Phil Jamieson (05/12/2014)
With Grinspoon announcing their hiatus at the end of last year after eighteen years together frontman Phil Jamieson is about to embark on a solo tour with Unwritten Law frontman Scott Russo for the second time this year. This time, however, they are taking it around the whole country.
“Scott toured here in May with his band Unwritten Law and obviously Grinspoon are on hiatus so I was sitting around at home, not doing anything and the wife told me I had to get a job [laughs]. I'll tour manage Unwritten Law was my bright idea. Scott's manager didn't think that was a good idea though, for reasons unknown to me. So that got shit-canned and we decided to just do a couple of shows in Sydney and Melbourne acoustically and they were both overwhelming well received. There was a bit of a dust storm after Hits and Pits, the festival, it was a bit of a disaster because bands didn't get paid so I said to Scott that he should come back out and we could do a 'Happy Santa,Winter Wonderland, Reindeer' tour. He wanted to do more shows this time so we're going everywhere. It's going to be really fun but a little bit daunting.”
Phil and Scott's friendships started back in the late nineties. “We were touring with Warped [festival] in New Zealand. He's a really good songwriter which I'm always jealous of and he has some great moves on stage which I'm always stealing. We kind of had a mutual admiration slash jealously slash common competitiveness from our very first meeting actually. That kind of forced it into me writing a bunch of songs for his record Elva, which I think was the third Unwritten Law record or perhaps the second. In return he co-wrote Better Off Alone with me and some other songs off that record [Thrills, Kills and Sunday Pills]. Our friendship comes out a lot when we're on stage. We talk about each other songs and hang shit on each other. It's pretty fun.”
Phil has done various solo shows over the years. When asked whether a solo album is on the way he had this to say, “Yes. Well... I dunno about an album. Does anyone release albums anymore? [laughs] I might just release a mini-album or an EP. I've recorded most of it but now I'm trying to convince people it's a good idea [laughs]. It doesn't sound very much like Grinspoon at all, which I'm cool with. I've got plans to release something before the end of the year I'm just waiting on my manager to be the wheels for it.”
Phil also spoke about why Grinspoon decided to go on hiatus. “Grinspoon just needed to put their feet up. All of us did. It had been eighteen years and seven albums and a lot of touring. A thousand shows or something. Maybe even have a little bit of reflection? Isn't that cute? Sounds like yoga. After the last show I didn't know what I was gonna do and that's still the truth.”
Phil also spoke about what the rest of the band were up to. “Pat [Davern, guitarist] has a new born child and is opening a music and record store in Bangalow. He's also working on a project that should be announced any day now. It's not a solo project as such but it is a musical project. Joe [Hansen, bassist] has been doing horticulture and he's really good as it. He's been playing in a band called High Horse and he's also been doing some DJ work. I've never heard him DJ though so I dunno if he's any good. And Kris [Hopes, drummer] is living in Brisbane with his two boys and his wife. He's taking photos of houses that go on real estate websites if that makes sense. We're all still on speaking terms [laughs].”
Back in 2009 Phil teamed up with Chris Cheney of The Living End, You Am I's Tim Rogers and singer-songwriter Josh Pyke to perform The Beatles White album. Earlier this year they did it again. “The Beatles have always been present in my life. They were the first songs I learnt how to play and they were the first music I ever heard. It was a huge buzz for me to be able to play those songs. It was an honour to be involved. Tim, Chris and I have been friends for years so I don't know if it would have worked with other people. I was really excited to be singing along side them.”
To end with Phil spoke about the Rock n Ride tour which took part along side Big Day Out last year. “I was doing the Big Day Out with Grinspoon in 2013 and I had to get from Brisbane to Adelaide and I was bored of flying so Julie, my wife, and I decided to ride our motorcycles. Adam Zammit at the time was the CEO for Big Day Out and he rode with us with a few others and we tried to make it make sense for those suffering from mental health. Headspace is the charity. We ended up riding three and a half thousand kilometres from Gold Coast to Adelaide. We stopped at about half a dozen Headspace centres basically making as much noise as we could about how mental health is just as important as physical health. Headspace are rolling out centres all across the country and they're great to help combat any issues that those aged between twelve and twenty five might have. There's a registered GP at all locations so you can look after your physical health as well. It was basically just an awareness campaign and as the awareness grows stronger we're trying to incorporate music into these centres in the hope it may help people moving forward.”
Matt Barton
PHIL JAMIESON / SCOTT RUSSO
Friday 12 December 2014 - Sol Bar, Sunshine Coast, QLD
Tickets from http://philjamieson.oztix.com.au and all Oztix Outlets, PH 1300 762 545 and
http://philjamieson.nwaevents.net
Saturday 13 December - Brightside, Brisbane QLD
Tickets from http://philjamieson.oztix.com.au and all Oztix Outlets, PH 1300 762 545 and
http://philjamieson.nwaevents.net
Wednesday, 17 December 2014 - The Gov, Adelaide, SA
Tickets from http://philjamieson.oztix.com.au and all Oztix Outlets, PH 1300 762 545 and
http://philjamieson.nwaevents.net
Thursday, 18 December 2014 - Republic Bar, Hobart, TAS
Tickets from http://philjamieson.oztix.com.au and all Oztix Outlets, PH 1300 762 545 and
http://philjamieson.nwaevents.net
Friday, 19 December 2014 - The Corner, Melbourne, VIC
Tickets from http://cornerhotel.com/ and Corner Box Office, PH 1300 724 867 and
http://philjamieson.oztix.com.au
Saturday, 20 December 2014 - Oxford Art Factory, Sydney, NSW
Tickets from http://moshtix.com.au and all Moshtix Outlets, PH 1300 438 849 and
http://philjamieson.nwaevents.net
Sunday, 21 December 2014 - Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle, NSW
Tickets from http://philjamieson.oztix.com.au and all Oztix Outlets, PH 1300 762 545 and
http://philjamieson.nwaevents.net
Monday, 22 December 2014 - Leagues Club, Entrance, NSW
Tickets from http://philjamieson.oztix.com.au and all Oztix Outlets, PH 1300 762 545 and
http://philjamieson.nwaevents.net
Tuesday, 23 December 2014 - Waves, Wollongong, NSW
Tickets from http://philjamieson.oztix.com.au and all Oztix Outlets, PH 1300 762 545 and
http://philjamieson.nwaevents.net
“Scott toured here in May with his band Unwritten Law and obviously Grinspoon are on hiatus so I was sitting around at home, not doing anything and the wife told me I had to get a job [laughs]. I'll tour manage Unwritten Law was my bright idea. Scott's manager didn't think that was a good idea though, for reasons unknown to me. So that got shit-canned and we decided to just do a couple of shows in Sydney and Melbourne acoustically and they were both overwhelming well received. There was a bit of a dust storm after Hits and Pits, the festival, it was a bit of a disaster because bands didn't get paid so I said to Scott that he should come back out and we could do a 'Happy Santa,Winter Wonderland, Reindeer' tour. He wanted to do more shows this time so we're going everywhere. It's going to be really fun but a little bit daunting.”
Phil and Scott's friendships started back in the late nineties. “We were touring with Warped [festival] in New Zealand. He's a really good songwriter which I'm always jealous of and he has some great moves on stage which I'm always stealing. We kind of had a mutual admiration slash jealously slash common competitiveness from our very first meeting actually. That kind of forced it into me writing a bunch of songs for his record Elva, which I think was the third Unwritten Law record or perhaps the second. In return he co-wrote Better Off Alone with me and some other songs off that record [Thrills, Kills and Sunday Pills]. Our friendship comes out a lot when we're on stage. We talk about each other songs and hang shit on each other. It's pretty fun.”
Phil has done various solo shows over the years. When asked whether a solo album is on the way he had this to say, “Yes. Well... I dunno about an album. Does anyone release albums anymore? [laughs] I might just release a mini-album or an EP. I've recorded most of it but now I'm trying to convince people it's a good idea [laughs]. It doesn't sound very much like Grinspoon at all, which I'm cool with. I've got plans to release something before the end of the year I'm just waiting on my manager to be the wheels for it.”
Phil also spoke about why Grinspoon decided to go on hiatus. “Grinspoon just needed to put their feet up. All of us did. It had been eighteen years and seven albums and a lot of touring. A thousand shows or something. Maybe even have a little bit of reflection? Isn't that cute? Sounds like yoga. After the last show I didn't know what I was gonna do and that's still the truth.”
Phil also spoke about what the rest of the band were up to. “Pat [Davern, guitarist] has a new born child and is opening a music and record store in Bangalow. He's also working on a project that should be announced any day now. It's not a solo project as such but it is a musical project. Joe [Hansen, bassist] has been doing horticulture and he's really good as it. He's been playing in a band called High Horse and he's also been doing some DJ work. I've never heard him DJ though so I dunno if he's any good. And Kris [Hopes, drummer] is living in Brisbane with his two boys and his wife. He's taking photos of houses that go on real estate websites if that makes sense. We're all still on speaking terms [laughs].”
Back in 2009 Phil teamed up with Chris Cheney of The Living End, You Am I's Tim Rogers and singer-songwriter Josh Pyke to perform The Beatles White album. Earlier this year they did it again. “The Beatles have always been present in my life. They were the first songs I learnt how to play and they were the first music I ever heard. It was a huge buzz for me to be able to play those songs. It was an honour to be involved. Tim, Chris and I have been friends for years so I don't know if it would have worked with other people. I was really excited to be singing along side them.”
To end with Phil spoke about the Rock n Ride tour which took part along side Big Day Out last year. “I was doing the Big Day Out with Grinspoon in 2013 and I had to get from Brisbane to Adelaide and I was bored of flying so Julie, my wife, and I decided to ride our motorcycles. Adam Zammit at the time was the CEO for Big Day Out and he rode with us with a few others and we tried to make it make sense for those suffering from mental health. Headspace is the charity. We ended up riding three and a half thousand kilometres from Gold Coast to Adelaide. We stopped at about half a dozen Headspace centres basically making as much noise as we could about how mental health is just as important as physical health. Headspace are rolling out centres all across the country and they're great to help combat any issues that those aged between twelve and twenty five might have. There's a registered GP at all locations so you can look after your physical health as well. It was basically just an awareness campaign and as the awareness grows stronger we're trying to incorporate music into these centres in the hope it may help people moving forward.”
Matt Barton
PHIL JAMIESON / SCOTT RUSSO
Friday 12 December 2014 - Sol Bar, Sunshine Coast, QLD
Tickets from http://philjamieson.oztix.com.au and all Oztix Outlets, PH 1300 762 545 and
http://philjamieson.nwaevents.net
Saturday 13 December - Brightside, Brisbane QLD
Tickets from http://philjamieson.oztix.com.au and all Oztix Outlets, PH 1300 762 545 and
http://philjamieson.nwaevents.net
Wednesday, 17 December 2014 - The Gov, Adelaide, SA
Tickets from http://philjamieson.oztix.com.au and all Oztix Outlets, PH 1300 762 545 and
http://philjamieson.nwaevents.net
Thursday, 18 December 2014 - Republic Bar, Hobart, TAS
Tickets from http://philjamieson.oztix.com.au and all Oztix Outlets, PH 1300 762 545 and
http://philjamieson.nwaevents.net
Friday, 19 December 2014 - The Corner, Melbourne, VIC
Tickets from http://cornerhotel.com/ and Corner Box Office, PH 1300 724 867 and
http://philjamieson.oztix.com.au
Saturday, 20 December 2014 - Oxford Art Factory, Sydney, NSW
Tickets from http://moshtix.com.au and all Moshtix Outlets, PH 1300 438 849 and
http://philjamieson.nwaevents.net
Sunday, 21 December 2014 - Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle, NSW
Tickets from http://philjamieson.oztix.com.au and all Oztix Outlets, PH 1300 762 545 and
http://philjamieson.nwaevents.net
Monday, 22 December 2014 - Leagues Club, Entrance, NSW
Tickets from http://philjamieson.oztix.com.au and all Oztix Outlets, PH 1300 762 545 and
http://philjamieson.nwaevents.net
Tuesday, 23 December 2014 - Waves, Wollongong, NSW
Tickets from http://philjamieson.oztix.com.au and all Oztix Outlets, PH 1300 762 545 and
http://philjamieson.nwaevents.net