Daniel Merriweather Interview

This Australian singer/songwriter flew onto the popular music scene singing on Mark Ronson’s remake of The Smith’s song ‘Stop Me’ in 2007. He followed this with his chart-topping solo album ‘Love & War’ and has since been jetting off around the world to tour his unique style of soul inspired, R’n’B-infused pop. When BBM caught up with Daniel Merriweather he shared his Homebake secrets and everything got a little bit philosophical…..

You reached the big 30 this year, how did you celebrate?

Oh I had a great time; I was in New York at a friend’s house where we partied till dawn. By 4:30am people were spilling out of the clubs and word had spread about this party and there were people outside actually willing to pay to come in.

Do you find that writing songs is therapeutic?

Yes definitely. I just wrote a song that was like having a personal conversation with someone. By writing songs it certainly saves me money on shrink fees!

Are you a keen reader as well as a writer?

Yeah I like to read, I don’t do it enough though. I dropped out of High School when I was 17 and no one expected me to be the boy who would end up enjoying reading complicated philosophy books. I find it really interesting to read but if you think too much about it, it starts to seem really useless.

Which tattoo means the most to you?

I got two new ones in Australia. The first was an Arabic Phrase ‘As-salamu alaykum’ that translates to ‘Peace be upon you.’ I got it abbreviated and it fitted nicely on my knuckles, the phrase itself means a lot to me. The second one that I got most recently is on my arm and it says ‘Wrong but Wromantic’ which was inspired by reading about English History and 1066.

If you weren’t a musician what other profession would you work in?

Well my first job was as a cook at KFC and I don’t think that one could have lasted any longer than it did. To be honest I really can’t imagine doing anything else but music. For me this is it.

From growing up in Melbourne, if a tourist had just 24 hours visiting Melbourne, what should they
do?

Melbourne is just great, you turn up there and at a first glace it looks like any other city but it isn’t. It has great bookshops, great art and the fashion is so big there too. You’d need to get a couple of locals to show you around and you would definitely need more than 24 hours to experience it all.

What other acts are you looking forward to sharing the Homebake stage with?

The Bamboos. Lance Ferguson is a really good friend of mine and he has asked if I will go up on stage with them for a musical collaboration…Oops I think that was a secret and I’ve just let the cat out of the bag…But yeah, I’m really looking forward to it. I went to school with a couple of the guys and I know we will have fun up on stage.

Where does festivals best, Australia, America or Europe?

It has to be English festivals. I did a whole summer touring with Mark Ronson and the English have to take the cake. It’s so grimy; everyone is just dancing in the mud. It feels like there is a real community spirit that you don’t find anywhere else in the world. It’s like some sort of middle ages camaraderie with everyone clapping along with the music.

What does the future hold for Daniel Merriweather?

I’ve been writing a lot for other artists and am nearing closer to recording the first stages of my next album. I have stockpiled about forty songs for me to work through to see what makes the cut. I’ve moved to LA which has meant that I am getting a lot more things done that I struggled to do in New York. Plus there is the sunshine here which is always nice.

Did you come from a musical family?

My parents were influenced a lot by the music for the church in the 60s and the 70s. That influence rubbed off on me but that makes me cringe now to think about it. My dad still plays the piano and can pick up a guitar and play a few songs but it was my mum who really inspired me because she got me violin lessons from age four to eleven and I wouldn’t be where I am today without that.

Do you want to start a family of your own?

Yeah I definitely want to at some point but there are a few more things I want to do before I can commit to that. My parents were late in having me and I think I will follow their same path.

Being an Aussie, are you a land lover or a water baby?

I’m a water guy. Water is a really great metaphor for how we should all get on in the world. It rises up into the sky and it all comes down again. It’s a cycle and our lives are a cycle too. There’s a really great song called ‘Water No Get Enemy’ by Fela Kuti. As we were talking about water I thought I’d mention that.

As you like reading Philosophy, let’s end this on a philosophical note…What is the purpose of life
Daniel?

To stay alive for as long as you can as we are all here for some greater good. We need to make existence for everyone else as enjoyable as it can be while not forgetting to make ourselves happy too.

By Sarah Wilk

Make sure you check out Issue 8 of the BBMLive Dance Music Podcast mixed by So Called Scumbags.

Travel – Australia Work & Travel Magazine – What’s On Aus, Cheap Tours & Accommodation (bbmlive.com)

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Also Read- Guide on Partner visa for Australia (Subclasses 820 and 801) (ozvisainfo.com)