on song writing
Its about retelling myths and gifting away acquired knowledge. Like the New Zealand poet Sam Hunt, he doesn't know where it comes from. It's the gods, it's the gods, he says. People talk about the information superhighway but I think there's a spiritual highway as well where all these stories and visions fly through - and if you are up with the play you send them out right away!
I have lyrics written on beer coasters, serviettes and have stuff scattered everywhere. I'm not very good like that ... but you've also got to live with lyrics for a while. You churn something around in your head and heart and live with it right up until the point you record it making sure it'll stick to you. Because if it doesn't stick to you, it's not going to stick to anybody else.
on the sense of place
There's a sense of community in New Zealand and I've never really had that, certainly not in Sydney although that was a self-imposed exile. The more I walk around this town the more I find people who feel the same way. It's great knowing I've got this ... planting the stick as they say.
on what makes New Zealand special
Cloudlight ... the light is always changing here because of the clouds. You lie on your back and the clouds just rush by and you get a sense the earth is really moving. That's something to relish. New Zealanders have a faraway look in their eyes, like the thousand yard stare. It is because of cloudlight. Every corner you turn, everywhere is different. And New Zealanders have got this look about them ... and have come to terms with the isolation thing and are actually revelling in it. New Zealanders have become happier about being inward looking because enough people have come over here and said we have something special. So that's part of it, just celebrating that and making a shrine out of it. It's exciting coming back and having new eyes to see that and how limitless it is on the new album.
I've got a bunch of ideas for it at the moment. I'm currently stringing them all together, with the view of recording it in March '96.
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