Carinda Christie Cruel Interview

Carinda Christie Cruel Interview

Celebrating the release of her fifth solo album, North Queensland songstress Carinda Christie has come a long way from her fledgling beginnings gigging around the traps of Cairns. Fast forward almost two decades, and Carinda now has a family, and with it, unending inspiration for her music. It is this inspiration and experiences that this profound songwriter has used as her muse, and the result is a delightful album that acts as a tapestry of family life, heartbreak, nature, harmony and laughter.

Engineered, mixed and co-produced by Nigel Pegrum (Pegrum began his career as a rock star drummer, hitting the skins for The Small Faces, Uriah Heep, Steeleye Span and more, before delving into production, starting up Pegasus Studios), with Giles Smith (Dragon, John Williamson) and William Kepa in for production as well as Carinda herself, the album runneth over with amazing Aussie talent.

Carinda explains a little about her musical workmates.
"Nigel Pegrum, I've worked with Nigel prior, on two other albums so I'm used to his style," she says. "I like his straightforwardness, he tells you what he thinks, which I like. I've spoken to some people that can't handle that, but I like to know if I sound off-key or whatnot. He brought perfection to this album; he's a real perfectionist. If he doesn't think something's right, he'll tell you, or even just change it. He knows what's going on and he's good at what he does, so you trust him. He can hear things that other people can't hear. We're a good combination, him and me."

"Giles Smith and William Kepa…William is brilliant. He's just done so much. He's a lot younger but he's got so much in the future for him; a brilliant all-round musician. I can see him being something big. Giles he helped me a lot in the production and he's a beautiful bass player and he put down a lot of the guitar, too. They were both really great to work with, everyone was really professional."

Having released her debut full-length in 1994, the aptly titled and exploratory Life and Times, it was on her follow-up EP, Blast Off (1997) that she first worked with co-producer and musician Nigel Pegrum. After two more hit albums (2000's As I Am and 2001's Close Up), Christie produced what would become known as her most soul-baring and emotionally taut record, Blue Mumma (2005). Cruel is a departure again from her early pickings, and brings forth a big band sound that aptly showcases Carinda's versatility as a performer.

Able to bring her sweet and powerful rock-pop-folk to any surrounding, Christie's talent shines from both festival and pub stages, and countless in between. Christie has hit the likes of the Aquarius Festival (Tasmania), Woodford Folk Festival, Goodwill Games (Brisbane), Brisbane Spiegeltent, Yungaburra Festival, Lismore Festival, Emerald Heartland Festival, Wallaby Ck Festival to name but a few. She has also supported high-profile artists such as Wendy Matthews and Grace Knight, Billy Thorpe, Tina Cousins, Pseudo Echo, Christine Anu and many more.

With her latest album, Christie provides yet more evidence of her indisputable talent and soul.

Cruel
1. Bonds Shirt
2. Feel Good Song
3. Flat Broke
4. Cruel
5. Explode
6. Don't Cry Baby
7. Shining Star
8. Some Daze
9. Slow Down
10. Thank You
11. High Rollers
12. Beautiful Girl
13. A Little Something

Cruel is through Only Blues Music

Interview with Carinda Christie

Question: Do you write your own songs? What's your inspiration?

Carinda Christie: Yes I do write all my own songs. Life.


Question: What inspired you for this particular album?

Carinda Christie: My inspiration for this album was mainly my children, family, where I live and my life.


Question: What music/artists do you listen to when you are not playing your own?

Carinda Christie: Music would be any indie original artist I have come across on my travels and people like James Blunt, Joan Armatrading, Powderfinger, Jack Johnson to Ella Fitzgerald and Janis Joplin.


Question: What's next? Tour/Album/Single?

Carinda Christie: Hoping to do some touring next year and we are filming a video clip this weekend in Kuranda Qld. Should be good, great theme like a mini movie, looking forward to getting it on rage.


Question: Was there a moment you contemplated throwing in the towel?

Carinda Christie: Look there are always moments like that, you can have personal tragedies (which I have had) and you can also just have times when you might not get enough people to a show or just personally run down. The thing is get over it and keep going because without music and entertaining I could not live.


Question: Do you prefer performing live or recording?

Carinda Christie: I like doing both as they are so different and it's not every day you get to record an album.


Question: What/who was your inspiration to go into the music industry?

Carinda Christie: My parents and grandparents etc.. were muso's so I don't think I needed much inspiration it's just in the blood and it was something I had to do, I think was born to do.


Question: What is the biggest challenge you have faced along the way to your musical success?

Carinda Christie: I think constantly trying to get your originals heard and getting into really cool festivals. Music is a challenge so not for the week of heart but good for the soul.


Question: What's a typical day like?

Carinda Christie: Well I wake up around 6am and milk my two goats , I feed the goats and the horse than I come up to the house and get my boys lunch ready for school, give my three children breakfast and put one on the bus. I than have some breaky while checking my emails etc... through the day I clean, collect the chook eggs, feed the dogs and take phone calls you know all the sort of usual stuff. I than in the evening milk my goats, give everyone dinner and a bath and than finish up with watching some TV or reading a book or doing some stuff on the computer. If I am not at home I am flying or driving playing mainly festivals solo or with my band. Not a bad life kind of fun at times.


Question: What has been your favorite part of becoming a music artist?

Carinda Christie: Performing my originals to people who appreciate them.


Question: If you could collaborate with another artist, who would it be?

Carinda Christie: Bernard Fanning of Powderfinger.


Question: Do you have a website fans can visit?

Carinda Christie: www.carindachristie.com


Interview by Brooke Hunter