Interview: Mark Hamilton (Woodpigeon)

Following on from my Snapshot on Canadian indie-folksters Woodpigeon, I caught up with band leader Mark Hamilton to discuss Woodpigeon’s origins, their latest album – Treasure Library Canada, and Parisian fashion.

Stereokill: Woodpigeon initially began in Edinburgh. What can you tell our readers about these Scottish origins?

MH: I was never one for thinking much of origins, living my childhood in the giant mixing pot that is Canada. My grandmother, Isabelle MacDonald Hamilton, was born in Glasgow, so it has always been in the back of my mind that i was, at least, in some part connected to the place (although admittedly, my German background has always been far more present in my life than the Scottish part, up until the time at which I packed up and moved to Edinburgh). When i first landed in Scotland, I suddenly felt a sense of connection to the land that I’d never felt before. It felt right and suited to me. That and I’ve got a weakness for bearded blokes with thick brogues and kilts (Scotland was the first place I’d also felt comfortable living as an openly gay individual, and for that I’ll always love my time there).

As for Woodpigeon in Edinburgh, it was composed of myself, the Australian Steve Kaye, and Malcolm Benzie (who’s touring with us next week in the UK, playing violin and ukulele), but I was far too scared to ever sing, so all we ever played was a couple of stupid instrumentals (my favourite was called “John Cusack Flees from the Nazis”, based in part on the movie ‘MAX’), and our only “performance” was in the streets of Edinburgh, after which we smashed the spanish guitar that two swiss girls I was tutoring in English had stolen for me, from a hostel we’d all been staying in. It’s a far different project now.

Stereokill: How did the band as it exists today come together?

MH: Woodpigeon was, is now, and will always be, a group of friends who love playing music together. The way it came together was simple: friends started hearing my songs and offering their services. I’m constantly amazed at how incredible these folks are – not to mention how lovely it is to spend time with them.

Stereokill: What are Woodpigeons’ key influences?

MH: Our pianist Kenna Burima loves Chopin, while our violinist Foon Yap’s primary influences are Talking Heads and Gang of Four. Personally, I love The Kinks and Sonic Youth more than anything, and there’s a Brahms symphony that can make me cry every single time I hear it. But if you were to look through my record collection, I don’t think you’d really find any obvious answer there.

Stereokill: I’ve read that you don’t consider Treasure Library Canada to be Woodpigeons’s proper follow-up to [debut album] Songbook. How would you, pesonally, describe the album’s position in the band’s canon of work?

MH: That’s not entirely accurate. I DO consider Treasury Library Canada a proper record in its own right these days, given the reaction it’s received. Although, admittedly, when it was first released in our own self-pressed edition, that sold out in just a few weeks, I thought we were destined to print up 1000 of the things and then have 800 in my closet for the rest of time. As an album, I think its creation, however, is a little strange. The majority of the songs were either tunes written for Songbook and not used (otherwise I’d have made a double debut record, and where do you go from there?), or songs written while struggling with the recording and mixing of Songbook, so it almost felt like a sideline commentary on that for a while. In reflection, though, I think it’s actually brought a bit more awareness to the songs that are on it, because I largely didn’t think people would really be listening to these things. Thus the name Treasury Library Canada and the idea of pulling down some books from your childhood that you’d never even read then, and realizing how amazing they are.

Stereokill: What can you tell us about the band’s upcoming album, Die Stadt Muzikanten?

MH: Songbook and Treasury Library Canada are both quite influenced by the Scottish side of myself, this one’s a little more influenced by the German side (the titular folk-tale is popular in the city of Bremen, where my Oma Mariechen Leinhoop Hammerling was born). I also know i’ve mis-spelled it, but it looks better to me as 3 words with a “z” in the middle. As for the sound of the record, it’s simultaneously a lot bigger, and a lot smaller. There’s definitely some big surprises on it.

Stereokill: Are you concerned with commercial success?

MH: I’m concerned with my friends and I having a grand adventure together, and making records that we love. The fact that people are buying them is pretty fantastic, but i wouldn’t say i’m overly “concerned” about it. That said, whatever makes the adventure continue is what we have to consider, and all of our options are always heavily thought over. At the moment, we feel very protected and loved, and that above all else is what’s important to me.

Stereokill: How have the UK audiences been so far?

MH: In general, fantastic. I’m writing to you from Germany, though, and we start in the UK tomorrow, so I’ll have to get back to you on that one. That said, I love playing quiet rooms, and the UK’s given us some amazing, full to the brim, dead silent rooms.

Stereokill: Do you prefer performing live, or working on songs in the studio?

MH: It’s apples and oranges in a lot of ways. I love listening to a new mix of a finished song and getting that rush in my stomach when I know something’s done. But our records are built up track by track, instrument by instrument, and there’s just something undeniably powerful about playing live with a group of great musicians. There’s a few songs we’ve got where, once we all hit into a part together, i get chills every time.

Stereokill: Are there any bands out there people should be listening to?

MH: A lot! For now I’ll just say Kris Ellestad from Calgary, as well as Knots (Calgary again), Beth Jeans Houghton (Newcastle), and The Second Band (Stockholm).

Stereokill: Favourite albums of all time?

MH: I’ll say The Kinks’ ‘Arthur or The Decline of the British Empire’, some Abba ‘greatest hits’ collection, and Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’.

Stereokill: Can you tell our readers a story from the road?

MH: Were you to watch a VH1 ‘Behind the Music’ on one of our tours, you’d be incredibly bored. The only real drama is when I need a little time to myself and take a daily walk all on my own. Mesmerizing stuff, I’m sure.

Although, this last week has been pretty amazing. We took a tour of the Nina Ricci Haute Couture house in Paris, and met the lead designer Olivier Theyskiens. He used one of our songs from Songbook to soundtrack the premiere of the label’s spring/summer collection at Paris Fashion Week last year, and then came to our show at Pont Ephemere with Essie Jain later that night. I’ve been interested in fashion for ages, but seeing it up close like that was a rather staggering experience. It’s a pretty great feeling when someone you’re quite inspired by is also inspired by something you’ve created too. And above all else, we’re just a group of friends from the Prairies in Canada. The fact that we’re even touring Nina Ricci in the first place (not to mention touring Europe in this capacity) just makes us all so completely positioned in a constant state of surprise and excitement. We make records in our basements, y’know? and somehow there’s all of these people overseas who are into it.

Stereokill: Finally, who’s your favourite superhero?