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"Same sad story. That's a fact. One step up and two steps back." Some beautiful painful words within one of Springsteen's many classics. Far from taking steps back, equaling Bruce's raw earnest beauty, Melbourne, Australia's Nigel B. Swifte has forged a nourishing journey documented within his lovely 'Pale Yellow Moon.' In his inaugural trip to Japan, the "what you see, what you get" from this old, yet young surfing soul, Nigel had plenty to share before paddling away under a coincidentally moonlit Tokyo:
-Since you're a surfer also, when dawn comes, what do you pick, the board or the guitar? NS : (grinning wide) Yeah...Well, the guitar is getting picked more at the moment. -- (Laughing) NS : But it's been winter back home. You know. I'm a bit lazy. I don't surf much even though we have much better surf in winter. It's about an hour and half drive. The surf report is much better these days so you check on the web, which is good, but my commitments, you know, I'm trying to make the music thing happen, concentrating on that, managing myself. You know, I'll be surfing more in summer. I'll take the guitar as well and a tent. -- How much sleep did you get while making the album? NS : Well... It was a huge learning experience this album because I recorded it myself um mostly and I wrote it myself, produced it myself and mixed it myself there in my home studio. 
-- For you with the beauty of friendship, how has your music been your friend?
NS : Ah, it's probably been my closest friend a lot of the time. It's funny that you mentioned that 'cuz I get inspired by some of my friends actually. A lot of my friends in Melbourne are dear to my heart. And some of my songwriting has been inspired by them definitely, but my music has been my friend 'cuz um, it's ah, it takes me away from the reality of a situation. It lets me... vent things, vocalize things that I normally couldn't communicate. It's let me get things out of my system that are either emotionally killing me or making me really happy. You know, it's a companion that way. I also have a piano. -- An upright? NS : Actually (grinning) yes. I bought it back home for $300. There's an auction house down the road from my parents house and I went in there one day, they had an old piano and I said to the guy, "How much does a piano go for normally?" And he said, "Between this much and this much." And I said, "How about I put $300 on this one." He said, "You can leave the bid and if you get it, I'll call you up." So I said, "What are my chances?" He said, "Not much." 2 days later, I got a call, "Come pick up your piano (huge grin)." The reason why I mentioned it is. The guitar is something easy for me. Well, I mean, it's very familiar. Sometimes you get caught up in your own knowledge or your own technical ability. For me, sometimes if I sit down with the piano, it's a very emotive link. It's almost a better frame than my guitar because the emotional state wherever I am comes out because I really don't know what I am doing. Like a child finger painting I guess. -- What is the flipside to your best friend? NS : (Grinning sheepishly) Yeah, well, my friends are always complaining that when I go to a concert that instead of relaxing, I'll be examining the technical ability or the production. Or gee, I wish they fixed that microphone or fixed that light. Because I produce my music as well as a sound engineer and a guitar player and songwriter, I have to go through this kind of, sometimes, I have to go through a process. -- So how do you rank those different positions? What gets priority? NS : Well, it used to be the sound quality, but that's not so important anymore. It's more of the emotional content, the soul I think. The feeling behind it, whether it's real or not. |
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--> Part 2 Interview by michael and photo by Jonathon Chong & Lisa Williams |
 mag files : Nigel B. Swifte interview : Good Music Festival Purveyor (06/11/01) : interview by michael |
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The official site Nigel B. Swifte http://www.nigelswifte.com The local label site http://www.entak.jp The latest album  "Pale Yellow Moon" (domestic ) |
check the albums?
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 2006Never Drifting, Wide Awake, Reassuring You're Not Alone In These Stormy Seas : U2 (30th Nov. @ Saitama Super Arena)When you're up on the stage. It's so unbelievable! Oh...unforgettable! : Roger Joseph Manning JR (30th Oct. @ Shibuya Club Quattro)CD review : the book about my idle plot on a vague : toe (27th Sept.)CD review : Yes, Virginia (Japanese edition) : The Dresden Dolls (23rd Sept.)CD review : Yell Fire! : Michael Franti & Spearhead (18th Sept.)interview : Discoursing aplenty on futures for themselves and you : Dirk Tourette of Towers Of London (14th Sept.)CD review : Broadcast to the World : Zebrahead (29th Aug.)CD review : Eight Rare Cases : henrytennis (25th Aug.)CD review : You've got cousins : Meryll (25th Aug.)Seville's Deep Nocturnal Vibrancy Illuminated in Global Premiere : Maria Pages Company (15th May @ Shibuya Orchard Hall)Brokenspace Wholly Undo All In A Crisp, Crystallizing Coalescence : Brokenspace (13th May @ Shin-Koenji Club Liner)CD review : Static Trampoline (Japan deluxe) : Chris Pierce (6th May.)Happy When It Rains As Havana Comes To Tokyo : Ska Cubano (2nd May @ Roppongi Hills Arena)CD review : 4 : Gerling (28th Apr.)No Monkey Business In The Riding Giants Of This Tripartite : Jack Johnson with Coasta and ALO (15th Apr. @ Makuhari Messe)Making It All Worthwhile All Natural : Go Jimmy Go (6th Apr. @ Shibuya Lush)CD review : Island Sounds : Go Jimmy Go (21st Mar.)CD review : United Paper People : Kisschasy (12th Mar.)CD review : Eyes Open : Snow Patrol (12th Mar.)CD review : Clap Your Hands Say Yeah : Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (6th Mar.)Reprise Affirms An Eternal Sonic Youth Within And Without : Dinosaur Jr. (26th Feb. @ Shibuya AX)Happy And You'd Know It With Their Eyes Wide Open : Snow Patrol (21st Feb. @ Daikanyama Unit)No Denying They Help Us Have It Much Better : Franz Ferdinand (10th Feb. @ Nippon Budokan)Continuing To Give Their Nordic Good Frequencies : Royksopp (1st Feb. @ Shibuya AX)Making Heads Turn, Ears Perk And Feet Happy With Ease : Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (24th Jan. @ Shibuya Club Quattro)2005Cross-Generational Yuletide Confections For Birthday Cheer : Shonen Knife & Beat Crusaders (18th Dec. @ Harajuku Astro Hall)A Sort Of Homecoming For These Pilgrims : Feeder (8th Nov. @ Shibuya AX)CD review : Abuzeek : Farida's Cafe (16th Oct.)Bright Northern Lights In This Big City : The Marble Index (13th Oct. @ Harajuku Astro Hall)Leaders Of Men...The Park's Urban Flight Gives An Inoculation To Fear : Maximo Park (6th Oct. @ Liquidroom Ebisu)Tales Of Codependence Score A T.K.O. In Tokyo : Aimee Mann (3rd Oct. @ Liquidroom Ebisu)All The Way Mad, All The Way Hyped And Rightfully So : Armand Van Helden / Santos (30th Sept. @ Shin-Kiba aGeha)CD review : The Warrior's Code : Dropkick Murphys (22nd Sept.)Carefree Curiosity Fuels This Feline Far From Home : Anna Nalick (22nd Sept. @ Shibuya Quattro)Mellow Post-Juno Transmissions In The East From The Great White North : Feist (21st Sept. @ Shibuya Quattro)-->and more |