Dirt Road Gold feels like your most personal record to date. Looking back now that it’s out in the world, what did making this album teach you about yourself both as an artist and as a person?
I think the main thing I learnt through the process of this album was to open myself up to change. The old processes were gone. The approach has changed and I needed to change with it. The industry as a whole has gone through a huge period of evolution and I really needed to find my new place in it.
Crooked Colours has evolved from a trio into a solo project. How did that shift change your creative process, and were there moments where having complete creative freedom was both empowering and challenging?
I realised early on in the writing process that I would need to open myself up to collaboration and outside influence not just for the creation of the record but also for my own professional development and enjoyment. Creating as a solo artist can be extremely isolating so to lean on my professional peers helped me a great deal.
The album explores themes of change, vulnerability and growth. Was there a particular moment in your life that became the emotional turning point for this record?
I think it was a combination of committing to the project as a solo artist and the support I received from the label, the industry and friends that really gave me the desire to push ahead with it.
Tracks like ‘Oxford’, ‘Pressure’ and the title track all have very different sonic identities while still feeling unmistakably Crooked Colours. How do you balance experimenting with new sounds while maintaining the project’s signature DNA?
I think it happens pretty naturally. Once you start to dive into the production process there are certain traits and elements that will always sound like me regardless of whether it is intentional or not. Once you handle something for long enough your flavour kind of rubs off on it.
You collaborated with artists like Julian Hamilton and Georgi Kay across the album. What did each collaboration bring to the record, and what did you take away creatively from working with them?
The collaboration process on this record has been such a joy for me. It was something I hadn’t really done much of before so to just see how other artists work and approach things has been a lot of fun.
You’ve spent over a decade building Crooked Colours into one of Australia’s most respected electronic acts. When you compare where you are today to the Vera era, what do you think has changed most about your songwriting and production?
I think it’s a million tiny little things that you learn along the way that adds up and affects the way you approach creating music. For me now it’s more about the experience of creating the album than the end product.
‘Dirt Road Gold’ began as a challenge to write a house inspired country song. Were there any other songs on the album that took an unexpected direction during the writing or recording process?
DRG is probably the most extreme example of something I didn’t think would end up on the record, but there are few others that definitely evolved along the way to a point where they found a home on the album. ‘Honey Dog’ was one that was just a concept track and even ‘I Can’t Forget You’ changed a lot once I started working with Julien. It’s a good reminder to never write anything off because you don’t know what it might end up being.
Your music has always translated seamlessly from intimate listening experiences to massive festival stages. When you’re writing, are you thinking about how a track will feel live, or does that come later?
That tends to come later. I’ve found that when you set out to create something for a particular reason or environment it hardly ever ends up being that. Most of the time you just need to let it grow naturally and then find a home for it in the live context.
You’re about to take Dirt Road Gold on the road around Australia. What can fans expect from these shows, and how are you bringing the new album to life on stage?
I find building the live show after an album release one of the more challenging parts of the project. It’s super fun, but it’s always a challenge to find the perfect balance of new and old while also making sure the show as a whole is fluid and as entertaining as it can be. The main focus will be to make sure that fans get to experience the new stuff in an interesting way whilst still giving them the loved and familiar tracks they’ve been so supportive of over the years.
Looking ahead, what excites you most about the future of Crooked Colours now that you’ve entered this new chapter as a solo project?
I’m really looking forward to getting back on the road to play shows and to hopefully keep creating into the future. I love this project so much, so I hope I can continue living in it for a while longer. Onwards and upwards as they say.
BUY/STREAM: CROOKED COLOURS – DIRT ROAD GOLD
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