TLOBF Interview // Villagers

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Hot on the heels of his Mercury Music Prize nomination, Jude Clarke got a chance to fire some questions at Conor O’Brien aka Villagers, about said nomination, lyrical inspiration and festivals.

How did you get to the point in your career that you are now at? Have you had lots of non-music jobs, or have you always worked in music?

I just looked at your website for the first time and I ‘d like to thank you for sharing that new Jens Lekman song with me. So awesome. Now I’m online reading about the song –he’s written an explanation which contains the sentence “Some things you just go through. You don’t write about it, you don’t turn it into art because it can’t be turned into art. I didn’t write any songs that year because you can’t pour manure into an espresso machine and expect a cappucino to come out.” Cool. I really like Jens Lekman. He played in Dublin last night and I missed the show because I’ve been touring so much that I couldn’t even get it together to leave my room.

I’ve worked as a waiter in a ferry terminal and also in a bank. I also painted people’s houses for money.

How much of a “band” is Villagers? Is it just more or less the name under which you perform and record, or do you see all the musicians as bona fide band members?

All of my friends who play or have played my songs with me are part of the “band” or “project” or whatever you want to call it. I’ve been doing a lot of solo shows recently but in a few days I’ll be meeting up with the guys again and we’ll be traveling around Europe together. That’s when it starts to feel like a band. I always want it to feel loose. Our aim is to stay faithful to the songs.

The lyrics on your album are amazing. Was it a deliberate intention of making the music and vocal contrast with the darkness of some of the themes? Who would you say influences or inspires you lyrically? Other songwriters, or authors? Do you like Edgar Allan Poe, for example?

Thankyou. I had no intentions for any of the songs, deliberate or otherwise. I think the songs had intentions for me though- I kind of felt like the most passive part of the whole process. In terms of other writers, I was mainly inspired by Herman Hesse and partly because of the fact that a lot of his writing deals with growth and mortality in such a way that connects with my inner core on a profound level. I’m currently reading Dylan Thomas and I feel like some of his word play is creeping into my new songs. I’m yet to read more than a few lines of Mr. Poe, but it’s on my list.

And how about musical influences? Who did you listen to and admire growing up, and how do you think that influenced the music that you make now?

Growing up, I heard a lot of my older brother’s and sisters’ record collections. I can remember a lot of Pink Floyd, The Kinks, The Beatles… we also had a school janitor who introduced me and my friends to bands like the Velvet Underground and Love at an early age. In terms of more contemporary bands, I remember listening to a lot of Faith No More, Radiohead, Pavement, among others.. I think it all influenced my writing. Everything I‘ve ever heard has influenced me- even stuff that I don’t like. I feel like I’m still learning.

How do you feel about live performance. Lyrics like “the crowds are all laughing at my every mistake” and “I’m spitting words, but there’s no meaning” suggest a kind of ambivalence about it. Do you get stage-fright?

The thing about performing is that it’s very connected to your particular mood, and moods can change. The lyrics you’ve quoted aren’t necessarily in reference to the act of performing on a stage; I just wrote them one day for no particular reason. I tend to do that quite a lot, which is why I have a bunch of songs written. I guess it’s a give and take thing.

How do you compose – words first, or music?

It’s always different- nothing ever works twice, which is why I make sure not to feel comfortable with any particular way of working.

Do you play any instruments yourself?

Yeah I play a few instruments. I play all the instruments on the Villagers album. A guy called “Longevity John” gave me a nose whistle the other day. A nose whistle. I think it might make its way into some recordings in the future.

What other bands/artists are you enjoying at the moment? Do you feel part of any “scene” or group of artists? If you could recommend just one act that The Line of Best Fit’s readers might not be aware of, who would it be?

I’m currently digging Django Reinhardt. I feel like I’m in his scene right now. Or maybe he’s in mine. I recommend Django Reinhardt, if you’re not aware of him.

What would be your dream line-up, if you were asked to curate a festival?

If I was curating a festival, my dream line-up would be Bob Dylan, Janelle Monae, David Axelrod with orchestra, Elvis Costello playing ‘Blood & Chocolate’ from start to finish, Nina Simone (can my festival have dead people? Yes. It can.), Otis Redding, Philip Glass duetting with the Puppini Sisters (I don’t know why, I’m just making shit up now- this is the fourth e-mail interview I’ve done today), The Quebe Sisters, The Unthanks, Randy Newman, Robert Wyatt and Roy Orbison (the three ‘R’s) and the Shangri Las.

Finally, now that the (wonderful) album is finished, what are your immediate plans: how long are you touring for, are you playing any festivals this summer, do you have any new material to record yet?

I have no idea how long I’ll be touring for – probably until the middle of next year. We’re playing a bunch of festivals this summer which we’re super-excited about: I could list them all but that would be tedious- you should check out our website. I’m writing all the time on the road, but I haven’t got a chance to flesh out any songs properly- I’m leaving that for whenever I get some free time.

Massive congratulations on your Mercury nomination. What does it mean to you? Did you have any prior warning that you had made the list? What do you think your chances of winning are, and which other nominees do you rate?

It’s exciting isn’t it? I feel honoured and out of place. But that’s okay. My manager told me a few days before the announcement. I think I have as much of a chance as any of the others to win it. I quite like the ‘Beasts and the xx.