A Quick Chat with Local the Neighbour

Can you tell me a bit about your inspiration for your single “Point Guard”

A couple things sparked this track. I have an old guitar amp from the 80’s my dad got for free (or at least very very cheap) and it was broken for a while. I eventually got some spare time to fix it up and during this period I hadn’t played guitar for years (I’m normally a drummer ). I remember just plugging in the guitar for the first time to check it was working and the guitar riff just sort of happened. In my experience, hearing a certain sound can inspire a melody in your head or create an aesthetic you hadn’t thought of. 

I absolutely love Blake Mills’ song ‘Hey Lover’ and always felt inspired by the way he writes his lyrics, and his musical production. So when it came to Point Guard, I remember having that vibe in the back of my head, which definitely inspired me to write differently to how I maybe usually would.

What are your influences and how do they affect your songwriting? 

Where do I begin?! Hard to say how my influences affect my music as it often depends on many different factors at the time, but there’s always something I’m drawing upon from artists or producers I admire. I love Bon Iver, Radiohead, Paramore, and Alex G, and I don’t think that will ever stop. I could listen to those people all day everyday and not get tired. Throughout primary and secondary school, Blink 182 was my life and I can definitely tell I’ve got a lot of that energy in my approach to music. Elements of the punk-rock aesthetic pop up in my work all the time! Particularly in my drumming and melody making. My Dad also loved listening to The Beatles and Nirvana when I was really young, so rock bands just really do it for me!

What’s the creative process like for you?

I’ve been drumming for 10 years now and I love that I just feel comfortable when I sit behind a drum kit. It’s familiar and feels like second nature these days. However, as a drummer you’re always having to work with people and be in a collaborative environment - even I don’t want to go see a 2hr concert of just solo drums. That sounds like a nightmare!

When it comes to the Local the Neighbour process, I take a real appreciation into the aspect of working alone. It means I can take longer than the average producer to finish a song, but it also really allows me to explore an idea for as long as I want to without the pressure of others. I like to get lost in a world and just work on something until I hit a dead end, then I reverse and try another route until I get the song to where things feel good. It’s a pretty tiring and, at times, a frustrating process, but I really enjoy it at the moment.

If you could change something about the Australian/New Zealand music industry what would it be? 

If I could wave a magic wand and make it possible to tour Australia like North America or Europe, I’d do it! A dream of mine is to tour in a van and play a show every night in a different city for 1-2 months! Over there you can drive 6hrs and be in a whole other state or even country, and the cities are pretty densely populated. I think the Australian landscape would be such a cool place to be able to do a 30 date van tour, but it just seems so tough because there aren’t enough cities and they’re all so spread out. Would be kinda cool though!

But to be honest, I’m really proud to be in the Australian music industry!

What do you think life would be like for you if you didn’t have music as an outlet? 

Honestly, I can’t even imagine that if I tried. I remember begging my mum for a drum-set or guitar from the age of 4 (sadly never got one until I was a lot older), and for some reason music just gives me so much nourishment in ways I can’t even explain. 

Is there anyone you would like to collaborate with?  Why?

Soooo many people!!! And for different reasons. However, I would say the ultimate dream would be to work with the people in the Paramore crew. Their drummer, Zac Farro, is one of my favourite artists - not just for music or production, but he works as a photographer and directs music videos as well. The broadness is very inspiring to me, especially since it’s all so artistic too. Taylor York is also an incredible producer, and Hayley Williams is the ultimate artist ever. So to create something with those three would be something I would simply explode with excitement over.

What’s your advice to young people who want to make a career for themselves in the industry? 

Just start making music! Also, everyone’s journey is different so don’t try to copy others because there’s no point :)

Who’s the most interesting person you’ve worked with/met? 

I’m very fortunate to make music with some incredible friends who inspire me all the time. 

As far as people I’ve met, I met Scooter Braun once because he was teaching one of my classes at UCLA when I studied abroad. I was pretty star struck through the entire lecture - it was a crazy experience to meet someone of his status and think of the impact he has had. But my favourite story is when Mac Demarco kissed me on the forehead at his party to say goodbye to me. It felt like the most perfect interaction with someone I really look up to! He’s just the best. 

Favourite hangover cure?

Good luck

Any plans for a tour on the cards?

Yes to plans and ideas, but nothing confirmed or locked in! I’ll always let people know about any shows on my Instagram for those who want to stay in the loop:)