Annie Hamilton
Interview conducted on May 13,, 2020
by Dan Locke
Australian musician, visual artist, and fashion designer Annie Hamilton announces her self-titled debut solo EP, on viaInertia Music / [PIAS]. Annie also would like to share the single “Panic” and its accompanying lyric video. In what she describes as a conversation with her anxiety, the new track is an ode to paralytic self-doubt framed around a four-bar loop of repetitious, sonic claustrophobia.
How did you discover music?
I guess it was always playing in my house when I was little… I have very early memories of listening to Bob Dylan and the Morning Of The Earth soundtrack with my dad.
How did you start to write music?
I didn’t start writing music until a few years ago. I never thought I could do it – I loved playing music as a teenager but would always just play covers. I started writing during my time in Little May – I wasn’t the main songwriter in the band but I would always try to write little bits and pieces. When I actually started trying to write songs, I realized that I really loved it – I find it to be a very cathartic and rewarding process.
Do you remember how you got your first guitar?
I grew up playing my dad’s old acoustic guitar. It was always out of tune but I loved playing anyway, and he would play Bob Dylan songs on it. I got my first electric guitar when I was about 13 and I felt very cool.
And do you still have it?
I sold it last year to an 18-year-old girl who is learning. I hope she loves it!
I saw in one of your videos what looks like a Fender Telecaster. What year is it? And is it your favorite guitar. And does it have a name?
That’s Simon’s tele (who owns Golden Retriever Studios) which I played in the studio a bit – it’s such a great old guitar. I think it’s from the 60s.
You used to be lead guitarist for the band Little May. How was your time with the band?
I had the best few years in Little May. It was such an amazing learning experience with wonderful people, and we toured so much which I loved. The current situation has really made me appreciate how lucky I’ve been to tour so much over the last few years.
You have toured with the likes of Julia Jacklin, Jack River, Phantastic Ferniture. Did they teach anything about music business?
I’ve definitely learnt a lot from all the bands I’ve supported or played with. Everything from stage presence to good banter, to just generally how to put on a good show and connect with the audience. I also play guitar in Jack River’s live band so that’s also been an amazing learning experience – Holly is an absolute gun in music / business / life and she has taught me a lot.
Tell me about your new EP, which was just released on May 1st?
The EP has been a long time coming – I’ve been working on it for about three years, with plenty of recording, scrapping, re-working, re-recording, starting again, writing new songs, re-visiting old songs, etc… It was recorded in bits and pieces between my home studio, Golden Retriever Studios and Oceanic Studios, with my co-producer Pete Covington and my band Cat Hunter, Mark Harding and Rosie Fitzgerald. It feels like a good introduction to my solo project as the process has really been one of experimenting, honing my sound and figuring out what I want the project to be.
Can you give me some background on the tracks “Panic” and “Oxygen” which to me seems they may go together in a series?
I wrote Panic one-night last year in an attempt to channel my anxiety into something creative – to let it push me in a different direction or to dive a little deeper than I otherwise would’ve gone. Oxygen is a bit older – I wrote it a couple of years ago after bumping into an old flame. It’s about remembering the feelings but forgetting the details.
Why did you release a limited-edition capsule collection?
I launched my own fashion label about three years ago – it’s still quite a small-scale independent label but I really love designing the pieces. I have a new capsule collection coming soon – it was supposed to come out now to coincide with the release of the EP but I’ve decided to postpone the launch until later in the year. I wear a few of the samples in the Californian Carpark Concrete video, so you can get a sneak peek.
What is your favorite track on the album?
Hard to say… I think maybe My New Tattooed Chameleon, it feels like the underdog.
How do you stay healthy while touring?
My main touring rule is to get up early and do some exercise whenever possible… Sometimes it can be tricky with early mornings, but it’s always worth it when you’re spending a lot of the day in a van/airport/plane…
What are your feelings about streaming music? Digital vs. vinyl?
I love both. I love the accessibility of streaming, the ability to easily find and share music on the go, and the ability to reach a wide audience with my own music. I love vinyl though – I don’t think you can beat the experience of putting a record on and sitting down and actually listening to the whole record, in order, more consciously. Streaming can be a very passive way of consuming music; I like the ritual of listening to vinyl.
Any plans to tour?
I wish…
What song from the past is in your mind right now? And what is the meaning that song means to you?
I’ve had Sinead O’Connor stuck in my head all day – The Emperor’s New Clothes. I grew up listening to Sinead O’Connor, I love her so much. It reminds me of my childhood and of being in awe of this fierce and powerful woman with a shaved head on the CD cover.
At the beginning of the virus, you wrote on your Facebook page on April 2nd, you wrote “The future is here and it feels kinda like the past”. What did you mean by that?
This time is so strange and unprecedented and weird but there’s also this underlying sense of going back to how things used to be – we’re filling our time with things like baking bread and reading and writing letters to each other. I think it’s really interesting how in times of crisis we fall back on these things which are otherwise forgotten in our hectic busy lives. I think I wrote that after having a skype call with someone, which was also something I hadn’t done for about 5 years.
A couple of days before that you wrote on Facebook that it looked like many people would be out of work for a while and we should consider this an opportunity to slow down, plant a veggie garden, cook meals, call friends, listen to music, read books, write, drawn, learn to knit. How many of these things have you done?
Hahaha…mmmmmm I’ve been trying to do all those things! I must admit I haven’t done any knitting, but it’s starting to get cold now so I’ll be picking it up real soon.
How do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
It will be very interesting to see the longer-term effects of the virus on the music industry – I think it will be a long slow road to recovery. But in an industry run by creative people there will surely be plenty of silver linings and interesting new ideas that will spring from the crisis, like the live-streamed gigs – we will figure out ways to evolve and transform in order to keep doing what we do.
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
I’ve been trying to focus on writing and experimenting with new music. I’ve also been doing all the usual quarantine activities like baking, napping, reading… It has been quite nice to slow down and have a bit of a break.
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
I made croissants last weekend, which was quite a labor-intensive operation. I used to make them quite often but obviously haven’t had the time since. Until now. They’re definitely worth the work.
Lots of people are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Are you planning to do something like that?
I have done a few live-streamed gigs, including Isolaid Festival and a live-streamed EP preview show the night before the EP came out. I have another one in the works – follow me on Instagram to stay in the loop!
Do you think it will be possible to make a living doing concerts this way?
I think it’s a really nice way to connect with audiences during this time, and I think it has some really nice silver linings that you can’t get in normal gigs, but I don’t see how it will be able to replace live music, in both the performance sense and also the financial sense. Australian artists can now receive royalties from live-streamed gigs, but this is nowhere near enough to make a living, and most of the shows that are happening this way are not ticketed. I think ticketing the shows is a good option, but I still don’t think it will be possible for artists to make a living this way.
First it was an article in the New York Times, then Rolling Stones talked about it and finally Live Nation CEO said that concerts may not start again until fall of 2021. Do you think this could happen?
I really hope live music comes back sooner, but it’s so hard imagined gigs happening with full social distancing restrictions. I’m trying to stay optimistic, but also not thinking about it too much – I’m trying to stay in the present and be thankful for what I do have and what I can do with this time. Live music will return one day and when it does it will be glorious.
What about Holographic concerts in our living room?
Does that technology exist yet? I want one.
Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
I would hope that in the next five years I can continue making and releasing music, and also actually tour it! I’m aiming to release an album next year and reaaalllllyyy want to get back to live shows. So as long as I can be making loud noises on a dark stage somewhere, I’ll be happy.
Anything you would like to say in closing?
Thanks so much for having me! Hope you’re all staying safe and happy out there xx
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