Orientation ’05 sees Fur Patrol frontwoman Julia Deans playing all by her lonesome. Christopher Bishop emailed her to ask why – and some other stuff – and here’s what she had to say…
Christopher Bishop: Why the solo tour? Where’s Fur Patrol?
Julia Deans: Well, it’s actually only one date at the end of a few shows with Fur Patrol, so I wouldn’t call it a tour… Unless you’re referring to the shows I did
In Jan with John Butler? A long time ago in a city not so very far away at all, I’d been playing my songs solo for some time and decided I needed some company up there alone on the stage, and thus Fur Patrol was formed. But now they’ve started to smell bad… nah, I’ve been doing a few random solo gigs for a while and i want to do more. I really enjoy them – a certain level of honesty and vulnerability as there’s nothing to hide behind. It also helps me with song writing.
CB: Will we be hearing Fur Patrol songs or Julia Deans solo material?
JD: A bit of a combo – plus some new songs that are either furry works-in-progress or yet-to-be-furred.
CB: When can we expect another Fur Patrol album and tour of New Zealand?
JD: We’re currently working on our next album – in fact we’ve got a week without gigs in Welly so we’re locking ourselves away to do some writing in our old hometown. Yay!
CB: How’s it going in Australia? Have you been getting good reactions from the press and the punters?
JD: We’ve been pretty quiet lately, gig-wise. Just working on new stuff and getting used to the fit of our new three-piece-suit… We’ve done about four shows like this now, and everyone seems to love it – it’s quite stripped back, a lot more raw. Which for me ties in with the whole solo performance thing.
CB: Is the coffee better in Wellington or Melbourne?
JD: Fortunately there’s a wee cafe in Fitzroy (where I live) called Atomica that delivers the goods with a wink and a cheeky grin (just how I like it). But nothing puts the hairs on my chest like the brew from Fidel’s!
CB: Do you like The Shins and are you excited about appearing with them?
JD: I have to be perfectly honest here and admit I’ve heard none of their music yet. They don’t let me out much. How embarrassing. But yes, I am excited about the show, I’ve heard nothing but good things about them.
CB: It’s 4am and you’re ravenous in Wellington: Where do you go?
JD: If it’s 4 in the morning and I’m still out and about, I doubt I’m hungry.
CB: Do you have much contact with other Kiwi musicians in Australia? Is a tight-knit community?
JD: We all look out for each other, and there’s a lot of helping-out that goes on in lending gear, couches to sleep on etc when passing through/moving over. I think it’s just that thing that people do for their fellow countrymen when on foreign soil.
CB: Who do you think is the most exciting band in New Zealand at the moment?
JD: Fuck, that’s a tough one (given how many exciting NZ bands are NOT at home right now!). I haven’t been in NZ nearly enough lately, so I feel a little removed… However, I got hold of a copy of the new SIGNER album The New Face of Smiling and… Well… Beautiful. And I’ve heard The Accelerants’ album is to be released soon, I’m really looking forward to hearing that too. We’ll be out to catch some more new bands while we’re in NZ.
CB: What are you most looking forward to doing when you get back to Wellington?
JD: Drinking wine with my friends.