SEAN CONRAN OF OBSCURA HAIL

Hi and thanks for taking the time out to speak with us at Musicology. Firstly, congratulations on the new EP Zero. The lead single Swear Jar is an exquisite track. Serene, evocative and delicately refrained in its instrumentation. Can you elaborate a little on the subject matter you are addressing on this track?

Thank you! and cheers for listening. Those compliments are owed to the happy accidents of the process that I also get to enjoy without feeling too up-myself. I wrote/recorded this song for my partner during one of the inevitable dissonant times, to assure her my intentions extend beyond superficial comforts; that my love for her is dynamic, irrational, persistent, forgiving, and shares the same vulnerabilities. Knowing this makes it easier to decipher what we mean from what we say, and to not take offense immediately when receiving judgements. It was a pretty private conversation, but it helps that there's so many distracting moving parts now.

What were some of the challenges in putting this EP together and conversely what were some of the greatest surprises you experienced through the writing / recording process for Zero?

I'm used to the tradition of writing/recording/producing/releasing/archiving tracks as a way of giving closure to some weird states of mind that some might recognise as anxious, depressed, self destructive, if left to stew. The EP is an oddball mix of songs, some recorded as far back as 2012, and presumed finished. It was a challenge to expand the production either by myself or with Sam Swain, while preserving the sentiments of these songs, because like all of my recordings, they act as mental savepoints. The clarity of the memory depends on the subtle, incidental and accidental details of the background ambience that is particularly irreplicable (like the sound of a necklace knocking the mirror it hung from,as I walked by). Working with Sam Swain meant I had decide what details were important, and either reframe them in a fresh recording, or paint over their rusty structure with a shiny new veneer. I was afraid the new versions would be unrecognisable to me; surrogates without the nostalgic properties, but they're richer and more intelligent in their execution thanks to the people like Sam who believed and invested in them. Now I can enjoy them with or without the melancholy. That was the biggest surprise.

Were there times during your song writing that you already have some music semi fleshed out but what it is missing is the scenario (situation/instance/subject matter/love/tragedy) to occur for it to then meld perfectly with music?

Not exactly. The songwriting is inseparable from the production, and the music arrives with some form of story and vice versa. It may not mean anything to me at first, but a bleak song written in a nonchalant mindset can prophesied events to come, and suddenly the way the words were arranged or expressed are more meaningful i.e. I write to empathise those affected by a death in the family, and later I experience it for real. That's not to say there aren't plenty of instrumental recordings or loops being made, just that they're super brief inferences that I either expand on straight away or archive to pull up as the neutral foundation for something new when it's called for.

With such richly layered tracks and a masterful finesse in you compositional structures, by priying these layers apart can you elaborate on the technical nature of your production and piecemeal construction through the instruments and electronic equipment you used on Zero?

The core of each song on the EP was captured in different ways, as I described earlier. The only reason I chose them was because of how well the recordings paint a picture of the scenery. For 'The Thin Man' I used a single condenser to lay all instrumentation while sitting at my desk, in-ear binaural mics for 'Psychic Cemetery' as an excuse to test them out, dummy head binaural mics to capture a brief, rare collaborative moment between old friends, becoming the foundation for 'Sex Appeal'. Having said that, they all shared similar inaugurations; to be sworn in with indulgent layers of vocal harmonies, given depth with multiple tonal layers of guitar, and these days, a simple beat. Convenience over-rules HIFI in my ad-hoc home studio. I don't care how it goes in, as long as it's quick. Typically I run one directional mic, a drum pad, a Nintendo DS (running Korg M01), my electric, a bass, and a dummy head binaural mic through a 10 track mixer, channeled into my Boss RC-30 stereo looper (for experimenting with layers), then finally into a Zoom H6, which I hard record to when first messing around with ideas, before using as an interface to track things one at a time into Ableton. 'Goth' started as a series of looped riffs and beats to sing along to, arranged later into sections, and 'Swear Jar' was purely acoustic until deciding it could use some more energy. I export 5 or 6 different mixes and them digitally in Cubase each time, because mastering a song tells me a lot about what's missing from it. Generally this whole process is done within an evening, but Sam Swains cleaner recordings and different flavours of mixing complemented these lofi layers where I thought it would overcrowd them.

With your upcoming tour, is there an approach you will be taking to replicate the album sound on stage or do you intend to have a much more organic live set than that of which features on the record?

Aw yeah, there's always a few harmonies lost, or riffs and guitar tones too weird to replicate. We're only three people, so we pick and choose the parts that are most memorable, or fun to play. We do pretty well to translate this EP live though! I've managed to combine riffs played in unison or find a way to stack them in loops, Steve's simulating production effects using a drumpad, and Tam is working hard to sing while playing pretty uncomfortable basslines. We're all learning how to play the songs in two or three different forms, from acoustic to DIY ad-hoc shows, and then typical in-house/full production. Flexibility gets rid of the bullshit I reckon, though it always feels more sincere stripped back.

Known for your live sets, a quote from electronic artist Dan Deacon comes to mind when he said “the audience is the performance” and this strikes me as something that would embody your own live performance ethos where the crowd’s enjoyment and emersion is as important as your own engagement with the performance?

Sure, I agree with that. Performing implies a live audience, and I feel way better when I can see their eyes, hear their voices, read their body language etc. but I'm also taking a back seat in my head, watching myself from imagined perspectives, letting my mind trail off as I go on autopilot. Though If we can be emotionally affected by imagined events, then surely that's 'live' in the sense that you're emulating their reactions in real time, right?

Do you find touring to be inspirational whereby it helps you write and create more material or are you so focused on the task at hand that writing and creating new material takes a back seat?

More focused on the task. It's a pretty physical job that takes up any energy I would usually have for songwriting, and besides, I need to be within reach of my full setup to chase a song to its conclusion, or I get bummed out. I'd prefer to have fun with the set, play riffs or express vocal lines differently while performing, see how true I can translate the song, and what that clarity depends on. The same warmth I get from songwriting hits me in those moments.

Having met and performed with so any different musicians and artists over the years, during that time, has there been any defining moments or words of wisdom that were spoken to you which really resonated with you and in turn altered the way you approach your craft?

I wouldn't say I've received much advice directly related to music, but I've carried on making it with the lessons I've learned outside of it. I'm grateful to my parents for giving me the space and time to create without judgement. My mum's followed heaps of creative endeavours, and my dads worked as a strong headed computer engineer all his life, so they taught me that I'm capable of change and troubleshooting my own problems, and not to judge myself or others too harshly when things don't work out. My partner, Tamara, who also plays in the band is incredibly encouraging, and highlights new ways to express what I mean. I spent 4 years studying installation art and sculpture, teaching me the discipline of persistence, patience, and conceptual coherence. Then there's my friends who I trust to give words of encouragement, appreciation, and criticism, which I'm more equipped to take objectively after taking responsibility for myself and what I say for so long.

On a personal level what does music give you that nothing else does?

A way to be a better listener.