Monday, September 21, 2009
At the dropping of their new album, the ambitiously titled All The Pleasures of the World lead Crayon Geoff O'Connor talks of pop, love and cash.
ALL the pleasures of the world? Really? “Oh for sure, it’s got all my favourite instruments, my favourite singers and my favourite lead guitarist,” counters lead Crayon Field Geoff O’Connor bashfully. You’ve probably heard the first two singles form the album, Mirror Ball and the title track; beautifully sweet pop songs, the kind that makes critics swoon and that stealthily cast a suggestive spell more than tell you how to feel. “They’re all love songs I guess, euphoric love songs,” O’Connor explains. “The euphoria in the songs is pretty transient, they’re not all upbeat and happy, but they are all pop songs.”
If adhering to tenets like tunefulness, having catchy choruses and addressing subjects with a knowing sensitivity can lead some to brush them off as twee, it’s something O’Connor doesn’t lose sleep over. “I don’t have a problem with the word twee but I think people often misuse it, it doesn’t mean ‘nothing’ music. Our first album Animal Bells had a lot of songs that were written when we were a three-piece high school band and a lot changes between the age of 18 and 24. All these songs were written when I was 23 or 24 so they’re not juvenile pop songs,” he says laughing. “We used to be worried about playing too loud for my singing but we’re much better singers and players now, especially [guitarist] Chris [Hung], I think he’s amazing.”
More than just ability has changed between albums too. “Animal Bells cost literally nothing, All The Pleasures of the World cost a small fortune and I can hear it, definitely,” he affirms. “I’m really, really happy with how it turned out.” As it seems, is everyone who has heard it, a flock set to grow after its October launch.
Though they have been gigging hard both here and overseas for several years now, it’s only recently that O’Connor has noticed a change in local audiences. “I think more people are coming out to see bands and have a curiosity about local music. There are less meek indie bands and more musicians having pride in what they do. People like Kes and Fatti Frances, who really put themselves out there. There used to be a lot more bands who were almost apologetic, which I was totally guilty of,” he laughs.
The “myopic boy genius”, as several hundred blogs refer to him, is growing up.
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