Long way to the top

 

Sydney singer-songwriter Josh Pyke has enjoyed a charmed ride since the guy who signed Coldplay inked him to Island Records in Britain last year. So it's all likely to go to hell any minute now.

 

"I've got two guitars in that car," he says, nodding up Brunswick Street, "so excuse me while I keep my eye on it."

 

And another thing: "This whole free lunch thing is kinda new to me," he says suspiciously as he sneaks a glance at the menu. "I'm getting into it though."

 

He orders the salmon and goes back to staring out the window.

 

His debut album, Memories & Dust, has just spent seven weeks in the ARIA top 20. But he's no newcomer, having played in bands since he was 12 and worked for years in a record store when a job with EMI Music Publishing nearly killed his ambition for good. "I listened to all the demo tapes. There was a lot of bad stuff coming through," he says.

 

But then came his lucky break: he was made redundant. As always, he fell back on his guitar. "I've been chasing music professionally for 10 years, so I guess you could say I've had a lot of experience with false promises," he says.

 

"I've got a pretty intimate knowledge of how fleeting people's musical careers can be. So I'm not taking anything for granted."

 

The upside of Pyke's long and sobering experience is on the table. Memories & Dust has been brewing in his head for years and is one of the most assured debuts of the past year.

 

"I've had a lot of time to think about it," he says, and he's assembled a pretty good home studio for practical experiments. His exploration process can expand into a wall of guitars, banjo, mandolin, harmonica, keys and percussion over days of frantic layering - and that's before he starts multi-tracking vocal harmonies like Brian Wilson's antipodean nephew. "I know," he grins. "I'm obsessed."

 

It's the same deal with his words. From the existential stream of consciousness that propels Lines on Palms to the purge of childhood minutiae that comprises Middle of the Hill, Pyke barely seems to draw breath as his lines run on and into each other like agitated neurons in an overstimulated imagination.

 

"Yeah, that's the way my head works," he says. "I think it's because I see things visually, as images, so when I'm thinking about a song or a story I'm always leaping off on tangents, then I have to bring it back.

 

"A lot of it is born from immense frustration, wanting to explain something to myself . . . The frustration bubbles away and when it starts coming out it ends up going and going and going."

 

Pyke says he's heard from some radio programmers that his songs are unsuitable for airplay because there are "too many lyrics", an amusing 21st-century variation on what an Austrian emperor is said to have told Mozart.

 

But if his style lacks economy, it certainly lends itself to melodic adventure. His tour of Australia finds him expanding his former solo/duo modus operandi with a full band. Ultimately, he may need one of Brian Wilson proportions to cover every nuance of Memories & Dust.

 

"Maybe," he says dubiously. "I think it would do my head in."

 

Josh Pyke plays at the Hi Fi Bar, city, tonight. Memories & Dust is out on Ivy League in Australia.

 

http://www.theage.com.au/news/music/long-way-to-the-top/2007/05/10/1178390426822.html

^ thanks for that article Ian.

 

i didn't know he was signed by the guy who signed coldplay.

 

quote: 'Pyke says he's heard from some radio programmers that his songs are unsuitable for airplay because there are "too many lyrics", an amusing 21st-century variation on what an Austrian emperor is said to have told Mozart.'

 

haha that's hilarious! too many lyrics!

omg! i got tickets on the day to joshy's sold out concert! i've never been lucky in my life!!!!

 

it must be fate!

 

some friends friend wasn't going so got two tix off her. during the show some tall guy was in front but he moved to one side and i had a great view!!!

 

it must be fate!!!!

 

one of the opening acts was Old Man River-- i have wanted to see them live for a while and they did not dissapoint they were amazing and at they end they had us all make animal noises it was a cacophony of sound. Trousers such a lovely song.

 

it must be fate!!!!

 

Joshy came on he had a sore throat and cold and coughed somewhat so he told everyone it would be great they sang songs with him. at one point he was singing and his voice was kinda gruff and the crowd lifted him up and made him smile when they sang along with him.

He took some puffs off a asthma pump (didn't know he had asthma or it could be just for his cold). he was charming and funny and told us that we were better than any cold tablet (awww).

 

He sang the well known hits and kids don't sell their hopes so fast, feeding the wolves, beg your pardon also a song he sang for triple J like a version---something about pooh bear and christopher robin(?)

i really liked manniquinns.

 

it must be fate!!!!

 

the violinist, percussion, keyboard guy was very good looking and had dimples, in the middle of one of the songs his tamborine cut clean in half which caused him to grin and giggle from ear to ear showing off his dimples beautifully hehe.

 

it must be fate!!!!

kekitaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

what a lucky girl you are! :D

sounds like you had an awesome time seeing Joshy...thankyou for the review...glad you had a good time! :nice: i'm still yet to see him live...i can't wait until i do.

 

thankyou for the article Ian - tis great. :nice:

 

Clock On/Clock Off just came on my computer. :)

 

joshylove!

^ hey by your sig i see you're Claire, i hope you see him live too, he is a really warm performer. in a small venue its a really cosy.

seeing Joshy in August!! :nice::nice::nice:

 

can't wait. he's supporting the John Butler Trio. i've already seen JBT but i'd like to see them again, and with Joshy playing as well i thought it was a must-see :)

 

can't wait.

I picked up his Memories & Dust album for cheap in the Zavvi sale.

 

I haven't listened to it yet though, but hopefully it shall be good

thread born in 2006. 2010 and spotify doesn't know that artist yet.

 

is it any good? anywhere i can check his works?

I picked up his Memories & Dust album for cheap in the Zavvi sale.

 

I haven't listened to it yet though, but hopefully it shall be good

 

memories and dust is fantasic. http://www.myspace.com/joshpyke

His 2nd album is rather hard to get :(

^I know what you mean. i searched everywhere before i just had to ask my friend to burn it. I might see if i can upload it for you. dont hold your breath though, my internet is terribly slow so it might not happen at all.

It's around £28 on the amazon marketplace!

 

And not even on amazon mp3

 

*checks with the pietunes music store*

 

Looks like it's on iTunes, but only a fool pays apple prices for music

thanks for the myspace link Bryce :D