Diving Into Life

Tom Krell loves dogs. And when called, the background is filled with low barks, indicative that Krell probably has a loving companion trotting around, lapping dopily at his feet. This, however, is not entirely so, as he admits, “It's these fuckin' neighbourhood dogs! I love dogs, but these dogs are insane… they're absolutely wild.” Soon the barking ceases, and initial consideration that Krell may have ”silenced” them is undermined as he unearths the profound emotion behind his latest album Total Loss, and the great excitement about returning to Australia with a live show that he is, “totally, insanely proud of”.

With no formal or classical training, Krell says of his musical endeavour that, “There was always this impulse,” and music, both producing and listening, was always about feelings. “I just found myself very moved by music from a young age, from about 14 years on,” he affirms.

Asked what a prepubescent Krell listened to, the now matured man answers, “Oh, you don't even wanna know.” But with a little push he reveals that little Krell, “was probably listening to Country Grammar by Nelly and Save The Day.” Which is not totally irrelevant or laughable, given that the “experimental pop producer and ethereal R&B artist” has been credited with “conjuring fractured memories” of '90s bands like “Shai or TLC.”

Indulging further in interviewing faux pas, Krell's moniker is questioned. Why indeed is Tom Krell, How To Dress Well? Appropriately, he doesn't understand the fascination with names, and says it originated only as a means of identifying files on his iTunes, plucked from the title of a book his Minneapolitan friend Alex brought home one day. “He'd just bought a book, some guide book for rich guys on how to dress well. I didn't realise until recently that it's what my band's called. It's weird to me that it gets picked up in such a distinctive way.

But my friend Nick, he's offered me a way to talk about it meaningfully. That it's about taking care of yourself, and preparing yourself for the world… it's this sentimental education, or something like that… But at the end of the day I just hope that people are connected to the affect of the songs and not the name of the band.”

Meaning and significance are important elements of music and life for Krell, who's acquired a doctorate in philosophy, but is reluctant to cluster the two together, or to acknowledge any crossover.

“They are different ways of investigating life. The philosophical approach is totally different to the emotional affective approach I take in music. And they serve totally different purposes for me. The question for me is always: how to live meaning, how to avoid melancholic, how to avoid nihilism, how to be sincere… those kind of things.”

And Krell is definitely on track to living well, donating the profits of his 2011 Just Once EP in their entirety to the American Foundation for Mental Illness, a condition that has deeply affected his family, and the responses to which feature heavily in his latest cathartic effort.

As for continuing such philanthropy, Krell says, “I would really love to continue working in that direction. It's the most important thing for me, advocacy about that stuff… because it is a massive part of my life, and is a huge burden on my family, and there are so many people who have to go through that reality alone. That shouldn't have to happen anymore. It's the 21st century.”

On a sweeter closing note, Krell is very much looking forward to returning to Australia.

“The first tour I did there was a blast; I was very well received…but it was a solo tour, and I don't think I'd really figured out how to make my music available in a live setting…This time the live visuals are much more developed, and we've figured out how to make a live performance.”

How To Dress Well will be playing the following dates:

Wednesday 20 February - Perth International Arts Festival, Perth WA
Thursday 21 February - Rocket Bar, Adelaide SA
Friday 22 February - Corner Hotel, Melbourne VIC
Saturday 23 February - Oxford Art Factory, Sydney NSW