Tsunami / Superchunk / Rodan / Unrest - Interview

  by Lisa Torem

published: 4 / 7 / 2012

intro

London-based musician Oliver McKiernan, who is the bassist with James McCartney's backing group, and a composer in his own right, talks with Lisa Torem about the band's first North American tour

I first saw Oliver McKiernan when he performed in Chicago with James McCartney at The Bottom Lounge. He is a young, energetic instrumentalist with an infectious stage presence. Oliver has also played alongside Pete Molinari and Tony Christie, participated in numerous radio and live performances at such notable places as London’s Royal Festival Hall, recorded on projects initiated by producer Youth and appeared on Ireland’s ‘The Late Late Show’, America’s ‘The Late Show with David Letterman’ and also the BBC. In addition, Oliver teaches bass privately and continues to work on his own original and contemporary compositions. With his North American tour with James McCartney at an end and back in London, he agreed to kindly share his insights about playing in the band and his up and coming projects with Pennyblackmusic. PB: How did you meet James and how long had you played together before the tour? OM: I heard about auditions to join the band through a drummer, Tobias Humble, who I play with a lot. We went down there and got through the first few rounds of auditions individually on our own merit and then, for the last couple of rounds, we performed together. We have such a good musical chemistry that it was enough to seal the deal for both of us. We've been playing with James for about eighteen months now. PB: Oliver, now that the North American tour with James McCartney is over, what were your impressions of the American club scene and the pop culture that exists here? OM: There's a great enthusiasm for music in the States. It is interesting to see the different pockets of styles that exist all over the country. It's such a big place that from one city to the next the music scene can be totally different. In the UK the distances are so small that even if you travel the entire length of the country the type of bands you get in the clubs tend to be very similar. I like America's cultural diversity a lot. PB: How would you describe the overall feel of the tour? This was your first trip to the US. Were the cities what you expected? Would you do anything differently if you could reproduce this time again? OM: We actually came to the US in January when we did Letterman, and played a couple of other shows so I got a taste of what it would be like this time back then. On this tour, though, we have visited a much greater diversity of American cities. Normally we just get to see a hotel or a venue, but there have been some days off recently and I've got to see different bits of each town. The feel of the tour is very positive. We all get along really well and the jokes and banter rarely stop. That's really important when you're around each other so much. If we could reproduce our time here again I'd really like to visit some of the more remote parts of the country: The South, for example. It could be challenging to go there but I'd like to have the opportunity. PB: As far as the bass arrangements in the set, were they set in place for you or did you improvise? OM: At the moment all the bass lines I play are inherited from the record. James and his dad played bass on that so I try and reproduce them as faithfully as I can. We jam and improvise a lot in rehearsals and I really enjoy that. There's talk of a new record at some point and it would mean a lot if some bass parts I'd come up with made it on there. It's about the music though and if there are other better options then those have to take priority. PB: What did you and the band do on your days off? OM: We all do different things. We try and get away from one another... It's not always possible to get space so when the opportunity is there it's good to take it. I run and swim a lot so I tend to try and seek out a pool or a beach or something. It's a great way to see the city, too, as that often involves travelling around to find a good spot. Others in band do different stuff; going to see live music, hanging out in bars, surfing, watching sports, whatever passes the time. PB: How would you describe the James McCartney sound? OM: He's got his own thing for sure but it doesn't really reside in a particular type of style. Each song is different and unique. There are a lot of influences there from Nirvana and the Cure to PJ Harvey and others. There’s rawness and beauty and quirks and pop all mixed up together. I think he's done amazingly well to carve out such a signature sound. PB: Are there any songs in the set that challenged you as an instrumentalist or that run through your mind again and again? OM: Yeah. It's all quite challenging to play. I've done my fair share of playing in covers bands, which is a great way to gain perspective about composition and arrangement, and I can safely say that James' music lies at the more technical end of the contemporary music scale although, crucially, it doesn't sound like it. 'Moonstar' is technically demanding for me, just pumping and fast from the start to the end and there are a lot of notes in there. If it's near the front of the set I have to warm up to get that right, but if it's more than three or four songs in, then playing the preceding tunes will warm me up and get me ready for it. A lot of the songs have unusual arrangements; 'Cherry Blossom Hailstorm' is almost one long sequence of notes that doesn't repeat through the whole tune. A lot of the songs are quite the memory exercise. Each song presents it's own challenges, but it’s all very rewarding to perform though. PB: What bands are you listening to these days? OM: I'm having a bit of a singer -songwriter phase at the moment. I'm enjoying Ron Sexsmith, who is an amazing songwriter and his melodies are something else. I had Jimmy Cliff on a lot during the tour. I love the blend of reggae, soul and old school rock he has. These are very simple arrangements but the parts are just perfect. His voice is amazing too. I listen to a lot of spoken word stuff as well. I try and get my influences from things other than just music. Visual art, books, travel... these things can all affect the way one plays too. PB: When you played on ‘The Late Show with David Letterman’ were you nervous? How did you prepare for the performance? OM: Yeah I think we were all a little nervous. If you don't approach something like that with some kind of apprehension, then there's always the danger of complacency and mistakes. For me, complacency is the enemy. The only way to be ready for something like Letterman is to prepare, and then prepare again. We rehearse a lot as a band and that will set us apart from others who prepare less. If you want the voices of questioning and doubt in your head (the ones that say "Don't make a mistake, don't make a mistake...") then you can quiet down that mental static by being safe in the knowledge that you could not be more prepared. It's simple but time consuming, and not mysterious. PB: You also write original music. ‘Rule of Two’ is particularly unique. Can you tell us how you came up with that one and what your plans are for future recordings? OM: I've played for so many songwriters over the years that I thought it would be useful to get an understanding of the creative process for myself. I wrote my first tune ten years ago and I haven't stopped ever since. I'm immersed in music, not a scene…not rock and roll. I'm into the art form of music and expression. ‘Rule of Two’ is a song about the liars of London. I started with chorus, melody and built the rest of the song from there. I wrote it on the guitar and recorded it at home. I laid down maybe a dozen versions before I settled on the final one. I actually got some BBC airplay for that one, and I was very pleased. I have an album on the way. Keep an eye on my website for a release date: www.olivermckiernan.com PB: You teach bass privately. What is the best part about playing this instrument and sharing information with your students? OM: I think the fact it's almost considered a specialist instrument is great. It's like an exclusive club... but it's inclusive, and everyone's invited! It's not about being a hero; you will get the least attention and most of the time nobody really knows what you are adding to the music. It's a very powerful ingredient when in the right hands though. When I see a student who sees that and is comfortable letting the other guys in the band have the glory, then I know I've got a good one and their natural enthusiasm for music and the bass will take care of almost everything. I just have to point and guide... a lot of times when I give a lesson we just talk about the instrument, the players, the bass lines and the music. I love it when I see a penny drop in someone and by the next week they've actually got better. That's very pleasing. PB: What are your future plans for touring and writing? Will they include more trips to America or will you stay local? OM: The next thing for me is a residency with another artist I play for Pete Molinari, that's at the Blues Kitchen in London. Playing with Pete is totally different again. He really encourages musicians to do what they want and express their personality through his music. Each live show is different from the last. That's going to be real fun. After that we have some festivals with James and I'm continuing to write music for myself and I'm also working on a remix for a band called Ghosts right now. We'll be back to America at some point, but I think James wants to make another record first. We'll just have to see! PB: Thank you.