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Interview for Brazilian e-zine MOFO
1. Being friends with Scott Miller for many years, why—if I'm not wrong—he produced some of your stuff, maybe only one track—you never made it happen as proper project/band? Anton Barbeau: Well, you'll be happy to hear that we're well into our first proper record together. Scott has written some lovely songs for the album, and we've co-written one. I've brought in a couple fluffy pop numbers and we're throwing in a pair of cover songs as well. We're hoping for an Autumn '05 release on 125 Records. 2. You've met Bevis Frond when they were on tour in America. Were you familiar with his stuff prior to that? AB: No, I wasn't familiar at all with their stuff, but I've been a fan since the opening riff of "Hole Song #2" and imagine I'll be a fan for the rest of my life. 3. In the early 90's you were very involved in the pop scene/ new pop explosion (International Pop Overthrow, Poptopia), but it seems you distanced yourself from that niche, why? AB: Well, for as much as I love pop songs in general, the idea of loads of 42-year-old men with bad Beatle haircuts and pointy boots pretending that 1964 never ended doesn't thrill me like it used to. Mind you, the fact that this scene supports acts like The Negro Problem and the Dipsomanics from Norway is impressive and perhaps I should shut my mouth and stop biting the hand that feeds the monkey! 4. Do you fancy yourself as a pop songwriter or do you consider it too limited? AB: I sort of split myself in half... part of me is always hoping for the next moment of pure pop yummery. Nothing like a tight, 3-minute (hopefully) catchy tune to get the folks and the kids singing in cars and in showers etc. But my new-found obsession with Krautrock, for example, leads me down other trails as well. I like making banging and clanging songs, I like quiet and I like cutting and pasting all the wrong things together and calling it music. 5. What's your opinion when people describe your music as quirk? AB: One reviewer called my music "swarming, fervent and tangential" or something like that, but I think he really would have rather simply said "quirky!" I mean, my music IS quirky, and I'm happy to amuse and confuse in all my wacky ways, but honestly, if one of my songs can make someone cry, then I really feel like I'm doing my job. I want music that does EVERYTHING it can. I like playing with kittens, but I also like looking at fish in the river, if that makes any sense. God... I sound like Tori Amos now! Do you like stuff like Beefheart, Stump, Fall? I love Captain Beefheart, I've never heard of Stump and I've only been listening to the Fall for a little while, mostly friends in England playing me tracks and various albums. I really love all I've heard but for financial reasons, I'm afraid to dive in too far. 6. What do you think about the post-punk being fashionable again? AB: I'm probably the wrong guy to ask, as I don't pay much attention to who's doing what. Are ELO post-punk? Isn't Franz Ferdinand a pop band? 7. Do you intend to make the UK your second home? AB: A dangerous question! I've been living in Oxford for nearly two months and I really DO feel at home. It's certainly expensive compared to my life in Sacramento living for free with my Dad, but musically I'm pretty happy here, and as a curry fiend, it's hard to go wrong in Merrie Olde Englandia. I'm supposed to come back pretty soon for more touring and perhaps I'll be able to stay a bit longer. I sell more cds at shows over here, and have gotten some well-paying gigs, but it's all offset by the cost of shipping cds from the states and shipping myself as well! 8. Do you think it is easier to make it in Europe instead of America? AB: Well, as someone who hasn't exactly "made it" yet, I don't know if I can say, but I do certainly feel that my music is connecting more quickly over here than back home. I've not branched out into Europe for gigs, but there's been a bit of encouraging radio play here and there, so we'll see. 9. Have you ever tried to license your stuff to Spanish labels? There's a great pop scene goin' on in Spain. AB: And I'm only just finding out about it. Actually, perhaps you could send me the names of a few of these labels, if you wouldn't mind. 10. How much of your lyrics relate to your own life? Songs like "I don't like you" makes me wonder if it was a real event happening to you. AB: I do draw from my personal life in some songs. Sometimes songwriting is cathartic or theraputic in that way, working through a difficult situation or expressing annoyance or joy or such. There's also an element of subconcious bubblery, where I don't really know what I'm writing about. I'll just let the faucet drip and collect all the water. And finally, there will be many moments of fiction, with me creating characters and situations etc. "I Don't Like You" is either a combination of bits and bobs, summing up experiences with a few of the weirder ant-fans, or maybe it really is about a guy called Terry. Hard to know, hard to remember. 11. You recorded the song "Octagon" at least three times, if I'm not wrong. Do you think the "King Of Missouri" version is the definitive one? Do you think that particular song deserved several different readings? AB: Well, this sorta points back to your question about my fitting into the pop scene. The original version was almost some sort of anti-pop dub mix, with one of the strangest arrangements we could come up with. I'm quite pleased with that one, honestly. It's relentlessly odd. But it wasn't meant to be such a freak-show... it's just a simple tune at heart and I was happy to have the chance to re-do it and present it in a cleaner way. The Frond version is pretty much perfect, but honestly I like both recordings. I doubt there will be any further re-makes! 12. Do you feel part of a particular music scene now? How can you
describe AB: If anything, I'm drifting between any worlds that will have me. Psychedelic, power pop, Krautrock, anti-folk, smart-pop... Labels, labels everywhere and not a drop to drink. A sort of revelation has been coming to England to discover that even over here, I seem to be the only one doing my thing. I thought maybe there'd be a few of me in every town, but no. All me and my own mess to make. This is a good thing, i think. As for a description, that's always hard. If I'm doing a solo acoustic gig, that will be millions of miles away from what I might do in a recording studio. The solo show will be a combo of bad stand-up comedy and sing-along pop tunes with a few sad numbers throuwn in. If I'm with a band, then it's different again. I'm not trying to be difficult in not describing what I do, I'm just a bit overwhelmed when I have to think about it. I'll just leave it to others, I suppose. 13. What do you know about Brazilian music besides bossa nova? AB: Not much, but I love Milton Nascimento and I've just picked up a "best of" Os Mutantes, which is fantastic. 14. Can you tell me your five favorite records and five favorite artists? AB: Today I might say... records: artists: 15. An opinion about the rock scene nowadays. AB: Like I've said, I'm not too aware. I'm more and more keen to dig backwards. I hear loads of good songs and bands back home on KDVS, for example, but couldn't remember a thing to tell you. And in England I'm exposed to stuff that is exciting, but I'm still more likely to go down to the shop and pick up another Amon Duul disk rather than the new Bonnie Prince Billy, no matter how much I like him. 16. A message to your fans. AB: I'm thrilled that there are people out there (and in here) that like what I do. Please continue to buy EVERY album I make and come to EVERY gig... PLEASE! I appreciate and admire your patience with my work! I know I can be challenging/frustrating sometimes, but I'm trying to move something forward, whether I know what this something is or not, and it's the feedback I get from the folks like yerselves that lets me know I'm getting somewhere. Again, thanks much. Love, |
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