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Name the Excessive Llamas a gaggle if you happen to’d like. However there’s been little doubt over the previous 32 years that the Llamas start and finish with Sean O’Hagan. Way back to the late ’80s, when he was nonetheless a member of Microdisney, O’Hagan was toying with what would turn into the Excessive Llamas’ signature anti-formula (so to talk). His masterpiece is 2003’s Beet, Maize & Corn, on which the Excessive Llamas ceased to turn into something remotely resembling a traditional band. Take into account it O’Hagan’s reply to the Seaside Boys’ Smile, with its orchestral grace, exact preparations and theatrical pacing. It’s the album that noticed him respiration the identical rarified air as apparent influences like Brian Wilson.
20 years later, the most recent Excessive Llamas LP, Hey Panda (Drag Metropolis), finds the 64-year-old O’Hagan in a a lot completely different place, his artistic holding sample goosed by a number of latest sounds from artists he realized about by way of his grownup kids. Born in England to Irish mother and father, O’Hagan spent his teen years in Cork, the second largest metropolis within the Republic of Eire. Today, he lives in London, the place MAGNET engaged him in a prolonged dialog about the whole lot from the battle in Gaza to his run-in with the Seaside Boys to Excessive Llamas superfan Tyler The Creator.
What’s your tackle the boycott at this yr’s South By Southwest Music Convention? Nearly all of the Irish bands refused to carry out after they found the occasion was sponsored by the U.S. Military and weapons producer RTX.
I grew to become conscious of it when just a few individuals I do know pulled out. One of many extra high-profile ones was Gruff Rhys (Tremendous Furry Animals). For him, it was an enormous factor, as a result of the report he’s obtained proper now (Unhappiness Units Me Free on Tough Commerce) will in all probability be his most profitable solo album. And taking part in within the U.S. would’ve been very, essential.
I’m going to be very cautious right here as a result of I haven’t spoken about Palestine in any of those interviews. I’m initially Irish, however I don’t have a stake on this recreation, aside from I need to see an finish to the violence and humanity restored. This has nothing to do with Islam or the Jewish religion. That is purely a couple of group of individuals in Israel who’re supremacists. For one cause or one other, I truthfully imagine they’re making an attempt to enact famine on a area. They’ve plans for Gaza, and these persons are going to observe that by way of so long as sanctions aren’t held towards their actions. The Palestinian persons are victims, however so are democratic Israelis who’ve been subjected to fascism in their very own nation.
This concept of occupying a land that’s mainly your homeland continues to be very a lot with the Irish individuals. It’s nonetheless younger. The entire thought for the State of Israel was created by a man names Lord Balfour. He was British aristocrat who labored with what was the Zionist motion again then. He realized that having to combine the State of Israel with mandated Palestinians could be difficult. However he knew they might do it as a result of they’d executed it earlier than—particularly in Eire during the last 200 or 300 years. They transplanted Scottish Presbyterians to Northern Eire, ensuring the Catholic majority already there have been despatched to the west of Eire. However the west had very poor soil, and so individuals couldn’t survive there. The famine occurred, and folks died. Whereas the British have been doing that, they have been additionally utilizing the impoverished individuals within the west of Eire as indentured labor of their Caribbean plantations. That’s just a bit little bit of historical past.
Getting again to the current, do you miss the times when the Excessive Llamas have been a extra lively stay band?
These few years within the late Nineteen Nineties once we have been touring so much have been the golden days. We’d managed to emerge from interval I actually didn’t take pleasure in—this glut of rock. We’d been combating the enormity of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. However once we got here out of that, there have been some actually attention-grabbing issues occurring. Nineties hip hop was actually kicking off. Stereolab made Dots And Loops, which I imagine was a game-changing report. Folks have been actually making an attempt to make issues occur onstage, even when the expertise they have been utilizing was actually clunky. However then touring grew to become inconceivable for many U.Ok. bands when the visa prices completely exploded. Then Iraq occurred. Visa prices have remained excessive.
Then you might have Beet, Maize & Corn, an album that’s subsequent to inconceivable to play stay.
I’d simply had my first baby, and we didn’t suppose we might afford to make data, so I did as a lot as I might at residence and went into small studios to do the strings and brass. It was an album with out a lot drumming. I used to be listening to issues like Benjamin Britten on the time. I used to be making an attempt to seize the essence of German lieder. It appeared like a disastrous profession transfer on the time. However it wasn’t such a loopy factor, as a result of not lengthy after that album, there have been quite a lot of bands utilizing fats brass, ukes and assembled voices. Folks like Sufjan Stevens and early Fleet Foxes. I’d name it non secular indie.
Beet, Maize & Corn additionally touched off a rash of Brian Wilson comparisons. You nearly had a chance to collaborate with him, right?
It might’ve labored out. I might’ve pushed it. That was a very long time in the past: 1996. I used to be within the room with him a number of occasions. I didn’t really feel as if he was operating his personal life. If individuals got here to him with concepts, I don’t suppose he understood the complete consequence of partaking with that concept.
The explanation it almost occurred was as a result of Richard Branson had simply began V2 Data, and he needed a giant signing. (The Seaside Boys’) Bruce Johnston had heard (the Excessive Llamas’) Hawaii, and he obtained in contact with Richard with the concept that the Seaside Boys could possibly be his massive signing they usually might make their subsequent nice report. I discovered myself being shuttled backwards and forwards to the States, being launched to attorneys, the band, Brian, (his spouse) Melinda. I used to be coached on the best way to cope with these individuals and the best way to push the appropriate buttons. Mainly, I used to be launched to American royalty—and I used to be fairly shocked by the entire thing. I used to be very home particular person, and I used to be all of a sudden in film land. It was mad. I wasn’t certain whether or not Brian was fully on board. At the moment, I didn’t really feel like there was a construction or a plan.
Carl (Wilson) died not lengthy afterwards. I had an incredible assembly with him the place he actually needed it to occur. He needed me to put in writing and produce, and he needed the Llamas guys to be on the report. He stated a really attention-grabbing factor to me on the time: “No matter it was we knew that made us nice collectively, we don’t know what that’s now—and we depend on individuals such as you.” Al (Jardine) was actually optimistic about it; Bruce was fairly bold about it; Mike (Love) was very tough. Then we’d go to those attorneys’ workplaces in L.A., on the very best flooring with the largest chairs and the perfect views, and these guys would actually be swinging round of their chairs saying, “It would by no means occur!”
A ton of latest influences discovered their approach on Hey Panda—even Auto-Tune.
Oh, yeah. Auto-Tune is in every single place. I’d been listening to Pharrell (Williams), Tyler The Creator and Solange (Knowles) since 2015 and was actually into it massively. However as an outdated Irish man, I didn’t really feel I had the understanding or the latitude to do a report like that. I felt as if I’d be appropriating. However then I started to listen to a lot extra of what I see as this lovely hybrid. It’s like bed room indie hip hop crossed with dream pop. I woke as much as the truth that this music is totally modern. There doesn’t appear to be any irony or post-modernism. It’s actually music of the time. In reality, it’s not simply music of the time … I feel we’re in a little bit of golden age. Us outdated guys should exit, see these individuals, purchase their data and speak about them.
Apparently, Tyler The Creator is a giant fan of yours.
He likes the Llamas, yeah. I used to be fortunate to do a rating for this man named Owen Kline for a film referred to as Humorous Pages, a darkish, tough movie. Tyler was at (a screening), and he got here out and immediately stated the rating was wonderful. He loves (2007’s) Can Cladders and (2011’s) Talahomi Method, and he’s a large fan of the tune “Dorothy Ashby.”
Did you latch onto somebody youthful for assist with Hey Panda?
I made Hey Panda with Ben Garrett from Fryars. He mainly introduced me into the current, massive time. I did the report God Melodies (2021) with him—he requested me as a result of he beloved my preparations. The entire thing began in 2018 once I was within the studio with him. I additionally labored with Rae Morris, Ben’s spouse, on her report (2022’s Rachel@Fairyland). I got here out of these two initiatives with this contemporary data and this new ambition. I used to be listening to Tierra Whack’s Whack World, Pivot Gang and stuff like that. I used to be extra excited than I’d been in years.
Hey Panda is actually a really completely different report than your final one, 2016’s Right here Come The Rattling Bushes.
For Rattling Bushes, I used to be writing for theater as a result of I actually thought I couldn’t have an effect as a recent musician anymore. Then, after working with Ben, I used to be considering, “There’s this actually vibrant and joyous factor occurring. If I can do it at this age, I’ll be actually blissful.”
Hey Panda nonetheless seems like a Excessive Llamas album. You’re nonetheless in there.
Completely. That’s mainly as a result of I write on a piano and a nylon-string guitar. Anybody else would go the place the melody leads, however I attempt to convey the listener to a really completely different place. I don’t need to depart individuals struggling for air. However I do need to introduce one thing that makes them go, “Woah, what was that?” Then, the second time you take heed to, it feels pure. You shock them for a minute, after which it turns into pop music.
—Hobart Rowland
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