The Secret, the new EP from the dark, experimental, nigh-on unclassifiable Minute 36, is making tis debut at PICA Bar this Saturday, October 12. Entry is free from 8pm, and support comes from Simone & Girlfunkle, Polly Medlen Band and Mossy Fogg. We caught up with Minute mastermind Kris Nelson for a brief but illuminating chat.
What’s the Minute 36 story?
I started the project back in late 2007 after I stayed in a haunted hospital doing some demo recording down here in Albany. I had pretty bad insomnia back then and I used the time I couldn’t sleep writing and recording demos and teaching myself double bass, violin and cello. I recorded the Era Quondam EP and launched that with a few solo tours in 2008. I finally got a three piece together and the rest of 2008 and 2009 were spent touring anywhere that would have us.
We then recorded the An Argument Between The Taste And The Feeling album and launched that in 2010 and were lucky enough to pick up a WAM SOTY award which opened up our touring opportunities a lot. So I’ve spent these last two years tracking and writing the new songs whenever I can, but mainly just touring as much as possible and working on my first solo EP as well as gigging with an experimental jazz project.
How would you describe your sound?
I’m really not sure what genre to give it, but other people have labelled it some pretty funny titles over the years, so I’ll give you a few of them: jazz goth rock, dark cab rock, sleazy Indie, drunk jazz punk… but the all time best was emo jazz crunk bop. I have no idea wtf that even is.
My key influences are: Gatsby’s American Dream, Conor Oberst, Bob Dylan, Why?, Brand New and horror film scores.
Who did you record with?
I started recording the title track for this EP back in 2011 with Rob Agostini at Soundbaker but had to put it on hold due to touring to the Canadian Music Festival and New York and also attending the JB Seed Program that year. The other four tracks I recorded with Alan Smith at Bergerk early this year. The sessions went well. They were very split up as I would go in for a day every time I would be coming through Perth during tours. It seemed to work well that way as I was warmed up from a bunch of shows and everything felt really natural as Id been playing the new songs live for a while by then.
What’s your favourite track on the EP?
My favourite is between Three States and Ballast, both for pretty different reasons. I’ve always had a sharp focus on the lyrics I write and it’s what sometimes delays the completion of my songs for months, so those are the ones I’m most proud of lyrically.
