q&a: a casual end mile

Describe your sound in five words or less.
Ghost on a lost highway.

Was there a particular moment or artist that made you want to pursue music when you were growing up? Who were your early influences?
I grew up in a household that was always filled with instruments, rehearsals and musicians coming and going. There was never really a moment where I consciously decided to pursue music – I feel like I just found my way to it naturally, when I felt there was nothing else I could possibly do except write songs. Even then, I didn’t intend for people to hear my work – it was very much private expression, recorded quietly on Garageband in my bedroom.

In terms of influence, it’s very broad but can be mostly explained by what I heard growing up. Apparently my first favourite song was ‘So Long, Marianne’. My dad played a lot of music from the 50s and 60s, but my mum also listened to contemporary alternative stuff that was on the radio in the 90s. I think elements of both these eras have inspired me, and found their way into my music.

What are your other interests/passions?
I’ve always written, and read a lot. I am currently in my last year of a creative writing degree. I love to travel whenever I can afford it, and daydream about traveling when I can’t.

Who do you most admire?
My friends and family – the real people I know who are brave and genuine, and have so much to offer as people and as artists.

This year I have also been inspired by the diaries of Anais Nin. Her writing is beautiful and bold, and I am really interested in her ideas about what it means to be both a woman and an artist.

Greatest achievement to date?
Recording our first album ‘Devils and Devotion’ with Chris Townend at BJB in 2010. The current three-piece line-up developed from this session, and I feel that during those few days I gained a lot of direction and confidence I hadn’t felt before. Working with Chris was also a dream – he was very supportive and helped us develop our sound very intuitively and I am very grateful that we got to have this experience.

A song I wish I wrote/played is…
This is hard to answer, because most of the songs I truly love seem so personal and unique to the artist that wrote them, that I can’t imagine them belonging to me in the same way. Although the other day I was listening to the song ‘Baby’s Arms’ by Kurt Vile (from my favourite record of the moment) and I think I did actually say aloud “I wish I could write a song like this”. It’s such a lush song – full of feeling, honest, deceptively simple. I love how it sounds and feels hopeful, but escapes being corny, and the instrumentation sounds like what the song is about.

I couldn’t live without…
My family and the people I love. Without them I would be lost.

The best advice I ever received was…
“Don’t let the sun go down on your grievance” – Daniel Johnston.

Do you think the music industry treats female musicians differently to male musicians? Do you think it’s more difficult for women to establish themselves?
When you get to a place where people are all really into the music, I think these kind of qualifiers (such as gender) matter less. However, I acknowledge that it’s still a male dominated industry. I’ve never played on a bill of solely female bands, and a lineup like that would probably still be seen as a bit of a novelty… Although, when I first began playing, all the musicians that inspired me and encouraged me the most were all young women.

I don’t think it’s necessarily harder to get established as a female musician – but there are times when I have felt that being a female singer/songwriter has put me into a certain box, or come with particular assumptions and that can be frustrating.

Is there anything you’ve always wanted to be asked?
Once James Dean was asked in an interview, “Why are you so cool”? Something like that would be fun.

Sydney’s A Casual End Mile have recently released their independent album, Devils and Devotion. You can stream and buy the album here!

(Photo credit: Mclean Stephenson.)