Georgia’ for those who might be coming to the band for the first time – how do you think this song represents the central core of the McDermott & North sound?
I would say that the sound of ‘Georgia’ is more of a change of pace with our sound. It’s a song you could slow dance to. It’s intimate, slow and romantic.
Can you tell us a bit about how the genesis of the song has matched the final result?
When we first wrote the song it was much slower and on an acoustic guitar. It has definitely changed a lot since the original version, hopefully for the best.
What significance does this song in particular hold for you as a songwriter now?
This song is significant because it was the beginning of a run of Bluesy-sounding songs. After writing Georgia, we went on to write a bunch of songs with the same Blues rhythm and feel.
As an indicator of what we’re still to hear from McDermott & North – what makes ‘Georgia’ such strong single to lead into this new chapter with?
It’s a strong single for the new chapter because it’s a taste of something different. We’re trying to keep our sound as diverse as possible through different types of songs.
What was 2020 like for the two of you creatively? How did you find navigating that last year as a duo?
We spent a lot of time in our van busking around Australia, going to small country towns, so we were fortunate to spend a lot of time playing in front of people even if that was just busking. We also spent a lot of time writing while in lockdown, which is always nice.
Had you been listening to any particular artist / band who has influenced you throughout the last year?
Not too many new artists to be honest, besides Phoebe Bridgers. We have been listening to a lot of her stuff. Her lyrics are pretty potent while also being tongue in cheek, it’s a pretty effective mix I feel. We constantly find ourselves drawing from the 60/70s and still finding some brilliant bands we haven’t heard before.
What do you think you learned about yourself as a songwriter and about one another as a group?
The importance of perseverance as an artist! It has been inspiring to watch the industry quickly adapt to the unprecedented state of the world during the pandemic, as well as the rebirth of the local music scene and gigs.
What’s exciting you about new music moving forward into 2021?
I think what we’re most excited about is getting out there and playing some live gigs around the country, playing our music to new audiences. As for new music, we have a few tunes up our sleeves, and we’re going into the studio with some exciting people too! We’re truly excited to share it all with you when it’s done, we think it’s going to be a great year.
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