Mick Harvey
Preface by Ashlee Elfman
Interview by Ashlee Elfman and Christine Dunleavy

If you're reading this interview, then you are most likely familiar with Mick Harvey's almost lifelong collaboration with Nick Cave. Chances are you've heard his robust and soul wrenching guitar style that accompanies Cave's visions and vocals so well. But aside from his work with The Birthday Party and The Bad Seeds, Mick Harvey has put out four unique and gorgeous albums over the years. His first two solo endeavors are comprised of distinctive Serge Gainsbourg covers sung in English. These were followed by two albums of eclectic covers and Mick Harvey originals, One Man's Treasure and his most recent output, Two of Diamonds. His covers pay homage and respect to their original counterparts, and yet are given a new and vital life through Harvey's interpretations. His vocals are as deep and buttery as his guitar stylings, but he doesn't just play the guitar, he's a multi-instrumentalist who can play the drums, bass and keyboard as well. He's also produced other musicians including PJ Harvey and Anita Lane, and has worked on quite a few film soundtracks including Chopper and The Ghosts of the Civil Dead. Not to mention his integral role in Crime and the City Solution, the greatly underrated dark and enigmatic group led by Simon Bonney.
It's immensely hard to try to reduce this man's accomplishments to a mere paragraph or two, and in truth he's one musician who's repertoire is truly intimidating.

 

I’ve always wanted to know what pushed The Boys Next Door, which was a relatively harmless New Wave outfit, into completely dangerous, unhinged territory. How was The Birthday Party borne from The Boys Next Door?

* The Boys Next Door began as a punk band which had evolved out of the band we had at school. In the early days we were not really so harmless but through ’78 and ’79 we went through a developmental period looking for styles and sounds that we could take somewhere different and make our own. I like to think of that time as our apprenticeship. We played some real crap too. I think the experience of being in London and having to start from scratch re-focussed us and rekindled our dormant fury and we were then able to adapt many of the musical areas we had dabbled with into this harder attitude. Or so it would seem from this distance.

You were also in the seminal band Crime and the City Solution with fellow Birthday Party member Rowland S. Howard, and you were recently featured on the Rowland S. Howard tribute album put out by Stagger Records singing a version of his song, “I Ate The Knife”. Is this a relationship that persists today?

* We don’t speak often but then he has been quite unwell lately. I also played on his solo album ‘Teenage Snuff Film’ back in ’99 or whenever. He’s a bit of a recluse but we usually get on well if we get together.

You recently put out a four track record with a project called The Wallbangers on Bang! Records. The album is only available on vinyl and the songs are pretty vintage sounding in their straightforward, all guitars on deck design. Can you tell us more about The Wallbangers? Can we expect any more releases?

* I think you summarized the project quite clearly there. Not sure if I’ll do anything else with it, although just recently I started having a couple of song ideas in that direction…..might make another EP if anything unworthwhile comes to me.

Two notable Australian musicians worked with you on The Wallbangers EP, Loene Carmen and Tex Perkins. It seems that there’s a certain camaraderie between a lot of Australian musicians, would you say that this is an accurate assumption?

* Yes.

What are your thoughts on Nick Cave’s latest project Grinderman? It’s really the first project of his that you haven't been involved in.

* I like the album. I think it grows on you. On first listen I wasn’t sure about what they were up to but it’s turned out to be a very positive venture - in many ways. Nick has obviously not written his best lyrics or used his best lyrical ideas for the project but no doubt that came from the concept behind the group. I thoroughly recommend seeing them live if you get the chance. But you might have to be lucky!

It seems that the band The Loved Ones has had an impact on quite a few artists. You do a version of their song “Sad Dark Eyes” on your most recent album Two Of Diamonds. I know in the past Nick Cave has recorded a version of “Sad Dark Eyes” with Die Haut and The Birthday Party are known to have done a version, also Ed Kuepper of The Saints fame has performed a version of the song. What is it about The Loved Ones, or the song “Sad Dark Eyes” that means so much…especially to Australian musicians?

Photographs by Katrina Beale

* Well, actually I recorded the studio version of it with Die Haut. Nick did the live one. Not sure what it is, it’s just a song that keeps coming up. They had a few, The Loved Ones. We actually tried a version of another song of theirs, “Everlovin’ Man” for ‘Kicking Against The Pricks’ but we never finished it.

You’ve produced both PJ Harvey and Anita Lane...two very distinctive performers. What about these women piqued your interest?

* Piqued my interest? Anita is a very old friend who I simply found myself working with over the years until eventually we decided to do some more substantial recordings together. Polly has always asked me to work with HER, though of course it’s always a pleasure and something I was naturally interested in.

You were the one who coordinated, compiled and mixed The Abattoir Blues Tour cd and dvd. What was it like to be so involved behind the scenes in this way?

* I’m always doing all that stuff and am involved in all of those aspects with new releases as well, you know, the production and the management side. I’ve always done that work. So, it was business as usual really.

You seem to be such a necessary member of The Bad Seeds….after all, you’ve been there since the very beginning. Do you feel that your role has changed within the band over the years?

* Definitely. Back in the ‘80’s I was Producer, Arranger, Manager, Tour Manager, Accountant! These days my duties are much pared down. I’m still involved in the first 3 areas though even those are much reduced in quantity. Thank God!

Your first two solo albums, “Intoxicated Man” and “Pink Elephants” are comprised of English versions of Serge Gainsbourg songs, was it this love of Serge Gainsbourg’s music that inspired you to pursue a solo career? Or were other forces at work?

* I’m not sure I am pursuing a solo career. I’m involved in lots of different things. Some with bands, some with singers, others involving film music. Sometimes these projects carry my name, at other times I’m part of a collective and now and then I’m “in the background”. Whilst the projects which bear my name probably have a special meaning for me I am as concerned to make any project I’m involved with as good as possible. They are all equally important to me. In a way they are all my solo career.

You’ve done work on quite a few soundtracks. What differentiates cutting an album and recording a soundtrack or movie score?

* Words not pictures.

What was the inspiration behind your most recent album “Two of Diamonds”? Can you tell us a bit about it?

* It was really a continuation of the idea behind ‘One Man’s Treasure’. Just me presenting songs of my choice. Once you move into second and third albums and beyond, a common occurrence is the next album being a reaction to or a development on the previous one. In this case it was using my live band to record most of the material where I had played everything myself on the first album. Consequently it has a more organic sound. I have the feeling a third album will be quite different. Perhaps I’ve gotten basic song interpretation out of my system.

Your solo concerts have been very well received. Is there any chance that your fans in America will be graced by your presence any time soon?

*Well, that would be great. If there’s any interested promoters out there reading this…….

Are there any current musicians that have been attracting your attention? Or are there any albums that you can’t stop listening to lately, old or new?

*No, just the usual suspects. They’re listed on my Myspace. Though the new James Cruickshank album is pretty unusual .

Do you have any words of wisdom for our readers?

*As Einstein said, “Past and Future remain an illusion, no matter how persuasive”, or something like that.

 

Mick Harvey's Myspace
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