Spotlight On: Andy Bull

Late last year, you may have found yourself singing along to a catchy tune that went something like this …

‘No you don’t have to say

I know where I go astray

It was going to go down anyway

I only wish that I had of known

What I know now today …’

You might have thought to yourself ‘hmmm, distinctive vocals,’ or, ‘wow, what fantastic piano’ (and it truly is fantastic piano) you might even have entertained the notion you’d gone back in time, because there is no music currently out there like this. You probably made a point of keeping an ear out, waiting for the radio to tell you who this voice was, which radio stations never do when you really want them to, and so you end up googling fragments of lyrics you remember. Or you might have, like I did, stumbled across an enriching conversation taking place between Achmal, Ed and Cal about this singer’s biceps and lustrous hair. You then would have flicked stations, before that ‘comic trio’ sapped any more of your soul.

The man behind the music and the myriad superlatives that accompanied gushing profiles in publications such as Australia’s Harper’s Bazaar is twenty-four year old Sydney-sider, Andy Bull. The single was Small Town Girl and it marked the launch of a singer-songwriter who has been waiting to make his mark on the Australian music industry for more than five years.

This is an artist who has paid his dues since he started playing live at eighteen, building a devoted fan base that followed him from show to show. As well as playing extensively around Australia, and performing showcases in LA and New York City, he has also opened twice for Joss Stone in Australia, the second time at her personal request. It was after returning home from another stint in NYC, where he mixed parts of his album in the legendary Electric Lady Studios, that Island Records Australia did what someone should have done a long time ago, and signed him.

That was at the beginning of 2008. In September, following an intense period of recording for his debut album, Small Town Girl was released to widespread airplay and a whole lot of buzz. Almost immediately, Andy embarked on tours with Aussie bands, Little Red and The Holiday, and then headlined his own tour, ending 2008 the way he started – with a soulful bang.

So where to from here? The Voice has a home, the debut single has garnered worthy hype and a relentless touring schedule has successfully spread the word far and wide.

2009 will see his hugely anticipated debut album drop in March, a record that promises to be one of the best Australian releases in recent memory.

This is a young man poised on the brink, and we cunningly caught him during a rare period of down time. When you’ve finished reading, head here to read more about the most exciting voice we’ve heard in a long, long time.

I’m all the way from … Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where my father was a Doctor working to develop the radiation oncology unit of the hospital where I, and one of my brothers was born.

I fill my days with … the first half of my day is spent enjoying how much time I have to do everything… the second half is spent cussing, running around madly trying to get things done, and wondering “where the heck the day went”

I take my coffee … first thing every morning. There’s a book on my coffee table called “Stuff White People Like” which says that you are very white and dorky if you call coffee “Joe”. I have often said “lets get a hot cup o’ Joe” and then smiled smugly, because I felt cool for calling it “Joe”, which I think means that I am very white and dorky. I think the term “Joe” refers more to the filtered stuff that Americans drink, which mean that not only am I white and dorky, but I am also wrong.

And the best place to get it in Sydney is … whatever your scene is. I have my favourites, but name-dropping cafes you visit can be like namedropping celebrities that you know. You can be cool by association, so long as you know to name-drop the place that all the cool people get their coffee from. I love good coffee, I really do, but if somebody ever says to you “I only get my coffee from such and such”, you should tell them to f*** off. However; there’s only one thing worse than an arsehole that is snobby about the kind of coffee they drink; and that’s an arsehole that drinks coffee at Gloria Jeans. Meanwhile, Starbucks is closing down, which seems to me like the natural fate for a company that puts warm crap in a cup, gives it some newspeak name like ‘tall’ or ‘grande’ and then flogs it for $7 a pop.

The album I could (and have) listen to one million times is … Ben Fold’s Five; Whatever and Ever Amen, probably. It was on of the defining albums of my teen years. It came out in 1997, and really resonated with me. Ben Folds Five had a sense of irony and self-deprecation that was balanced by a sense of pathos and real heart. They were really, really skilled musicians, but they were also incredibly tasteful. I still love listening to this one, 10 years on. Ben Folds is a real hero to me. There are many other albums too, that I could listen to a million times over, but they are the kind of albums people consider to be “classics”, so it seems boring and obvious to name them. One album that is old, but largely unknown, is a gem that I listen to a lot by Shuggie Otis; Inspiration Information.

The book I could read one million times is … I love reading, but I can be a bit slow at it because I am often quite easily sidetracked. So if I read a book one million times, it surely would be the only book I would ever read. One of the few books I ever read twice was Jonathan Franzen’s The Corrections and I think I could read it a third time. This year I’ve read only a few short books; Paul Auster’s The Book of Illusions, Malcom Gladwell’s Blink, and Complications by Atul Gawande, and Freakonomics by Levitt and Dubner. So you can see my reading has been a little light on the fiction and a little heavy on the non-fiction and “pop-sociology”, which is easy stuff to read when I’m touring, because you can pick the book up and put it down anytime even when you’re a bit distracted.

I tried to read Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts this year and I got half way through but I didn’t really get into it. I didn’t really hook in with his style of  writing.  So many superlatives and hyperbolic metaphors… it was a bit relentless. I don’t know, I guess India is a very superlative and hyperbolic place, so in the books defence, it is probably an appropriate way to write about India. Despite the recommendations people had given me, however, I just couldn’t hook in. The effect of the writing was that I didn’t believe any of the characters enough care what happened to them.

Books are very different to pop songs; a pop song you know you like or dislike pretty quickly and the whole thing is over in 3 and a bit minutes. You can listen to it a hundred times in an hour. A book though, is something that unfolds before you, especially good fiction. It takes time. Hours go by and you’re still getting deeper in. The rules are different to pop music in that way, which in order to be accessible, needs to be very simple and undeniable. I don’t know whether it is harder to write a good song or a good book. Obviously a good book is a much bigger thing, and takes much longer to write, but gives you more time to develop and deepen your ideas. But I don’t know whether it is easier to make something simple work, or make something complex work. I think the simpler something is, the more perfect its elements must be. But the more complex something is, the harder you need to work to unify its parts.

Actually, I think writing a book might be a bit like recording an entire album of music.

The song I wish I’d written is … “Is she really going out with him” by Joe Jackson…

The first CD I bought was … The Fugees: The Score. It was 1996 I think. I’d had plenty of hand me down CD’s and cassette tapes (remember those things?) but this was the first thing I’d ever bought with my own money. I feel pretty proud of my 12 year old self for digging Lauryn Hill.

The story of Andy Bull goes something like this … You should ask somebody whose perspective is a little less skewed…

I’d love to play a gig in … A medieval castle, while a storm raged outside.

The soundtrack to my childhood was … Pink Floyd’s The Wall… it was the first cassette I was ever given (the second was Paula Abdul, funnily enough). The Wall is not exactly child friendly listening… in fact its downright heavy, with frequent references to sex, suicide, isolation, depression, insomnia, alcohol, drugs, racial oppression, war and violence, and the Berlin Wall… but it was the only cassette I had for a long time!

My music sounds like … that song you really like, and you’ve just found out who sings it.

I’m musically inspired by … The whole gamut… pop music is a tradition, so if you say you are inspired by, say Ben Folds Five, it means that you are inspired by Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson, Elton John, Billy Joel, Randy Newman, Carole King, Burt Bacharach, Little Richard, Buddy Holly, etc. I love soul music, rhythm and blues, piano pop, indy rock, hip hop, all kinds.

I’d love to be a cover-boy of FLEX magazine (PS. This is not a serious wish)

Generation Y is going to SAVE the world

Given the chance (and a big suitcase) I’d steal Kanye West’s wardrobe

Can’t last the day without … some time on my own.

My debut album is … going to be out in March 2009, and its going to be a good one. I’m currently finishing off a few bits and pieces for it, then I have to choose which songs are going to make the final cut. I want it to be about 12 songs long, which means there are 20-30 other recordings that will be used as b-sides etc.

My passport is ready to go, please buy me a ticket to … Sarawak, where my mother was born and grew up. I would love to see the places I have heard so much about. Then, put me on a flight back to Riyadh. I want to see again the place I was born.

If you’re heading to the bar, can I get a … glass of water, no ice. I had two tours last year, and it got a bit silly. You cant drink every night. It’ll kill you.

My favourite item of clothing is my … Black ‘Trimapee’ leather jacket. I went to Melbourne on tour once and left my jacket in Sydney, which was el stupido, seeing as it was mid-winter. Mario and Peter of Trimapee, who are mates with my girlfriend, Renee August, gave me a beautiful black leather jacket to save me. These guys are frighteningly talented. Yes, I am name dropping designers. Check them out. Trimapee. Renee August. I make no apologies. You will thank me.

My worst fashion faux pas … When I was at school I used to have a crew cut. I also have a pretty big jaw. The combined effect was that I looked like a US Marine. So now I have long hair…. And every show, without fail, somebody comes up to me and tells me that I look like Vince Noir from The Mighty Boosh.

My favourite on road snack … Pan-fried Atlantic salmon and oysters in a champagne and eschalot vinaigrette. Usually though its just a Cadbury Twirl and a can of V.

Most essential item in my bag … My book, notepad, and my cologne. That way no matter what happens, you have something worthwhile to do (read/write) and you smell good while doing it. Have you read Perfume? Smelling good is more important than having a credit card. It effects the way people react to you.

If I had twenty dollars left in my wallet, I’d buy … Four copies of my single, which I would give to people, so that they would know that even though I was broke, I am a really good singer.

The perfect Sunday … starts when you wake up in your lover’s arms.

Dogs or cats … Dogs. People who prefer cats shouldn’t be trusted. I like cats, but cats are arseholes. On the other hand, dogs are good people.

A little secret you should know about me … I used to be a personal trainer; in fact that’s how I paid for the album. Something else you should know; personal training isn’t always as fun as it may appear. Yelling at fat people all day can turn you a bit jaded.

My shameful celebrity crush is … I used to have a big crush on Evangeline Lilly, then it was Zooey Deschanel, and by proxy I suppose, Katy Perry.

The best thing about my job is … the girls, the money, the fame.

My mama always told me … be careful what you do, don’t go around breaking young girls’ hearts, (hee-ee-ee…). Honestly though, she told me to “march the beat of my own drum”… or my own piano.

2009 is going to … Be very busy.