Crossing Over to The Dark Side: An Interview with The Glorious North’s PJ Devery
Alt country band The Glorious North have been skirting around the Australian country music scene for a while now, developing a loyal fanbase that has seen them become festival favourites.
In 2016, they released their debut album, Welcome to the Glorious North. Their latest single from the record, The Widow has already received a fantastic reaction and radio play across the country.
In this interview, I spoke to vocalist and guitarist PJ Devery about the local Melbourne music scene, inspiration for The Widow, and the importance of storytelling within music.
Thanks! Been a really great reaction and it’s building too. We had a packed house in Melbourne at the Northcote Social Club when we launched the album and The Widow is now being picked up and played all around the country.
Is this the last single from your album, or do you have more planned?
We’d love to do another one … If The Widow lands really well we’ll release another song from the album as a single. As to which one … well, we’re open to all suggestions.
You recorded The Widow with the assistance of Dave Rogers (who tours regularly with Ben Lee). Can you tell me a bit more about the recording process, and what it taught you?
We’ve worked with Dave before on an EP (Dang!) and we’re mates as well. He is a first-rate human being and an outstanding musician. Recording with Dave is very collaborative – lots of input and trying things out, throwing away what doesn’t work.
The biggest lesson is not to be afraid to jettison something that’s not sounding right, even if you have spent a lot of time and energy on it.
What do you want people to take away from listening to your music?
We want listeners to tap their toes and hum the tunes, for sure, but we also want them to picture what’s happening, imagine what the protagonists look like and maybe even see a little bit of themselves in the story.
The Widow is a twist on the traditional murder ballad, in that it’s told from the perspective of the murderer, who has killed for love. What inspired the song and made you take this particular approach?
I love a murder ballad; the darkness is beguiling. I have written a few of them and have explored a lot of different perspectives. I’d been listening to Long Black Veil [Johnny Cash] just before the The Widow was born, so death and love were top of mind.
I imagined a funeral with the killer of the man being buried lurking at the back, watching the widow, coveting her. And it sort of slipped out easily from there.
What normally inspires your song writing?
For me, it is the stories I hear or piece together from my imagination. I sort of have short story in my head first that becomes a song when the right melody arrives. They’re generally on the darker side because those are the novels I like to read and the films I like to watch.
How important is storytelling to you when writing a new song?
As you can tell from previous answers, storytelling is paramount. Most Glorious North songs are little stories so we want people to go on that narrative arc with the song. I rarely write lyrics that require a lot of analysis; my songs are generally pretty literal because that serves the narrative better.
You’ve made fairly regular appearances on the festival circuit in recent years, with performances at Brisbane’s Beer InCider Experience, Tamworth Country Music Festival and Fat Yak Festival. What’s it like to perform to a crowd of over 5000 people, as in those experiences?
Well, it is brilliant of course — it’s an energy that picks you up and carries you. It’s why live music is so great: every single performance is different; you can never be sure of exactly what is going to happen next. This is even truer when the audience is big and their energy hits you like a fist.
You’ve got a couple of shows coming up in Melbourne in July and August. What can fans expect from one of your live performances, particularly given that these gigs will be a lot smaller than your festival appearances?
First and foremost: a bloody good time. Playing in front of thousands is great but at those smaller shows — which are our bread and butter here in Melbourne — there’s an intimacy.
You can sort of tailor the feel of the show to the room. The people who head down to our next set of gigs will get some personal service, Glorious North style.
How does this compare to what they’ll hear on the record?
It’s a little rawer, no doubt about that, but it’s not a million miles away.
At our last show, a bloke approached from the crowd after a set and said, “It’s just like listening to the record”. I’m not so sure about that myself, but it does highlight another difference between our recordings and our live shows … the presence, consumption and enjoyment of alcohol!
What do you enjoy most about touring?
Different sights, different experiences, seeing different bands and meeting different people. Also, nothing improves your playing like being on tour.
Do you hope to tour nationally soon?
Would love to, but complexities such as new little humans, the foibles of the property market and various other personal curve balls might make it a little difficult. We’re open to all offers, however.
Generally speaking, do you prefer the recording process or live performances?
That’s a classic “choose your favourite child” type of question. I love them both (but my daughter is definitely my favourite!)
You guys are from Melbourne, where I imagine you have a pretty great local music scene. What influence did this have over your own music career?
Good question, because I don’t really sit down and think about it all that much. Melbourne does spoil you in that regard – you always have access to a bunch of great bands across different genres at a bunch of different venues. It keeps you moving; it makes you want to get better.
If you weren’t a musician, what would you be doing?
Trying to write novels like Raymond Chandler.
How difficult is it being an independent band in today’s industry?
Bloody hard, but I’m not sure it’s any harder than it was before. In fact, social media and digital technologies gives independent artists a lot more distribution power than before.
What does music mean to you?
It’s the primary art form and it’s been primary in my life. I would have gone crazy if not for music.
What’s the biggest misconception people have regarding making a career in the music business?
Probably that it is not serious or hard work. Like any other career, talent or an aptitude for what you’re doing is important but it’s not everything. Building relationships and working with other people to develop your music and develop yourself is crucial.
What are some of the highlights and lowlights of your career thus far?
Two sides of one coin – I was in a band once that were offered to demo for a very large and successful US record label. That was a great period for me. But that story had a nasty sting in the tail and we ended up being dropped by the label.
What’s your opinion of country/folk/bluegrass music as a genre evolving and becoming more popular in the mainstream?
It’s cyclic, like pop music has always been. The Eagles were the biggest band in the world once upon a time, after all. There’ll always come a moment when the character of that style of music becomes important in popular culture and that will bring a host of new and younger listeners.
When you aren’t writing, recording or performing, what does an average day look like for you?
Day job shenanigans and trying to stop my children fighting with each other.
What’s the epitome of success for you?
Guess it depends on your definition of success. Playing Australian country music to a packed house in a place like Paris seems, for some reason, to be a personal frontier for me. But, personally, whenever I’m playing and I see people in the crowd singing along to lyrics I have written, that feels like success.
What’s the best and worst piece of advice you’ve ever received in relation to your musical career?
Best advice: When writing a song, never try to please anyone except yourself.
Worst advice: Drop your manager and hire me instead (which, stupidly at the time, was advice I followed).
If you could perform anywhere, where would it be?
Same place where Hank Williams made his Grand Ole Opry debut – Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. I’d be pinching myself to bruises if we ever got to play in that place.
If you could work with anyone in the music industry, who would it be and why?
Nick Cave. Not a country performer per se but he’s a songwriting hero of mine. His soundscapes match the theme of his songs so perfectly. And the way he writes lyrics … it’d be an honour to work with him.
What music are you listening to at the moment?
Some oldies are goodies for me right at the moment: The Jayhawks, Wilco, Paul Kelly … I’m also listening a bit to a Swedish artist called Fever Ray. She’s a long, long way from country! But some of her stuff is achingly beautiful.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians?
Follow your own voice, find your own style, don’t take yourself too seriously and have fun.
What else have you got planned for 2018?
Working up between 10 and 12 brand new songs for the next album. I reckon they’ll be the best of collection of songs we have ever had so the next Glorious North album will be a ripper!
The Glorious North will perform in Melbourne on the following dates:
Saturday 28th July – Union Hotel, Melbourne
Sunday Aug 19 – The Standard Hotel, Melbourne
Contact your preferred venue, or visit the band’s Facebook page for more info.
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