We’re big fans of Astronauts here at Cultured Vultures, having previously tipped them for big things this year in PULSE: NEW MUSIC YOU NEED IN 2015 and having succumb to their charms once more when we made ‘In My Direction’ our SINGLE OF THE WEEK recently, and we know you’re big fans too. It’s hard not to be.
So, it was about time we tracked down Astronauts main-man Dan Carney for a quick chat to get to know him a little better and allow you dear readers a little bit of insight into his world. It’s a great interview, and Dan wasn’t shy about getting into detail with us. Enjoy.
Hello there, how’s things?
Things are very good. I’ve spent the day messing around on my tiny MIDI keyboard, pissing around with droney, processed organ sounds, and avoiding finishing my tax return. After I’ve done this interview, I will finish my tax return. Probably.
We’ve previously covered Astronauts in our New Music You Need in 2015 editions of Pulse, but how would you describe Astronauts in your own words?
Music to fill your heart with permanent, indescribable joy and longing. Or at least make you feel pretty good for a while.
I’ve read that a key period of inspiration for your debut album Hollow Ponds came from time you spent in hospital with a badly broken leg. What particularly about that time ignited your creative fires?
That is true. In February 2013 I managed to absolutely smash up my ankle in three places. I’ve had four operations on it now. At the time, it gave me a horrible, but extremely concrete, sense of my own vulnerability, and how well-being and mobility shouldn’t ever be taken for granted. These feelings kind of morphed into thinking about how I should just get on with stuff I wanted to do, and I’d wanted to get something solo going for a while. So Astronauts was born while I was lying in hospital. Some of the reviews of the album have really run with the broken leg thing, saying things like I wrote most of the songs while I was in hospital! This isn’t true and I’ve never said that, it was more that I had the idea to do this while I was in there, and the experience informed some of the songs I wrote afterwards, as well as the album title. So it’s a chapter that is central to the project.
Speaking of Hollow Ponds, the album has an incredibly distinct sound, but what would you cite as some of its key musical influences, or perhaps just the musicians that inspire you generally?
Thank you! Even though I guess it falls into the singer-songwriter/alt box, I’m a fan of all sorts of stuff. I’m just as likely to be listening to Wu-Tang Clan, as I am Pentangle, Kings Of Convenience or Elliott Smith. Although I love all of those artists. With my own music making, I love the sound of an acoustic guitar but I’m also drawn to repetition and layering sounds, stuff which gradually builds rather than jumps around and changes all over the place. But I don’t necessarily listen to only stuff like that. One of my favourite bands ever are Cardiacs, who fitted more changes into one of their songs than I’d probably manage in five albums! I hope it comes across in the music that I don’t just listen to indie/singer-songwriter stuff. A day when I don’t listen to Al Green, for instance, is a day wasted.
Your latest single, ‘In My Direction’, was just our latest Single of the Week and it came accompanied with an especially striking video, how did that come about? I’ve also got to ask about the album’s cover too, as it’s a particularly striking image. It’s not your caravan is it?
The ‘In My Direction’ video is by an Armenian film company, Manana Films, who emailed me out of the blue asking to make a video for the song. I wanted to do it as a single so it fitted in with my plan. I absolutely love what they’ve done. The music I make is generally quite serious and earnest, so it’s great to have a video that is a bit quirkier and slightly humorous. The caravan belongs to my girlfriend’s friend’s mum, and is in Staffordshire I think. My girlfriend’s friend, Jessica Strode, is a really talented photographer and gave me a few images to pick from. The minute I saw that picture I knew I wanted it!
With these releases in the bag, how are things coming together on the live circuit? Where can the good readers currently reading this come and catch you live?
Myself and Mike (Cranny, who helped a lot with the album and mixed it) are doing some stuff as a duo, guitars and voices plus occasional backing tracks. We’re off to Italy next month and France and Luxembourg in March. We’ve also just signed with an agent for Germany/Austria/Switzerland, and the plan is to get to those countries in the autumn for some small shows, house shows, stuff like that. Gigging was never really the plan, but there’s been a lovely amount of interest in Astronauts, so it’s great to be able to do stuff that’s been offered.
Last year saw you finish it off with your album, and this year has started with a new single, what else is on the cards for this rest of this year to come?
Gigs in Europe and another album, hopefully out in the autumn. The second album is taking shape nicely, lots of vocals still to do but I’ve almost finished all the instrumental tracks I think. Plenty of songs on the go – about 17/18 still in the reckoning last time I checked.
As far as other bands currently doing the rounds at the moment or up and comers, who would recommend to our readers?
The Kindling – lovely hushed psych-y Americana/folk, a bit like Talk Talk or Tindersticks. Really beautiful songs and atmospheres. Their album is out this year. In the meantime, check out the song ‘Hunting Stars’. https://soundcloud.com/the-kindling/the-kindling-hunting-stars
Our very own Cultured Vulture goes by the name of Voltaire, but if you had yourselves a pet vulture of particular culture, what would you call it?
I’ve always been a great fan of giving pets normal-sounding human names, so I think I would call it Ian.
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