelly admits.

Your songs are incredibly diverse in their message. Where do you get most of your inspiration from?

“It’s a mixture of daydream and stories that my friends share that mutate into songs. I read a lot, so I get inspiration from things like a Peter Carey book or a science fiction book and it inspires me to take that idea and then turn it into a song.” Kelly tells us.

In a recent blog you mentioned you like writing songs about W.A. Casing point - ‘The West Coast Fishing Incident.’ What is it about the West that inspires you?

“I’m a big Tim Winton fan and a fan of Western Australian songwriters. I mean it’s a great place and because it can be so stark, it can really affect you. I spent a good time up in Broome last year and you come back rejuvenated and exited just having seen such a radically different community and seeing such beauty. I feel like a W.A tourism ad.” Kelly says embarrassingly.

Perhaps we need some sort of W.A Tourism campaign featuring a Dan Kelly song to nicely tie it all in together?

“Yeah, I need some of that mining money. I’ve got to stop writing songs about blowing up power stations,” Kelly laughs.

You once described your latest solo album, “Dan Kelly’s Dream” as sounding like Paul Kelly on acid. What have you found the overall response has been to this album over your previous?

“It’s probably had a bit more of a wider appeal. The last record had a more indie-tropical feel. In Melbourne particularly there’s a certain type of people that really like that record and the record before was real kind of brash garage rock. So, this one is a bit of a mash of all that stuff.”

I know in the early days of performing you went under the name ‘Dank Alley’ as to not trade on your famous uncles name (Paul Kelly). How does it feel to now be a well-known singer/songwriter in your own right?

“It’s satisfying. I was really keen to avoid people thinking that I was using Paul Kelly to become successful,” he confesses. “I mean it’s an ego thing I suppose. I wanted to be established as my own person. It’s just creepy when you try and become famous by association you know what I mean? And chances are it won’t last. Even though it’s a strong family and we all share a lot of similar traits, I’m radically different from him.”

Do you have a close relationship with your uncle?

“Oh yeah, we spend a lot of time together because we travel so much and we play as a duo a lot. So we know each other very well.”

So he must have had a big influenced on your music over the years?

“There’s not much time in my life that hasn’t been framed by what Paul Kelly’s doing. I mean I’ve been working with him now for 10 years and it’s hard not to get swallowed up in Paul Kelly world,” Kelly acknowledges. “He’s incredibly talented and famous. I could just end up working for him – which wouldn’t be a bad thing. But I think I have my own stuff to contribute to the music.”

You have a certain kooky story-telling charm when you perform solo. How do you manage to keep an audience completely enthralled when all you have is an acoustic and a drum machine?

“The silence seems to be a bit of a trick. I enjoy it if I turn to a crowd and can engage them doing quite sparse renditions of songs. I don’t expect people to pay attention if they don’t think it’s any good but you try to get their attention enough so that they will at least make up their mind.”

So do you prefer solo performances because they give you that intimacy or would you rather play with a full band?

“It’s something I’ve really been trying to work out because I tend to write in my head for a much bigger arrangement. But the solo stuff I do gives me a real satisfaction that I don’t always get with the band. But I miss the company of the band and I also don’t get to render these songs in the kind of way that I hear them originally. I probably just need more solo songs so I can do that in its own-right and keep the band separate – like Neil Young used to do.”

On the writing note, what’s on the horizon for Dan Kelly post Strange Tour?

“Well what I’m trying to do is write a simple solo record, then write a band record that you dance to so that I can split my career into two little parts I suppose. Going out solo telling simple stories allows you to travel to so many different places than with the rock n roll band – which is very inner city,” Kelly admits. “I can sort of walk into a place with older people in some country town who aren’t really into indie music at all but because of the stories they really enjoy the show. So it’s much more travelable that style so I want to write a record that suits. Then do a really funky band record that we can go out and entertain.”

Whatever the performance type, Kelly’s imaginative story-telling and captivating live show is something that needs to be experienced to fully appreciate. W.A fans will have their chance to witness the man himself when he hits Perth in April.

Saturday 2nd April
BAKERY, NORTHBRIDGE
Doors open 8pm