CHAT - installment 2

From Garden Shed recordings and crazy roadtrips to Melbourne, this week i catch up with Keyboard/Accordian whiz Michael Carney.



Mike McCarthy
Alright Mr Carney, so i'm vaguely recalling a recording session in a garden shed, you were there weren't you?

Michael Carney
yes that's the first time I played with you

Mike
and we were recording for Wisdom is Delight. So was that your first 'gig' with me?

Michael
yes, under the pump from the get go.

Mike
nice... i do recall thinking i must be crazy to get you in on that session because i really hadn't heard you play very much..
i had a sneaking suspicion you'd be fine though.

Michael
I agree, a brave decision. The funny thing I remember about that recording was that I was lumped in the same room as Pete Harding on congas. The engineer ended up having to separate us because of the noise I was making by sliding on the keys!
(It was spilling into the conga mics)

Mike
haha yes i thought that was funny too.. it was extremely tight.

Mike
So from there we started to gig that album (Wisdom is Delight) a little. Were there any memorable gigs for you from that time?

Michael
I guess a first gig's always memorable. It was at Green Point School for a fete, out on the oval. The MC gave you a great plug advertising your first album 'Wisdom is Desire'!

Mike
haha yeh not the last time that kind of thing has happened...
I turned up to a venue that had done their own posters for the gig and i was down as Mike McCartney...
I remember being down in Melbourne with you early on in the piece...how old were you on that first trip south?

Michael
I'm not sure how old I was! I remember we developed a penchant for op-shopping on that trip. Probably because there wasn't an incredible lot to do in all those little towns we visited. We played a bit of putt-putt golf too, didn't we?

Mike
yes we did.. i think i won...

Michael
I was sure it was me.

Mike
quite likely...
that trip was pretty funny, can you share a highlight from that tour... and don't say 'backseat games...'
this was 2002 maybe?

Michael
Yes that sounds about right. Tthat means I would have been 19! I remember Matt Jacoby (from Sons Of Korah) put on a beautiful little house concert. Up until that point I had never experienced a house concert. Was a really relaxed and comfortable setting with interested listeners. It was a really encouraging thing for me to experience at that time.

Mike
At that stage did you ever think you could make a living from playing music? Or were you looking to go down a different career path?

Michael
I think at that stage I was studying Sound Production at North Sydney Tafe. I was working a little bit with a post-production engineer in Crows Nest who specialised in TV. That was the career I was quite intent on at that stage.

Mike
Nowadays you also hold a degree in Communications, yes?

Michael
Yes. After finishing at TAFE I applied to go to UTS for a degree in Media Arts and Production, still in that trajectory of working in sound and/or film production.

Mike
You've continually used all those experiences yet haven't entered full-time work in the field, what has motivated you to continue pursuing gigs, recording and teaching music?

Michael
I can't really say it's been a controlled decision, sometimes life makes decisions for you in a way. Whilst I was studying at UTS (Sydney University) I was playing music for part-time work and upon graduating I was offered a job at a school for piano teaching. I took it and since that point my life/work has been in music. It could have gone other ways quite easily I suppose.

Mike
Are there moments where you just think GOSH being a musician is the craziest life? what the heck am i doing?

Michael
That thought has definitely run through my head whilst trying to stay awake, driving home from Sydney after a late and uninspiring gig. Also the absence of steady routine can be difficult. For the most part though, I don't have too many meltdowns!

Mike
We've been playing music together for almost 10 years now and we've traveled quite a bit together...what was one of those moments where you just thought "this is so funny" or "this sux get me out of here!"?

Michael
As for a "this is so funny", I think it was the gig Shan mentioned in his interview. Where we turned up to 'Sylvania' instead of a bikey fair at 'Silverwater'. By the time we rectified the situation we were playing to a bunch of stallholders packing up their displays. Actually maybe this gig counts for "this sux get me out of here" too!

Mike
True...So we've learnt from these experiences and now your working on a new project a long way from Silverwater bike club meets...can you tell us a little about the M Carney/David Rowson Collab?

Michael
Dave and I have been friends for quite a long time, and it's funny, he's a filmmaker who has a massive interest in music, where as I'm a musician who really loves films. Because of that, I think we've both really taken an interest in each other's art forms. Dave would show me a film which I’d be astonished at, and he would always be interested in my instrumental compositions.
We first collaborated on a film he shot called 'Architecture Down'. He shot a series of building reflections in puddles around the Sydney CBD, and put one of my pieces to the images. We liked the chemistry and decided to make more and more projects like this.

Mike

And now you have released 'Tears of a Candle' as a cd/dvd, a full collaboration between two artists! Where can people go to find out more?

Michael
www.tearsofthecandle.com

Mike

Great, well i've appreciated your time and it's a joy playing music with you mate!

Michael

Same to you Mike.

Mike
Any last thoughts or comments?

Michael

Thinking back on all of my music experiences, it's playing with you that I've learnt a lot about leaving space for notes, words, rhythms to breathe. I think a lot of people learn to breathe again listening to your music, as I have done.

Mike

Oh thank you! That is encouraging to hear.