Tomorrow night at the Brisbane Powerhouse we’re going to be treated to two incredible performances: Tara Simmons will be performing Dummy by Portishead in full, while Charlie Horse will be performing PJ Harvey‘s To Bring You My Love. We caught up with Tara to find out how things are going as she prepares the set, and we see what else she’s been up to lately!
How’s the preparation for the Long Player Sessions going?
I’m playing with 8 people for this one, myself included, so there’s been a lot of preparation on my end arranging parts and all – plus memorising all the lyrics!
How did the band come together? Are they people you usually collaborate with?
My band has taken on a lot of forms over the years. So, when I started to think about doing this, I wanted to work with a lot of the old souls I’d been hanging out with all these years. So I’m bringing back a double bassist who I haven’t played with in four years or so. My old cellist, the drummer I’ve been using for a long time, the guitarist from my last tour… trumpet player from my last album. So yeah, I’m grabbing everyone that I’ve worked with before and throwing this all together, even though we haven’t worked together as a whole unit before.
Who chose to cover Dummy?
Well, we were approached to do it. I had a couple of ideas, but I feel like it’s such an important album for the time it was released. It inspired a lot of people, and it certainly inspired me. So I thought it would be a good time to bring it back. And on a more personal note, a long time ago, after a break up it was a record I really got into. So I have a bit of a bad feel when I listen to the record… so I thought that this might be a good way to shake that off; maybe see the record in a different light. Which is what seems to have happened! …especially because it’s more about the stress of remember it all *laughs* It’s good to have new associations with it though, for sure.
It’s a layered record – are you learning a lot about the record along the way?
I actually have been. I’ve definitely been interpreting it differently than I have in the past. Maybe it’s just where I am in my life right now, looking at the record. But it’s definitely songs songs that I assume were about certain things, I’m definitely listening to them now and thinking very differently about might what have been going on in her life when she wrote this record?
Did you see them live when they were in town for Harvest?
No! No! I’m so sad about that. I had a wedding during Harvest, so I missed out completely on seeing them live. That’s a little bit devastating. There’s a live performance though that I really love – I think it is from around the time Dummy was released. They did a live show in NYC. That’s on YouTube and I’ve spent a lot of time watching that.
It might be for the best though that you haven’t seen them live – it perhaps would push you into doing it in a certain way?
Yeah, definitely. I’m trying to meet a middle ground. 50% is me recreating it, being consistent with the record, and 50% is me reinterpreting it, doing something more in my style…
I imagine preparing for this show isn’t all you’re up to at the moment?
No, well I’m about to head out on tour. I work as a vocalist with YesYou, and we’re preparing for the Rufus tour coming up. So I’ve been doing that today. And then I’m also writing for another project I have on the go! I’ve been very busy!
Is that your solo stuff or something else?
It’s… well, I’m not sure what I want to say about it yet actually! It is different… it’s not Tara Simmons.
Well I certainly hope we do get a Tara Simmons record eventually!
You will! I’m writing for that too… but for the moment by focus has definitely been pulled for the time being!
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Tomorrow night (Friday the 23rd of August), Tara Simmons will be performing Dummy by Portishead, while Charlie Horse will be performing PJ Harvey’s To Bring You My Love. All the details about the show are here: http://brisbanepowerhouse.org/events/2013/08/23/the-long-player-sessions-3/
