Mining The Low

Andy Bull

When Andy Bull released The Phantom Pains EP to critical acclaim in 2010, it earned the singer-songwriter an almost instant following, with several tracks prominent on triple j and his duet with Lisa Mitchell, Dog, reaching number 68 in that year's Hottest 100. While it probably came as a surprise to many that he dropped off the radar almost immediately after these victories, Bull himself believes this was a path he had to follow.

Fast forward to 2013, and musician is back on the scene with two brand new singles, which reveal a completely different side to his musicality. Instead of the bright, poppy tunes of the past, we're now met with brooding electronica and syncopated beats. With ominous titles like Keep On Running and Baby I Am Nobody Now, Bull reveals these last few years have been spent in deep, personal reflection.

“My good songs are inspired by the lower times,” he offers. “It's about the possibility of surviving [the bad times] and transforming them into something good. I guess that's why I find songwriting useful; it's a chance to turn something chaotic or distressing into something that's expressive or somehow cathartic. That's what the two songs have been; they were the product of reflection over the past few years.”

Wanting to express himself in the truest and purest voice, he decided to take on the role of producer, which he admits was a huge challenge, but also a rewarding one. “Being alone in the studio gave me the chance to listen to all the threads of dialogue in my head,” he admits. “If there's no one else around I at least know that it's all coming from me. I can choose to ignore the thoughts or go with it, and know that the decisions have been all mine. There's a real comfort in that.”

While Keep On Running and Baby I'm Nobody Now seem to travel down a completely different path to what was found on The Phantom Pains, Bull says they're actually a product of turning back to his musical roots. “Playing around with synths and drum machines has always been something I've done secretly or on my own,” he explains. “When I first started playing music live, it was probably more aligned with what I'm doing now than what I recorded, so it's really good to get back to some sort of authenticity and find out what really excites me in music.”

Reflecting on homemade electronic music's place within the Oz music scene Bull enthuses, “It's come into vogue again. There was a long period of time that the scene was very rock'n'roll; that's not a criticism at all, it's just the way it was. So as a keyboard player, and someone who doesn't have a gravelly rock voice, I didn't know if I had anything to offer. But now keyboards are back in vogue, so I'm happy these things I love are getting heard. I feel a personal failing that in the past I didn't just forge ahead and follow my instincts.”

Taking a huge leap in refinement, not just musically but also lyrically, Bull believes his latest works have helped to establish a deeper relationship with his fans.

“I've had people write to me and say, 'I've been going through this thing recently, and your song summed it up really well',” he tells, “and there have been quite a few different people with very different situations who've written to me about the same song.

“But I consider that a good thing, because it means there's an interaction going on. People are listening, interpreting and responding to the music, and to me it's now become a two-way thing, which is one of the best bits about making music or art or words.”

Bull has been busy putting all the elements together for his next album, which he reveals will most likely be released next year, yet says his more immediate focus is his national tour, where he'll be joined onstage by some pretty special guests. “There'll be me, and the keyboardist from Dappled Cities, Ned [Cooke] will come along. The drummer from Deep Sea Arcade [Carlos Adura] is also coming, as well as someone that the Hungry Kids Of Hungary stole from me, but is also still playing with me.”