Your new album, Aureate Gloom , was inspired by the break-up of a long-term relationship. Was the old chestnut of songwriting-as- therapy true, in this case?
Writing and recording the album was definitely a form of therapy, in a way – at least in that it enabled me to focus my energies into something more positive and productive, [rather] than just staring out the window brooding all day. I wouldn’t consider it a proper “break-up album”, though. It’s more about the early stages following the collapse of a long-term relationship. The songs are more about the confusion and imbalance that followed the break-up than they are about the relationship itself. I think it was too soon for me to be able to have any perspective on that, or to even process the cold reality of it.
What about musically –did anything in particular prove inspiring?
Yes – definitely a lot of Patti Smith, Television and The Fall, as well as some early prog-rock stuff like Zeppelin, Sabbath, King Crimson, Soft Machine . . .
Many people would describe your offbeat style as “weird”. Are you okay with that label?
Um, I’m not sure what that word even means in this context. I guess I’d rather be considered weird than predictable; I think artists should be unpredictable and difficult to categorise. It wouldn’t be fulfilling to just make the same kind of song over and over again.
Would your friends describe you as an extrovert, or is that outlandish persona saved for the stage?
I don’t have any friends (laughs). Just kidding. I do try to connect my personal life to the songs. At least over the last couple of albums, I’ve drawn inspiration almost exclusively from personal events, experiences and relationships. I’m a huge fan of John Lennon’s first few solo albums and I love Leonard Cohen’s more autobiographical work. I think confessional songwriting can be very powerful.
Your onstage exploits include performing stark naked, riding onto the stage on horseback and various other things. Do you ever feel like your stage persona has been in danger of overshadowing the music?
I don’t really think about it or worry about it too much. I guess there is the danger of becoming like a cartoon to people and losing your pathos.I think, on some level, I became nervous about that a few years ago and toned down the “camp” a bit. I felt like I was writing too much from a persona and wanted to get back to writing about personal things in a raw and unguarded way. It’s a tricky thing to balance, because I do love the theatrical aspect of our performances – but I also want to maintain some level of emotional integrity, since so many of the songs are drawn directly from my personal life.
Next year marks 20 years of Of Montreal – are you planning anything special to celebrate the occasion?
Ha! I guess I haven’t really thought about it. I doubt I’ll do anything to celebrate. I’m not really big on anniversaries. It seems dangerous to pat yourself on the back, or anything like that. I just wanna keep moving forward and not really think about the past or the future.
Of Montreal have always been difficult to categorise. Where, at this point – now with 13 studio albums under your belt – do you feel like you fit in?
I guess ideally, I’d like to be in the category of people like David Byrne, R Stevie Moore, Robert Wyatt, Todd Rundgren . . . artists that have put out a lot of different kinds of albums and have forged their own individualistic path. To be honest, I don’t feel like I’ve really accomplished anything, though; I guess that’s one way that I stay motivated and engaged. I don’t carry the baggage of all of those albums with me – I basically forget that they exist and only focus on the next one. The next one is going to be the best one, always.
Speaking of the next one – how far along with the next Of Montreal album are you?
We’re a little over half-finished with a new album, it’s been a lot of fun working on it. We’re making it in my home studio so I can spend all my free time tinkering away.
What can we expect from your Castlepalooza gig?
I wouldn't say there is necessarily a theme for the tour – at this point we've already played around 60 shows in support of Aureate Gloom, so whatever organic mutations might occur have occurred. We're playing songs from all of the albums of the past 10 years, so it should be a good variety for people. We're very excited to be playing in Ireland – we always have a great time there!
Of Montreal play the Vodafone Main Stage at midnight Sunday, August 2nd
