the AU interview: Jonathan Pearce of Artisan Guns (NZ)

jonathan-pearce-artisan-guns-new-zealand

As New Zealand’s Artisan Guns travel around Australia with The Holidays and Hungry Kids of Hungary, supporting their new EP “Hearts”, I chatted with guitarist Jonathan Pearce about their East Coast tour, the new EP and more!

Hey Guys! Thanks for taking the time to talk to us!

My pleasure! It’s Jonathan here, I’m the one that plays the guitar.

You’re in Australia at the moment, touring your new EP “Hearts” with Hungry Kids of Hungary and The Holidays! How’s the tour gone so far?

The tour’s been great so far. Brisbane was an especially good crowd, at The Zoo, but really, all the shows have had good audiences. HKOH and The Holidays are lucky, or should I say they have earned themselves a lot of fun-seeking, enthusiastic fans. Also both of the bands are the nicest guys you could tour with. Thanks to them we all know this country quite a bit better than we did two weeks ago.

You’re only playing on Friday and Saturday nights, so what are you getting up to the rest of the week?

Well we were staying in a place with a Playstation last week…. so yeah, some games were played. But we’ve been chilling at Coogee Beach too, and we did the drive from Brisbane to Sydney. Also shopping in town, where I bought one of those tiny HD cameras, so you can expect videos of tour fun times online soon enough!

Let’s talk about the new EP. You teamed up with Dave Parker again, but how have things changed between records for Artisan Guns both musically and as a band?

The EP’s were experiments in themselves. Experimenting with who we are in music, and easing our way into being a band. Between the first and second EPs I would say we lightened up a bit, musically, but closer inspection will reveal concise and calculated parts, and darker, sarcastic lyrics. This is probably a case of the music moving as the individuals change over time. I wont say the two EP’s are a progression. We don’t feel like Artisan Guns are rolling down the train tracks towards our musical goal. More like we’re tunneling below the surface, and when we come up, we just try to make sense of where we are.

“Into the Cold” is the single off the album, can you talk a bit about how the music video came about?

It’s an ambiguous song in many ways, not really narrative, not really explicit feelings or thoughts, and that’s a point to note about the video too. It’s not a story like ‘four guys get flags on them and then run into the water with a big inflatable duck’. Again, it’s light hearted, but there’s more to it than just the fun. Also, we’ve been conscious that our first few videos are like introductions. Or should I say first impressions. Matthew Hope, our singer, directed the video. It was the first he’s done, so with that in mind we are very happy with it.

You must have some pretty good repore going with Dave Parker… could we see you working on another record with him?

Absolutely. Dave has become a good friend. We really want to work with him on the album, and we plan to get in a bit of extra help to. Just to throw another spanner in the works.

Speaking of which – what does the future hold for Artisan Guns? I know you only just dropped your second EP, but when will we be getting a full length!

Well that’s definitely next on the list. We are taking a break from playing too many shows over the next few months, with the object of writing and recording the album. More on this as it develops…

What’s the biggest difference between touring Australia and touring New Zealand?

It’s not too different. Place names?

Worst thing about being on the road?

In the car, when the four of us get going, it can be like rolling down a hill inside a trash can. With someone screaming at you from the open end!

Best thing about being on the road?

So many good things. Maybe just getting to be really good friends. Like brothers really.

We take the mickey out of your country all too often – so let’s return the favour. Do share a joke about Australians!

I find your road signs amusing. They are so threatening, but so over the top they are laughable! “MOBILE SPEED CAMERAS OPERATING ANYWHERE, ANYTIME!!!” Our signs are more direct. We have the old, ‘If you drink and drive, you’re a bloody idiot.’ But we just got a new, really mean one: ‘Drive drunk? DIE IN A DITCH.”

I notice on your Myspace page that you’ve got quite the genre fusion going on! Who is the most influential artist in each of the category for Artisan Guns and why?

Well, without being too serious… Burt Bacharach would be the Melodramatic Popular song, Soundtrack could be Oh Brother Where Art Thou, or maybe Toy Story. Classical Opera and Vocal…… hmmm, it’s probably a bit silly.


Artisan Guns round out their tour with Hungry Kids and the Holidays this weekend, with two shows in VIC! Check out the dates below and get in quick! Limited tickets remain!

FRI, AUG 20 – EAST BRUNSWICK CLUB, MELBOURNE
Tickets available from the venues box office: 280 Lygon St, East Brunswick.
PH: 03.9388.9794 or via the website www.eastbrunswickclub.com
 
SAT, AUG 21 – THE NATIONAL, GEELONG
Tickets available from Oztix www.oztix.com.au or 1300.762.545

Larry Heath

Founding Editor and Publisher of the AU review. Currently based in Toronto, Canada. You can follow him on Twitter @larry_heath or on Instagram @larryheath.