[Powderworks] Hirst & Greene Interview
Jane R
bunge91 at hotmail.com
Sat Aug 28 23:38:38 MDT 2004
Nice to know everyone is alive out there.
I found this very interesting interview on the Time Out Website, read on.
Cheers,
Jane
Hirst & Greene
Freedom Reigns
Together with ex-Olympian singer/songwriter Paul Greene, former Midnight Oil
powerhouse drummer Rob Hirst has picked up the acoustic to carve a new music
persona as the aptly named Hirst & Greene.
The duo have just released their first single, Best Impression, which will
soon see Hirst return to his great love of touring.
Were doing this little run of [shows] in the first 12 days of September,
which brings us to Brisbane and surrounds first, Rob Hirst explains. Its
kind of the first tour Paul and I have done, except for the Ani DiFranco
support we did earlier in the year, which was great it was quite amazing.
That was about as much fun as you can have as a support act, I think. We
were playing in front of full halls with great sound systems. We ended up
being good friends with Ani and co. and have kept it contact.
Unfortunately for Hirst & Greene, another prominent support slot that would
have guaranteed wider audience exposure fell through at the 11th hour.
We were all set to go on the Counting Crows tour. We were literally driving
from Adelaide airport to the first gig in Adelaide and they cancelled [due
to the death of Adam Duritzs grandmother]. That kind of put us in limbo for
a while, so we went back and finished the album instead of that tour. Well
do other supports or tours before Christmas and [release the album] directly
after the Christmas holidays.
Hirst says the duos forthcoming album, In The Stealth Of Summer, benefited
from a simple recording process that highlights their vocal synergy.
We started off in a number of studios, just Paul and I facing each other
singing, so we could get the songs down. Its kind of a nice melodic album
its kind of melody-drenched, the whole thing. Paul and I virtually sing
together the whole time. We just happened to stumble across this vocal
chemistry, which is kind of hard to come by. We were very lucky to find
that, I think.
Alongside Hirst & Greene, Rob plans to continue his work with long-running
projects The Ghostwriters and The Backsliders. And as Midnight Oils
erstwhile frontman Peter Garrett prepares for public office a decision
Hirst says was always expected Rob and Oils founding members Jim Moginie
and Martin Rotsey are cooking up something fresh in the kitchen. The project
is still nameless, but will eventually evolve into a recorded release.
For the moment, Hirst says hes just enjoying his freedom.
After being in such an all-consuming act for so many years, I like the
[freedom] to rehearse Hirst & Greene on Monday and The Backsliders on
Tuesday or say, on a Wednesday, Jim, Martin and I from the Oils will get
together and do something. Its great. And to do it for the pure love of
music without the pressures of the past is fantastic.
Hirst & Greene play The Troubadour Wednesday Sep 1; The Rails, Byron Bay
Thursday Sep 2; Troccadero Friday Sep 3 and the Sands Tavern Saturday Sep 4.
Best Impression is out on ABC Roots Music/Universal.
MATT CONNORS
_________________________________________________________________
SEEK: Now with over 50,000 dream jobs! Click here:
http://ninemsn.seek.com.au?hotmail