Lauded for his intricate finger picking style on guitar, Kim Churchill is one Australia's youngest and most talented purveyors of folky, blues with a bit of grunt thrown in for good measure. Currently in the midst of touring Kim took the time to answer a few questions we have been wanting to ask.
UC - Your album "Detail of Distance" was released earlier this year to critical acclaim and articulates a wisdom and maturity in songwriting that belies your early twenty something age. Do you have an incredible sense of empathy and imagination or are you actually writing from your own experience on this particular album?
KC- Predominantly my own experiences. Most of those songs were reflecting on things that had happened in the past, thus the title. Although I also think as artists we force ourselves to exist in an incredibly sensitive way and the interactions and analysis of everything around us have a inevitable impact on the writing. So a bit of both I guess. One can't exist without the other...
UC - How did the Canadian label Indica pick you up?
KC - I was playing at a festival celebrating Poutine (iconic national dish to the Quebec people- French Friend with Gravy and curd cheese) and Franz Schuller, the lead singing of the Montreal punk group 'Grimskunk' and A and R for Indica happened to be there. We had a chat over a particularly confronting first exposure to Poutine which also happened to include lobster. The relationship grew from there I guess.
UC - What are the benefits of being with a Canadian label over a local label?
KC- Exposure to amazing and incredible styles of music. The relationship I have with Montreal has been so amazing for my musical growth.
UC - Apart from Bob Dylan and surfing, what else inspires you? I
KC - Isolation, Pho and the general adventures of everyday life. I'll refrain from writing the extensive list of musical inspirations, but there is millions.
UC - Right now, can you ever imagine falling out of love with making music and if so what do you think it would take for you to fall out of love?
KC - Wow, until you asked this question I thought pretty much anything was possible within one's imagination. I really can't.
UC- It seems like you are almost always on tour, what is the one thing that's non music related that you don't leave home without?
KC -Well I don't really have a home. I tour so much because otherwise I wouldn't really have anywhere to go. I always need to have a guitar. Wherever I am. Its needs to be feet away from me 24 hours a day..
UC - What's in the pipeline ( no pun intended!) for 2013 apart from solid gigging?
KC - Making more albums I guess. I'd like to release a couple I think, as well as a live one. I really want to work on the recording side of things a lot more. Also I am bringing, for the first time another musician into my live shows. An amazing violin player who has a similar obsession with effects. I'm quite excited about that.
UC - Finally, the question on the lips of every Australian this time of year.......Turkey, pork or prawns ?
KC - hmmm...All of em.
Kim's album Detail of Distance was released in early 2012. It's well worth a listen, checkout out our review here.
For all things Kim Churchill and a comprehensive list of tour dates and venues head to
