When did you first realise that COVID-19 was going to have an effect on your band?
Oh I’d great plans for 2020. 2020 was going to be my year. I could feel it. What could possibly go wrong??. I’d taken a year off my day job to go to London and do all these awesome things. Meet all these great musicians and live the life I always wanted even if it was just for a year. Who knows something could come out of it, I’m on the board!! I’d get a record out and I’d all these shows lined up in Ireland and UK. It’s happening, it’s really happening I thought….no, it’s not Liam, suckka…BOOM!!!! Covid-19 hit the shelves before we did. One in a hundred year event and just so happened that’s the year I chose. In there lies a cruel irony. But fuck it, my plans aren’t the only plans that got binned in 2020. Still got my health. George who
drummed on Cut On A cut was struck down by it, had to go to hospital and everything but he got thru it; and he’s a young dude. Serious stuff mate. So with the music scene grinding to a halt, and I held out hope for as long as I could but the writing was on the wall. As much as I didn’t care to read it at
first, after a while there was no denying it. 5 weeks sitting in my room drinking myself to death, I’d no choice. I had to bail on that idea, grab my parachute and head back to Australia.
Initially, what was that whole situation like, and how did your band
overcome/react to it?
What a strange time eh. Yeah, when I got back to Australia and finished my 2 weeks quarantine I was able to get into a studio here in Perth and finish off some vocals and ship them off the The Animal Farm studio in London for final mixing. So it finished up being a bit of an international effort. The wonders of modern technology mate.
How has your creative process changed as a band over the last couple of months?
Hasn’t changed for me at all really. I write all the songs so it’s really me sitting with my sometimes friend / sometimes enemy Mr Acoustic Guitar. Wrestle with him, grab him by the throat and force him to the ground until he gives me something that I like. Something fresh and interesting. Then I play him over and over and over and over until he makes perfect sense and drags a lyric out of me that I can develop into something that makes him and me good friends again…..until the next time we sit down again (and have a chat)
What’s been the hardest part about writing/doing music this way?
There hasn’t really been a problem with writing but like everyone else around the world with all these live venues shutting down over bight its been a real struggle. Bringing you wears to the market is the bread and butter for everyone involved in the arts / entertainment industry in general. So that had had a huge financial and emotional impact. Very stressful for a lot of people and my heart goes out to them.
What bands/artists have you been listening to over the last couple of months?
Liam Naughton from Liam Naughton & The Educators cause there’s no one else to listen to here right now except myself hahaha
So, what do you think you’ve learnt the most from being a band through COVID-19?
Well The Educators are called that because they are all music teachers so they’ve gone back to doing more of that and less of this until the effects of Covid-19 blows over. I guess the biggest learning is to have a fall back option should it all turn to shit. I thinks that that’s a big life lesson not to put all your eggs into one basket and be able to use your talents in different ways to keep the wolf from the door.
What kind of effect do you think that it’s had on the music industry
all together and how excited are you to see it return to normal?
Most of the people working in venues are normally employed on a casual basis so they haven’t been able to avail of any government furlough schemes etc. so they’ve missed out big time unfortunately. And the venues themselves, a lot of them have closed up shop completely; no income making it impossible to pay the lease so its been a major contraction on venues which it going to make it even harder to get a gig once restrictions lift. Yeah, all bad news. And now second and third waves of this virus just compound the problem. I don’t know mate, nobody knows how long this had to run so It’s anxious times all round. People a missing out on that. When people go to a gig it’s like going to the movies eh. Just a few hours of getting away from reality and forgetting about all the hoops life makes you jump through. There’s always a lot of love and positive vibes at gigs and music festivals. People are actually nice to each other. So that vibe is
what I miss the most mate
What tips/advice would you like to give to other bands who are also
going through this?
Everyone is dealing with this differently I guess. What’s the answer..mmmhhh…Sorry I don’t have a clear answer to that one. What I can say is that nothing is forever. Things were different for that last generation ya know. You’d go into a job and be guaranteed to be there until retirement. This generation and future generations will have to have more than one feather in their cap and be able to throw their hat a more than one thing. So yeah, every good plan had a plan B so not putting all your hopes on one particular pathway is a safer option and one that I think everyone, not just muso’s need to be aware of and act on. Hey, good chatting to you mate, thanks for taking the time and good luck to you and all your readers. Cheers!
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