Chatting with Our Carlson
This month I’m trying something new! It’s an interview with an artist I really like, Our Carlson. Who Am I? I’m Ben Searle and I’m a stand-up comic/human person from Melbourne with hopes, dreams, and a credit card. I use this Newsletter to write about things that don’t fit stand up and sometimes explore the big stuff.
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Our Carlson Interview
I became aware of Carlson heading to shows at The Arthouse in Melbourne. At the time, Carlson was the singer of Melbourne hardcore band King Brown! After that band wrapped up, I saw him at the shows of bands like Fuck It I Quit (featuring all the members of King Brown! bar him) and the mighty Mindsnare, among others. We didn’t meet until some years later through our mutual friend Callum Preston. We bumped into each other around the traps, then chatted a bit over Instagram about my little pandemic project Talkin’ Biscotti and then about the old bands, the 2000’s hardcore scene, and his project Our Carlson.
Our Carlson (Like ‘Our Kylie’) is based in Blackwood, Victoria; 89 kilometers northwest of Melbourne. The project is self-described as Epileptic Dance Music. Our Carlson started back in 2017, then songs start popping up on Bandcamp in lockdown 2020, then the debut EP ‘A Bit Much’ in January 2021 featuring the breakout single ‘Kickon’ along with other classics ‘Cappo Dog’, ‘Eastern Standard Time’, ‘Ideology’, ‘Ain't Too Great Mate’, and ‘Thinking About It’. The first show was supporting Cash Savage and the Last Drinks at the Forum; a small gig to kick off. I caught him in a more intimate setting down at Old Bar earlier this year, the crowd a mix of old punks and young techno kids.
If you haven’t listened already, I think you’ll really I sent him a couple of questions to answer for my newsletter this month, enjoy!
When did you start working on Our Carlson? How long was it between making the songs and playing a show?
The start of O.C. was around 2017 and the first show was on Sat January 30th, 2020 with Cash Savage and The Last Drinks and Blake Scott at The Forum, so it was a fair while between the two. I didn't really know if I would play live when it all started. I really enjoy creating a sound before anyone knows what you are about, there is more freedom and no expectations, my own and other people’s.
Something I really love is your references in your lyrics, Steve Montigetti, Gary Ablett, and just the way you say “shit, it’s bright in here”. What’s your process like for writing lyrics? Are you sitting down at a desk? Cruising around in the car thinking about stuff?
The Monas reference is from Ain't Too Great Mate, that was the first song I wrote and it kinda just fell out of me. I was feeling helpless and very frustrated. Something was playing on the stezza and I started to get this “Mona-logue” “running” through my head. I hit record on my device and blurted the whole thing out while pacing around the house. I showed Izzy Stabs and we started working on a track for it. It all stemmed from there.
The Garry Ablett bit is a true story about 10 year old me meeting the great man. My sister still has the autograph, I think it reads “To Beck, God bless, Garry Ablett”. I was thinking about ideologies and faith and when I think about God my mind always goes to the great man.
“Shit, it's bright in here” is because I think we need more lamps in bathrooms.
I don't have any set way to write lyrics, they just pop into my head. References can relate to things from my childhood, jokes with friends, something I have read. The shower has always been a good place for lyrics but yeah driving, cooking, a conversation could set something off. I might write something down that someone was going on about at the pub and go back to it later. Listening to music sets me off a bit too. I’m pretty much never sitting down at a desk or “trying to write”. I often have a small “ideas notebook'' on me and just write down a word or a phrase. If that isn’t handy a voice note works too, often with a lot of pacing around the place.
In 'Ain’t Too Great, Mate’ and ‘Thinking about it’ you give us a first-person view of your epilepsy experience. For me, it distills that general fear of getting older, taking medication, and having to do shit to get your head right. Did writing the song help you deal with that?
Our Carlson started as a therapy tool for me to deal with epilepsy and it's been a revelation. As soon as I yelled Ain't Too Great Mate into my device I felt lighter and a little less shackled to epilepsy, so yeah 100% it helped me deal with everything.
When were you diagnosed with epilepsy?
I was diagnosed in 2016. That happens after your second seizure; the first one I had was in 2015. Some people will have a one-off seizure in their life. It's not diagnosed as epilepsy until your second seizure, and a shit load of tests, technical shit.
Can you use a chainsaw now?
Yeah, I'm good to drive and use a chainsaw now. You lose your licence for 6 months after a seizure and I was advised not to use a chainsaw and a bunch of other stuff. I understand the driving but if I wanna use a chainsaw it's my body ya know?
Did the Triple M whisper influence the way you say ‘epilepsy’ in the song?
My apprenticeship was all Triple M, maybe Gold on a Friday so it's in there. Dan Meleki, the 90s race caller is also a big influence on my delivery. Fuck horse racing, but I popped into the T.A.B. every Saturday morning with my Dad in the 90s and Nan loved a punt too. Sarah Mary Chadwick inspired me to write the most brutally honest lyrics I could.
You look comfortable on stage, does being on stage come naturally to you? Was it always something you liked? How do you feel when you are up there?
I've always liked attention, to be honest, school was fun for that, making people laugh or feel something. I’ve naturally performed in different ways from a young age, some more positive than others. I’ve also learned how to do it along the way, very DIY, just playing in bands or noticing what I like and what feels good. On stage, I feel an energy that's hard to find under this capitalist regime. Sometimes it takes me a while to work out what the fucks just happened and that's cool. Other times I get into trying to crack the crowd and get them moving, letting them feel comfortable enough to let their guard and their hair down.
I only caught the tail end of King Brown! but you guys and then Fuck It I Quit were sort of doing something I hadn’t seen in Melbourne hardcore at the time, which was ‘not take yourself so seriously’. Did it just come naturally subverting that or was it a conscious thing?
Yeah, I think that's just how we were when we hung out and when we jammed. The first few shows were pretty stock, then I cracked a joke and liked the response. People looked kind of shocked. Then Cheyne (bass) joined and we were off. It was a pretty big hole in the market at the time.
Do you still feel connected to that scene in any meaningful way? Did your time in the hardcore scene inform what you do now musically?
I have lifelong friends from that scene and when I go to a show (usually Mindsnare or something Stooks is touring around with) it always feels like a bit of a family reunion. I think my delivery and definitely the way I move on stage have been influenced by time in that scene. I’d like to see if I can get on the bill for some all-age hardcore shows, see what the kids reckon.
What have been your favourite moments seeing Mindsnare play?
The feeling in the pit for the 5 minutes before they come on then “Kish Kish Kish Kish”, shut the gates.
King Brown! Playing with them at The Arthouse will forever be the biggest show I have played.
“In Bunbury” was one of the more unhinged nights of my life. Can't remember much about Mindsnare.
You’re out in Blackwood, has living out in the bush changed your perspective on life and music?
My perspective on life probably hasn't changed that much due to living in the country, although I’m a lot more tolerant towards people with different opinions to mine. My lifestyle has changed a lot though, hanging out with a diverse age range of people, more time outside in nature, more sleep and less 4am finishes. I hope that's pretty healthy. Musically, my exposure to the old-time/bluegrass/Appalachian mountain/Irish music scene out here and the whole way that community digests and shares music is pretty inspiring.
How many different houses have you lived in? Which ones have been your favourites?
I have lived officially in 6 houses. My sweetheart Ray and I lived in a basement apartment in Vancouver for a few years and that kinda felt like a movie. Our Footscray house saw a few bangin’ parties, but our place here Blackwood has to be my favourite.
Do you think there is something more to life than what we see? I find myself thinking a lot about the universe these days and life after death.
The Death was release in 2004 so we have been living in a post-death world for a while as far as I’m concerned.
Punching through on DMT and looking at a mandarin tree will make you question a few things. Organised religion is a scam. I don't mind a bit of meditation. Meridian lines and acupressure seem to help me at the moment. I’m just living for today at the moment mate, but ask me tomorrow I might have a different answer.
What are your plans for Our Carlson? What’s next once things open up in Vic? Do you see yourself performing for a while?
As soon as I can get in a studio with Pat Telfer we will record a new 12” 45. The tracks are all pretty much done, I just gotta chuck some raw slabs of emotion over the top. Then I do want to gig gig gig, hopefully more and longer tours. We are looking to get back to Broken Hill when that's safe for everyone.
Our Carlson will keep going for as long as it inspires me, but I’ll always make music whether it's in a lounge room, a venue or a karaoke machine rendition of ‘Tenterfield Saddler’ - I'll be kicking out the jams.
Listen to Our Carlson at ourcarlson.bandcamp.com
Follow him on Instagram instagram.com/our.carlson
Big thanks to Carlson for the interview.
Content Corner
A few things I’ve been enjoying this last month and a bit.
Listen - Chongo Bongo 6 Playlist
New playlist from me :)
Watch - Joe Pera Talks With You
I’m a bit late to the party on Joe Pera Talks With You, but it’s just what I needed at this stage of lockdown. Super funny, heartfelt, and sincere. In each episode, Joe talks to you about something important to him. For the few episodes it feels like an anthology series, but a narrative starts to appear through the first season which is really very sweet. I hadn’t heard of Joe Pera before, but the show also stars comics you might know Connor O’Malley and Jo Firestone; they also co-wrote & produced. It’s truely something incredibly special. It’s a perfect feel good show.
That’s it for this month! I was going to include a little update on what is happening with me, but decided I’d overshared a bit much in the last few months and wanted to let the Our Carlson interview be the focus. I hope you enjoyed it!
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