Lead singer-guitarist Derek Browne told the Queenstown Times why his grandfathers inspire him, why New Zealand is paradise and which legends he would love to record an album with.
QT: What did you have for lunch today?
DB: Lunch? I've only just had breakfast . . .At the moment we have fish I caught in Kawhia.
QT: What is your favourite food?
DB: Seafood, because you can catch it yourself, it's good for you, and gets you back in touch with living off the land.
QT: What is your favourite spot in Queenstown?
DB: The powder spots . . . at start of the day, before the crowds hit the slope.
QT: Queenstown needs more . . .
DB: Powder . . .
QT: Queenstown needs less . . .
DB: Cold . . . you have to love it though!
QT: Who are your role models?
DB: Old-school musicians who really did it for the music, and who are still touring and rocking out in their "golden" years. Dylan, John Lee Hooker (died recently though), Neil Young, the Stones.
There's plenty of them and they seem to be touring a lot these days, too. I don't do a lot of the modern pop music that is produced to sell. It doesn't really inspire me.
There's still definitely a lot of good stuff coming out but you have to sift . . . to get to it and be truly inspired.
A lot of Kiwi music does it for me.
QT: Other role models . . .
DB: Both my grandfathers. One is now 93 and works a 30-hour week in his kiwifruit orchard. The other passed away, but was an amazing man, he had a huge amount of love and goodness to give.
QT: What is your favourite way to relax?
DB: Fishing, sailing, boarding . . . chilling with my acoustic. Jamming with the band. I consider my life a blessing, although we've worked . . . to make it do-able. We are so lucky as Kiwis in this beautiful country.
We have access to pretty much any outdoor or indoor activity we want to do. We live in a paradise, actually.
When people start bitching about what's not right . . . seems a bit silly to me.
QT: What was the latest CD you bought?
DB: Ha! Funny, just bought three yesterday at Real Groovy in the sale section! Macy Gray, Phoebe Snow, Travis - checking them out. Macy Gray rocks. Travis is a bit of a let down.
I'm listening a lot to a Desmond Williams album. Very cool, groove/dub/funk.
QT: What winds you up?
DB: People whingeing on about how bad the recession is, or how bad our country or government is. We don't know how good we have it here. I think it's all about what you put your attention on, that largely creates your experience, so why put it on all that?
It comes and goes - when it's going well you don't hear people jumping for joy that everything is great.
I reckon the media has a lot to answer for there. Only juicy or bad stories sell . . .Crazy!
QT: What cracks you up?
DB: Outrageous Fortune, Jackie Brown Diaries. Kiwi humour done well.
QT: Do you have a favourite saying you live by?
DB: Whatever you put your attention on becomes your reality . . .
QT: If you could do anything, what would it be?
DB: Firstly, I'd take the band around the world, gigging and sailing on a huge yacht, record the trip on audio and visual, and release an album. Secondly, record an album with Ben Harper, Jimmy Cliff, Jack White, Peter Tosh, Keith Richards, John Lennon, Bob Dylan. With Janis Joplin, Macy Gray and Alicia Keys on back-up vocals.
Backing band a mix of the Foo Fighters, the Killers, the Band and the Wailers.
