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Carly Binding

Carly Binding
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Interview With Carly Binding By Chris 19/4/06

Carly Binding is a great New Zealand singer songwriter
Her Debut album Passenger was excellent but her new stuff is mind blowing.
I knew I had to interview her for the site
I for one can't wait to hear the new album.
So read on and find out what she had to say.
Carly MySpace Page

1. How did you get into music?

It's always been part of my life i guess. My mother was a dancer and ran a dance school, I learnt from a young age but always saw music as my number one thing. I started doing recording sessions with various people in NZ at about 15 and studied music for 2 years when I was 18 and 19. I can't imagine doing anything else.

2. What were your major influnces?

I can remember dad playing records by The Animals, Bruce Springsteen, Simon and Garfunkel, Bob Dylan and Randy Newman when I was very young. I'm not sure if they influenced me so much but I still listen to The Animals now and then. At the moment I'm listening to The Greenhorns, The Cardigans, The pretenders, Beck, The Cure, The Yeah Yeah Yeah's, Blockparty and just about anything else I can get my hands on - well, that's good anyway.

3. If you could have a three band bill who would they be?

Oh hard one! Perhaps The Rolling Stones, Jimmy Hendrix and Elvis

4. What has been the highlight of your career so far?

I spent a week last year in Freemantle writing with Kav, Joel and Stu from Eskimo Joe. I went into the situation having basically all the songs written for my new record (So Radiate) and had no expectations. We hung out at Kav's for the week and came out the other end with four great songs. Magical.

5. Were you happy with the response to Passenger?

Passenger opened a lot of doors for me in NZ and Oz. As a result a spent a lot of time touring and doing press in Australia. It became a second home for me and gave me a lot of great memories. It's the most amazing thing to know people are listening to something you've spent so long writing and creating. The record takes on a whole new life.

6. What inspires you when writing music?

People. Moments. Heartbreak and the resulting macabre humour in it. Listening to a great band or just hearing a great line in a favourite song.

7. Were you surprised that Passenger went gold?

To be honest I would've liked to have sold more but I also know that people who buy my records are very loyal music fans/listeners. I kind of feel like the songs are in safe hands ya know, that they'll be listened to and heard.

8. What has been the response to your new stuff you have put out?

I've had nothing but positive feedback about the new songs. I want to set a precedent for myself. I think I'd get bored if I kept making the same record over and over, which I'm sure is easy to do. I guess I want the freedom to make whatever type of record I feel like at the time.

9. Who would most like to record a song with?

Oh that's easy. There are two actually. Chrissie Hynde and also The Cardigans.

10. So you happy with how things have gone so far?

I'm more than happy with my life. Although being a musician is sometimes a hard and lonely choice it also makes me an incredibly lucky person. What could be better than writing songs and making records!!!!

11. What bands/artists are you listening to lately?

Oh I think I answered this earlier. oh well.

12. What inspired you when writing/making the new album?

I wrote So Radiate over a relatively short period of time bar a few songs. It was a very low and transitional time for me so I tried to make some kind of truth out of that, something to give the listener which makes them go "hang on, I know what's going on here". There's a risk of writing a record too down when in that frame of mind but I decided to make the sentiments a little more poetic.

13. How did you get involved with Boh Runga on the first album?

Boh has been one of my best friends for many years and at the time I was in a long term relationship with one of the members of her band Stellar. He Andrew Maclaren) also produced Passenger.

14. What are some of your favourite movies?

There are so many! There's an amazing Australian film called Lantana that I love. More recently I saw and fell in love with Brokeback Mountain. It's such a human story, broke my heart.

15. Have you tried your luck overseas with your music yet?

Apart from New Zealand and Australia I haven't done anything major overseas but have had some big interest in So Radiate from the UK and America. I guess we'll see what happens. I try not to expect anything nor hang my hat on a certain ideal because it can lead to let down. I'll just keep making records and see where it takes me.