European interview
CountryHome – Germanys premier country music magazine
Interview with the Winchester Brothers by Christian Lamitschka
Ch.L.: Country Music has many new fans in Europe, who may be hearing about you for the first time. How would you describe yourself and the music you play to someone who’s never seen or heard you before.
Hunter Winchester: well, we are three brothers from a musical family who hail from Alligator Creek in the far north of Australia. Vernon is the multi-instrumentalist who plays guitar, bass, mandolin, keyboards and backing vocals, while Griffin also sings and plays guitar as well as being the resident production guru. I tend to write most of the songs and do most of the singing and some acoustic guitar.
Ch.L.: How was the last year for you? What were the highlights?
Hunter Winchester: getting the album finished without killing each other was our major achievement over the last year and the highlight for Vernon was not getting caught or killed on any of his numerous misadventures. He’s a wild boy is our Vernon. Griffin had all kinds of heartache going on that he doesn’t want to talk about. But we’re all there for him. And me, I’ve just been hold up in a little shack near the creek, trying to stay clean and sober, and writing songs that I ‘think’ are about redemption through suffering.
Ch.L.: What’s your latest CD and how’s it doing?
Hunter Winchester: The latest album was released in May and is called Black Star Day and we never really thought about anyone actually even liking what we do, let alone to get such nice reactions from people all over the world. We have had especially good feedback from the USA and Europe with airplay and reviews already in the States, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Scotland.
Ch.L.: How did you choose the title for the CD, is there a story behind it?
Hunter Winchester: the title track of the album is about a friend of ours who suffers from epilepsy and he measures his days on his calendar. When he has a seizure he puts an empty black star on the date, so he can remember their frequency. If it’s a bad blackout he puts a filled-in black star on the calendar, When he bites his tongue and bleeds, he puts a red star on the calendar, and so on. That’s him talking about his experiences at the end of the song over Vernon’s lead guitar by the way.
Ch.L.: Do you write the songs yourself and if not, how do you go about finding the songs for the your CD?
Hunter Winchester: yeh, i usually tend to write most of the songs. Vernon co-wrote black star day with me on this album though, and we just finished a new song together the other day called She Falls Apart (I put her back together again). We tend to play a bunch of old country favourites whenever we play together, but we’ve always got plenty of our own songs to record.
Ch.L.: Please tell us about the songs on your album.
Hunter Winchester: ‘who is it that I know’ – is about friends and family letting us down, and how we shouldn’t rely on outside influences for our direction in life.
‘the dead can see interview’ – is about our belief in an afterlife, and we don’t really care who knows
‘my little world’ – is a fathers realization that his adult son has outgrown him, and the change in his own feelings about his own life as a consequence.
‘valley of fear’ – everyone seem to be terrified of living their life and too scared to die, there’s a much better place to be if we can just make the effort to change
‘you better come home’ – I had a brother-in-law who was contemplating leaving his home and his family for all the wrong reasons, and i just wanted to have a little talk with him before he made that call. this song became that talk. Funny thing is, he kind of listened, and he stayed.
‘napoleons alphabet’ – is about maybe being masters of our own destiny but losing connection with our parents as we grow up. Sometimes as adults, we’d really like to be able talk to them, but just can’t seem to find the right words.
‘all blown away’ – the truth is a pretty explosive thing to most people and this song is about how no one ever really wants to hear the truth about themselves.
‘love me, my favourite band from Sydney’ – Love Me were a great alt/country band from Sydney, Australia and their name also became a metaphor for feeling left out of the world around us.
‘black star day’ – about a friend with epilepsy, that’s him talking at the end about his blackouts
‘hallelujah, auld lang syne’ – is a special thank you to the great Scottish poet Robert Burns for his wonderful work in bringing people together every new year’s eve though his immortal classic – Auld Lang Syne
Ch.L.: Your current album is being played by radio. What do you thing is special about these songs that makes people what to hear it?
Hunter Winchester: The Dead Can See Interview has been getting a fair bit of airplay in Australia, mainly I think because of it’s lyric content, and from what we hear, Hallelujah Auld Lang Syne seems to be getting some notice in the U.K. as well. But Black Star day seems to be getting played all over.
Ch.L.: What will your next single be?
Hunter Winchester: It looks like we have to have to release Black Star Day as a single. The response to that track in particular has been extraordinary, particularly from our friends in the States and Europe.
Ch.L.: What’s your favorite song among all the songs you’ve recorded and what’s the story behind it?
Hunter Winchester: my favourite song is always the one i’ve recorded last. We’re just finishing a new track at the moment that I really like. It’s called Cypress Winds, it’s in three sections and is primarily inspired by early Australian Explorers Burke and Wills, who were the first people to walk the length of the country 150 years ago this year. We all sing different parts on this track and it’s different to anything we’ve done before. We hope to have it out as a single before the next album is released.
Ch.L.: Who do you look up to musically and how deep do your musical roots run?
Hunter Winchester: Richard Clapton and Gram Parsons are particular favourites of mine,. Vernon’s tastes run a bit harder, from the Band to Led Zeppelin and Griffin is a straight country boy who also digs the Hoodoo Gurus and You Am I. We’re all big fans of Wilco, Son Volt and Uncle Tupelo as well as old favs like George & Tammy, Hank, Waylon, Willie, Johnny and their legacy through Guy Clark, Steve Earle, Kristofferson, John Prine and all those good old boys.
Ch.L.: What do you think about today’s Country Music versus its roots and where do you see it going in the future?
Hunter Winchester: country music is just folks telling on themselves. Does it better than anything I know.
Ch.L.: In your opinion, what is the biggest difference between “traditional“ and “new“ country music?
Hunter Winchester: All country music is basically just emotions and feelings. And whether it’s new or old country, as long i’m hearing about someone’s breakdown or heartache, someone’s sad life or great expectations, i’ll know i’m in the right place.
Ch.L.: If you had the chance to change something about the music industry, what would it be?
Hunter Winchester: to encourage every country to legislate for radio to play 50% new local content produced in that country.
Ch.L.: As an artist you have to do so many different things such as recording, touring, doing interviews etc. What do you like best, what’s your favorite activity?
Hunter Winchester: personally, I find the writing the most satisfying. I can do it alone and i really enjoy the solitude when I’m writing, so it suits my nature well. Recording is a lot of fun but fraught with danger when all three brothers get cooped up in the same room for long periods of time. Playing live is always enjoyable when Vernon’s in form, as is doing interviews with people who are listening to our music. We really appreciate the interest.
Ch.L.: What was your big break that got you into the music business?
Hunter Winchester: I’d previously done a small, self produced solo album, but it wasn’t until I started playing my own songs with my brothers that it really came together for me. we’d always played together, but just fun stuff like johnny cash and merle haggard tunes, we never attempted any originals together until fairly recently.
Ch.L.: What inspired you to become an artist?
Hunter Winchester: Well what got us together as a band was that we all went to a You Am I gig in Cairns a while back, and towards the end of that great show, the singer Tim Rogers tells everyone how we are making beautiful art together tonight and that we all should go out an get a little band together and do likewise. We totally got it and thought, well, why the hell not. Thanks Timmy.
Ch.L.: What inspired you to become a songwriter?
Hunter Winchester: I’d always fooled around with writing songs from an early age, but it was literally wearing out a copy of Richard Clapton’s first album -Prussian Blue that inspired me to look at my songwriting as serious self expression. That album just spoke to me so loudly.
Ch.L.: What drives you?
Hunter Winchester: i don’t know really. Maybe the desire to try and get that sound I hear in my head down on tape. I just know I’m happiest when I’m writing, recording and playing music.
Ch.L.: What does it take to be a country star?
Hunter Winchester: i think everyone who makes the effort to write a heartfelt song or get up on a stage is a star.
Ch.L.: What’s unique about you that differentiates you from other artists?
Hunter Winchester: I’m not sure. Vernon’s pretty unique on his own, and he’ll tell you so. I guess the fact that the songs are so different from normal fare, plus Vernon’s brilliant playing and Griffin’s amazing production all adds up to three crazy cowboys from the wilds of the far north of Australia who play their own velvet hillbilly brand of country music .
Ch.L.: What has been your greatest challenge in music business?
Hunter Winchester: Keeping Vernon out of trouble when we’re on the road
Ch.L.: When you get time off, how do you like to relax?
Hunter Winchester: Griffin likes to make guitar pedals and amps for fun, I tend to write and travel, and Vernon is either watching sport, seriously partying until he drops, or preferably both at the same time.
Ch.L.: What Private hopes and desires do you have?
Hunter Winchester: it would be nice to take the band to the States and Europe for a few shows.
Ch.L.: What can your fans expect to see when they see you in concert?
Hunter Winchester: When we play a concert show, we play as a seven piece with pedal steel, piano, bass and drums as part of the band. The three brothers play acoustic and electric guitars, keys, mandolin, lap steel, harmonica and banjo and handle all the vocals.
We also do a number of shows as an acoustic three piece which we really enjoy as well.
Ch.L.: When you’re on tour, do you have time to play tourist?
Hunter Winchester: you’ll usually find us wandering around jmusic shops and book stores and looking for local live music to see in most places we go to.
Ch.L.: Many music fans today get their information about artists via the internet. Do you have your own website and what will fans find there?
Hunter Winchester: yep. Griffin looks after most of our web presence requirements. He’s always updating photos and information on the various sites. So if you get a chance, join us on facebook or myspace and come visit the continually evolving website.
Ch.L.: Tell us about the fan club and how people can join it.
Answer: if anyone would like to be a Friend of the Brothers, just drop us line via the website and one of us will be sure to get back to you real soon with a personal response.
Ch.L.: What’s the best compliment a fan has ever given you?
Hunter Winchester: Someone commented on our myspace page recently – “When i listen to your music i think of that Kristofferson film with the Dylan music, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid”.
Ch.L.: What’s your favorite song that you wish you could have recorded?
Hunter Winchester: Gram Parsons – Brass Buttons
Ch.L.. What message would you like to send your European fans?
Hunter Winchester: Apart from our home country, our most supportive audience is in Europe, and we’d like to thank everyone for their interest in some strange but honest songs by three crazy brothers from the wilds of Alligator Creek in far northern Australia.
Ch.L.: How do you feel about being winner in the Top End Folk Festival Songwriting Competition… and what has it done for your career?
Hunter Winchester: I’m not a big fan of competitions, but a friend of mine recorded one of my songs, entered the competition with out me knowing, and won a major prize. Nice surprise though.
Ch.L.: Fans are always hungry for good road stories. Do you have one you can tell?
Hunter Winchester: seriously if we told some of our adventures on the road, especially with Vernon, I think we’d be in really big trouble. And if that irate husband from our last gig in Bowen ever catches up with him, he’s really going to be in trouble.
Christian Lamitschka
( Ch.Lamitschka@t-online.de )
www.MySpace.com/ChristianLamitschka