ChitChat - With Ben Gillies
INTERVIEW BY: BEN LAMB
So, this will be the one and only COVID question. How's the last few years been for you creatively, have you managed to use music as an outlet?
Yeah, look, my wife and I have a few businesses that we that we run, but I think in terms of my mental health, music has definitely filled that gap.
I don't think I was immune to feeling pretty shitty about the whole thing. But you know, there's definitely a part of me that just is really frustrated at being locked up and cooped up. And not being able to not have the freedom just to be able to go to a studio, I could do a lot of recording at home. But, you know, it is nice to go and sit in a studio with someone else and be collaborative, or, sit at a drum kit, and have that freedom. So not being able to do that for two years, because it has been such a prominent part of my life since I was, you know, you know, 12 years old, basically. Yeah, that's been a little bit challenging. But, you know, I consider myself really lucky that that I am able to do it at home and you know, like, I'm sure, like, people have enjoyed working from home during COVID. But you know, I think a lot of people also like getting out of the house and you know, going getting a coffee at your local coffee shop or whatever. So, you know, it's all right.
This EP is the first bit of work we’ve gotten from you in a few years, how else have you been creative recently?
I'd say music has been my main source of my creative outlet. I think I've done a lot of soul searching musically for a long time to get to the place where I feel really comfortable to release music has Ben Gillies. So, I think for a fair few years even after my bento project, you know, I just didn't feel quite ready I didn't feel quite fully cooked enough to be able to go out just as myself so there was a little bit more of that kind of exploration going on.
So I guess it's all in the last few years that I've just, you know, maybe it's age or you know, I guess I think you just get to a certain point where you just go stuff it, what are we on this planet for? except for to you know, to have meaningful relationships and do something that you love with your time, that's all it comes down to, for me anyway.
So I just got to the point where I was really comfortable with where I was creatively and it just felt time that I started to kind of release stuff again and as myself, you know.
How has your approach changed over the years? You’ve been releasing music in different eras, with different sounds, has much changed for you?
I think most musicians and creatives are evolving and adapting and changing over time because you know, you pick up new tricks watching YouTube or working with other producers, so you get new little ideas that you just incorporate into your tool belt.
So, for me it's probably more exploring recording. I've always recorded on my computer with Pro Tools, but I guess putting more time into that and learn. ProTools, I believe is an instrument so learning that instrument a lot more becoming more comfortable and confident with it. That's been I think part of my journey over the last few years and that kind of definitely expands your horizon and just makes a lot more things possible and you don't have to rely on producers and other people or other external influences.
But actually, you know, don't get me wrong I think the value of having a producer work on a track is you know, it's just really valuable having that outside perspective come in because it can get too close to your music and you just lose a bit of that perspective.
This EP has a few different sounds that we really haven’t heard in your music before, what influenced these different sounds?
Yeah, I kind of feel like I've stepped back in time a little bit personally, there's definitely an 80s feel to it, I think. With Silverchair, we didn't really explore them that much, it was a lot of acoustic instruments, that stuff's great, I love it, you know, getting a kick, kick bass drum sound are really cool guitar sound, that sounds really fun.
But just having the freedom of, you know, working on a computer, and having a MIDI keyboard and just having 1000s of sounds that you can pull up at your fingertips, I sit there scrolling through different sounds for hours, just, you know, you could call I could do something with this and are cool, I could do something with that, and just try different chords.
I feel like that process influenced the sound a lot. And also, you know, sometimes, you know, when you do an idea, so if you'd lay down a basic chord progression, or a call chord progression that you really dig, then you can hear a drumbeat in your head, you just kind of dial up a a drum set, I mean, just kind of like layer based, you know, something basic down. And, you know, more often than not that basic drum sound, or that basic beat kind of just becomes what you use, you know, you might you build on it and, and make it grow. But, you know, the core of it, I think still remains.
So, for you releasing an EP, do you feel like in 2021, EP’s are the best kind of thing to do, people are less inclined to listen to a full album?
Yeah, I think you hit the nail on the head, I think there's been a definite conscious, decision to do smaller, shorter kind of punchy releases, because the music industry is just, you know, it is about short, sharp kind of spikes.
I think the same even before social media, you know, you kind of you release a record, you get a big head of excitement, you put it out there, it goes bang, that first kind of period, and then over time, it just tapers off. But I think more so now. It feels like those spikes are just more frequent, like you know, just bang, bang, bang, bang every you know, every day in every kind of release.
So, for me, and I guess I've been releasing this music independently as well. It's a lot of work and blood, sweat and tears to just get one little moment. My philosophy is just break it up and you can be you can remain in people's minds longer because you just get those little sparks along the way. So, I guess it's in a way it's kind of adapting to what the music industry has become, you know. I guess within that environment or within that ecosystem you have to you do have to adapt otherwise you just you know, sink or swim I think
Now the EP’s out, are you imagining the songs on the live stage and preparing for those elements?
My plan at the moment is to release some more music and I've got some ideas and some plans and so my gut feeling would be that I do a tour or something, a live element probably in 2022 and that will obviously be dependent on Coronavirus but yeah that's the plan I want to get some more music out there before I before I do a show because you know you want people to come to a show and know the music.
I'm a punter, I like going to shows as well as a punter, you know, I don't need to go backstage or do any of that stuff I quite enjoy walking in the front with a ticket and feeling like I'm experiencing the show itself. When you're on the other side of it, I think it's important to consider what it would be like to be a fan.
Even in Silverchair when we've played songs that are brand new, you can see people they’re just kind of sitting there listening, kind of trying to take it in, but they just don't have that instant recognition. So, I think that helps in the live setting when they've had a chance to digest the music before you play it.
