Henry Wagons (17/01/2013)
The 59th Sound recently had a chat with Henry Wagons, a Melbourne based singer/songwriter who is soon to embark on a tour with Laneway Festival 2013.
Hello, how have you been… How is it going?
Pretty good, I’ve had a relaxing week or two weeks off for the New Year… So I am a happy man. I’m feeling well fed and the dogs are well fed as well – and well walked.
So are you back in Melbourne?
Yeah, back in Melbourne, Hangin’ out.
How did you begin your career being a Melbourne boy?
In music, I just started jamin’ with some high school friends. You know, starting a band… It was very innocent. I was in a few bands in my late teens. I was in a fair few sort of noisy, groany rock bands I guess and I wanted to stretch a few different song writing muscles I guess and sort of cut and pasted an E.P together that I gave to about 20 friends, played an open mic or two. As a result of that I had people asking me to play at their gigs and events and it had this snowball effect. Ten years later after writing a few dark country songs, I never thought I would be still doing it. It was never really my intention to be a career musician but it’s been thrust upon me and I am very thankful.
Do you listen to country music a lot outside playing it?
Yeah I have a huge respect for it, but it’s not all I listen to. Like, I am big fan of all the outlaw country guys. Basically like Willy Nelson, the members of the Highway Men, Johnny Cash, Chris Robertson they are all cool dudes. A lot of Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison. I don’t know if they classify as country but I think I listen to Elvis more than any of those guys. I think I have always um… Listened to rockin’ tunes. I have a bit more of a broad pellet then people might think.
Do you think you will ever branch out again and experiment in other genres?
Yeah I mean I have always I tried to keep my foot into it, with a few other different projects. A few of those bands I spoke about from my youth still have the occasional gig. But yeah, I do a bit of a production work and I like to be involved with other genres as well. Maybe there is a Henry Wagons deep house record around the corner, who knows?
So you are playing at the Laneway Festival this year, what are you looking forward to about it? I was thinking a show in Singapore would be really awesome.
Yeah! Look, we aren’t doing the Singapore and Auckland shows we are only doing the Australian ones. Unfortunately we get to miss out on some bargain shopping in Singapore, but it would have been amazing. There should be some bargains at Brisbane malls as well, so yeah, we are looking forward to that. Laneway is renowned for picking up a whole bunch of new talent that are gonna be the heroes of the future. I am excited to discover some new bands and watch Bat for Lashes play. You know, the Twerps and myself go way back in the Melbourne band… crew. I am looking forward to seeing those guys play AND hopefully a good bunch of catering meals.
Half the line-up this year will do well in the hottest 100.
Yeah! Well they’re good curators. There is no doubt about it. They have their fingers on the pulse of the music scene. A lot of people would be envious of that I am sure.
I understand you had quite a bit of success with your U.S tour last year, can you tell us some highlights about it?
Probably the hot chicken in Nashville or the bacon-maple-donut in Portland Oregon - probably the two highlights. But, you know, playing is always great fun to. I really get off on eating the local delicacies wherever I go; I am very food motivated like… a gorilla or my dog at home. Usually when I look back on my tours it’s usually remembering where I had the best burger.
I was watching some of your live performances on YouTube and they were very energetic with a lot of humour. Do you practice this or is it all improvised?
It flows pretty naturally. It’s a natural evolution from being a… dickhead (laughs). I have trouble shutting up and that is encouraged when I have a microphone in front of me. You know whether it’s my bass player, uncle or thousands of people, if a microphone is switched on I’ll most likely crap on.
How popular do you think country music is in Australia? Do you think this is rising, or simmering and staying the same?
Interesting question… I dunno! Um, I don’t really see myself as being a stalwart of the country scene. I know there is a whole bunch of stuff going on in Tamworth and we are actually going to be playing the Tamworth country festival in about a weeks time. Really we only went there last year and don’t really know what’s going on with country. We usually play with more the rock type of bands. But Kasey Chambers, the Wilcos, Ryan Adams and those bands created an awareness of good country music. Um, I think country music as a whole is still responsible for a whole massive steaming pile of crap you can smell all the way from… Garth Brooks’ mansion. But I think things are getting better and there is a rise in awareness of the good stuff.
The Melbourne show will be at the Footscray art centre which is a pretty nice location, alongside the Maribynong river. Where is the nicest venue you have played at?
Uh…Good question. I think I got a good thrill from playing at the Forum theatre. We had our CD launch for Henry Wagons at the Forum, you know that venue… Have you been there?
Nah I haven’t.
It’s amazing! It has gargoyles hanging over the stage and I would say it is the best venue Melbourne has to offer. Playing the Merediith Amphitheatre was really really fun. We have really good memories of playing a small gig in a mining town in Elkford, Alberta Canada surrounded by massive mountains waiting for the miners shift to end in a tiny pub. I also really enjoyed playing a dance hall/luxury barn in Nashville, Tennessee as part of a T.V show called Music City Roots and the catering was southern fried chicken, banana pudding and the on the rider was moonshine. So that was pretty ridiculous to.
Edward Sharp was in Melbourne recently playing with Mumford and Sons, what was it like to play with him?
Um, we played one gig with Edward Sharpe. Actually that was at the Forum too. They seem to have their own commune. They get along really well with each other and act the same offstage as they do onstage… They have a bright Amish quality. They are happy and bright, always smiling. A good bunch of people from what I could tell. Very open, welcoming and complimentary. I actually considered up giving up my worldly possessions and joining Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros for the whole night.
What is the future for Henry Wagons after Laneway?
Um, the week after I am heading over to the states to play for a month. Mostly in the States, a little bit in Canada. We are launching the new album over there which is coming out on the 22nd of January over there. That will be exciting.
Have you ever considered growing your beard out?
The only part that I feel deserves more attention is the sideburns. I’ll grow the top and leave the bottom more defined. Ocassionaly people grow their beard out and become a kinda goblin or garden gnome. I’m too into a defined jaw to grow my beard out. I was thinking it’s become quite a trend, isn’t it.
Yeah I was thinking you were looking like Dallas Green from City and Color. He has been sporting the glasses and the beard for a while.
It happens, it happens.
Ryan Hyde
Follow me on Twitter - @RyanHyde93
Search tags - Henry Wagons, Laneway Festival
Hello, how have you been… How is it going?
Pretty good, I’ve had a relaxing week or two weeks off for the New Year… So I am a happy man. I’m feeling well fed and the dogs are well fed as well – and well walked.
So are you back in Melbourne?
Yeah, back in Melbourne, Hangin’ out.
How did you begin your career being a Melbourne boy?
In music, I just started jamin’ with some high school friends. You know, starting a band… It was very innocent. I was in a few bands in my late teens. I was in a fair few sort of noisy, groany rock bands I guess and I wanted to stretch a few different song writing muscles I guess and sort of cut and pasted an E.P together that I gave to about 20 friends, played an open mic or two. As a result of that I had people asking me to play at their gigs and events and it had this snowball effect. Ten years later after writing a few dark country songs, I never thought I would be still doing it. It was never really my intention to be a career musician but it’s been thrust upon me and I am very thankful.
Do you listen to country music a lot outside playing it?
Yeah I have a huge respect for it, but it’s not all I listen to. Like, I am big fan of all the outlaw country guys. Basically like Willy Nelson, the members of the Highway Men, Johnny Cash, Chris Robertson they are all cool dudes. A lot of Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison. I don’t know if they classify as country but I think I listen to Elvis more than any of those guys. I think I have always um… Listened to rockin’ tunes. I have a bit more of a broad pellet then people might think.
Do you think you will ever branch out again and experiment in other genres?
Yeah I mean I have always I tried to keep my foot into it, with a few other different projects. A few of those bands I spoke about from my youth still have the occasional gig. But yeah, I do a bit of a production work and I like to be involved with other genres as well. Maybe there is a Henry Wagons deep house record around the corner, who knows?
So you are playing at the Laneway Festival this year, what are you looking forward to about it? I was thinking a show in Singapore would be really awesome.
Yeah! Look, we aren’t doing the Singapore and Auckland shows we are only doing the Australian ones. Unfortunately we get to miss out on some bargain shopping in Singapore, but it would have been amazing. There should be some bargains at Brisbane malls as well, so yeah, we are looking forward to that. Laneway is renowned for picking up a whole bunch of new talent that are gonna be the heroes of the future. I am excited to discover some new bands and watch Bat for Lashes play. You know, the Twerps and myself go way back in the Melbourne band… crew. I am looking forward to seeing those guys play AND hopefully a good bunch of catering meals.
Half the line-up this year will do well in the hottest 100.
Yeah! Well they’re good curators. There is no doubt about it. They have their fingers on the pulse of the music scene. A lot of people would be envious of that I am sure.
I understand you had quite a bit of success with your U.S tour last year, can you tell us some highlights about it?
Probably the hot chicken in Nashville or the bacon-maple-donut in Portland Oregon - probably the two highlights. But, you know, playing is always great fun to. I really get off on eating the local delicacies wherever I go; I am very food motivated like… a gorilla or my dog at home. Usually when I look back on my tours it’s usually remembering where I had the best burger.
I was watching some of your live performances on YouTube and they were very energetic with a lot of humour. Do you practice this or is it all improvised?
It flows pretty naturally. It’s a natural evolution from being a… dickhead (laughs). I have trouble shutting up and that is encouraged when I have a microphone in front of me. You know whether it’s my bass player, uncle or thousands of people, if a microphone is switched on I’ll most likely crap on.
How popular do you think country music is in Australia? Do you think this is rising, or simmering and staying the same?
Interesting question… I dunno! Um, I don’t really see myself as being a stalwart of the country scene. I know there is a whole bunch of stuff going on in Tamworth and we are actually going to be playing the Tamworth country festival in about a weeks time. Really we only went there last year and don’t really know what’s going on with country. We usually play with more the rock type of bands. But Kasey Chambers, the Wilcos, Ryan Adams and those bands created an awareness of good country music. Um, I think country music as a whole is still responsible for a whole massive steaming pile of crap you can smell all the way from… Garth Brooks’ mansion. But I think things are getting better and there is a rise in awareness of the good stuff.
The Melbourne show will be at the Footscray art centre which is a pretty nice location, alongside the Maribynong river. Where is the nicest venue you have played at?
Uh…Good question. I think I got a good thrill from playing at the Forum theatre. We had our CD launch for Henry Wagons at the Forum, you know that venue… Have you been there?
Nah I haven’t.
It’s amazing! It has gargoyles hanging over the stage and I would say it is the best venue Melbourne has to offer. Playing the Merediith Amphitheatre was really really fun. We have really good memories of playing a small gig in a mining town in Elkford, Alberta Canada surrounded by massive mountains waiting for the miners shift to end in a tiny pub. I also really enjoyed playing a dance hall/luxury barn in Nashville, Tennessee as part of a T.V show called Music City Roots and the catering was southern fried chicken, banana pudding and the on the rider was moonshine. So that was pretty ridiculous to.
Edward Sharp was in Melbourne recently playing with Mumford and Sons, what was it like to play with him?
Um, we played one gig with Edward Sharpe. Actually that was at the Forum too. They seem to have their own commune. They get along really well with each other and act the same offstage as they do onstage… They have a bright Amish quality. They are happy and bright, always smiling. A good bunch of people from what I could tell. Very open, welcoming and complimentary. I actually considered up giving up my worldly possessions and joining Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros for the whole night.
What is the future for Henry Wagons after Laneway?
Um, the week after I am heading over to the states to play for a month. Mostly in the States, a little bit in Canada. We are launching the new album over there which is coming out on the 22nd of January over there. That will be exciting.
Have you ever considered growing your beard out?
The only part that I feel deserves more attention is the sideburns. I’ll grow the top and leave the bottom more defined. Ocassionaly people grow their beard out and become a kinda goblin or garden gnome. I’m too into a defined jaw to grow my beard out. I was thinking it’s become quite a trend, isn’t it.
Yeah I was thinking you were looking like Dallas Green from City and Color. He has been sporting the glasses and the beard for a while.
It happens, it happens.
Ryan Hyde
Follow me on Twitter - @RyanHyde93
Search tags - Henry Wagons, Laneway Festival