A Quick Chat with Local the Neighbour

Your new single “Cruise Control” touches on taking back control of a life lived on autopilot. Can you share what inspired this track, and what that sense of regaining control means to you?

When I reflect on my life so far, a lot of the things I consider life changing are the moments when I was out of my comfort zone. I hit a period when I looked back and thought I was just going through the motions, but it wasn’t necessarily making me feel fulfilled. I think taking back that control means pushing yourself out of that comfort zone and taking chances. Sometimes I lose sight of that because I’m scared, so hopefully this song helps remind me next time to snap out of it!

You’ve got a fascinating musical background, having studied jazz before moving into indie and guitar-driven music. What led you to make that shift, and how do you feel your jazz roots still influence your current sound?

I was always an indie guitar kid at heart. As a 7 year old in primary school I’d listen to Good Charlotte and The Used because the older kids in my family circle listened to that. I loved bands and that was my dream - to play drums in a successful band! As I got older I learnt more about music and was encouraged to study at university which is when I discovered jazz. It was/is an incredible artform which I really fell in love with and began to pursue for a number of years seriously. I went to the US and studied with a number of the greats in LA and NYC, but discovered it wasn’t what I wanted to be doing for the rest of my life. I love playing drums but I missed songs, and I felt like that part of me couldn’t exist if I wanted to become a jazz musician.

Having come from that background, I think my process for making music is similar to how I used to practice drums in uni. A lot of process based work, which allows experimentation to find new things.

You self-produce, self-record, and write all your material. What’s your creative process like from the first spark of an idea to the finished track, and how has it evolved over time?

It depends! But this VALLEY pt.2 was all written songs first, and then production! Sometimes I have an instrumental track and I write to that, but this wasn’t the case. I had all the arrangement and songs written with my guitar and I just needed to turn it into something that sounded like Local the Neighbour. When it comes to production I usually just try to have fun with it. I have a lot of silly methods of recording and usually those sounds don’t end up being that strange but, because the process is funny to me, it keeps me excited during the recording process. I did a lot of mixing on this record though and that was a headache!

What’s been the biggest challenge in handling all aspects of production yourself, and what’s been the most rewarding part?

I’m still learning a lot about this, but it can be tough! The main challenge is getting a clear perspective as I’m always hearing things. When I work on other projects, usually I’m just hired to focus on one aspect, whether it be drums, engineering, etc. but having to wear different hats constantly definitely makes you lose perspective on the greater picture sometimes and it’s good to just ditch the studio and get some space from the music.

It’s not for everyone, but I do love the world of production, so I get a lot of excitement out of it. Creatively it also lets me have a space where I’m free to try anything I want, being my own project. 

For your upcoming EP, you worked with Melina Duterte, who has a producer credit on a GRAMMY-nominated album under their belt in boygenius’ the record. How did that collaboration come about, and what did they bring to the table with mixing the record?

Well I loved Melina’s solo project (Jay Som), and was inspired by her also being a DIY producer. I reached out to her and showed her some music and to my amazement she seemed to like it, so it just made sense for her to work on some of it. She is on another level with engineering and production, so I learnt A LOT. Having her work on the music really helped show me how my favourite artists do it. We share many of the same influences in music too, so that connection really made things easy to work together.

The EP covers a range of topics both light and dark, from facing the weight of the world, watching tennis, and even your pet dog! Can you give us some insight into how those themes came together and what listeners can expect from the project?

It’s just my life! These are my day to day feelings/activities and therefore what I write songs about. Sometimes things are great and sometimes things are heavy, it’s all kinda just flying by and I want to capture that in my music.

You’re very active in the local music community, playing in several other bands as well as your own project. How has being part of that community shaped your approach to music and influenced your work?

I think I’m definitely really fortunate to be doing that! I spent the longest time wanting to be in the musical ecosystem, but it can be tough to find your people. I think because I’ve found my people, I want to do it as much as I can! Being a part of my musical community keeps me motivated and excited about what people are doing. I was being really slow on working on my music until I showed it to my friend Al, and his reaction made me realise I should keep working at it to release it. I’m just grateful to have those people around me <3

What does your current setup look like in the studio? Are there any specific pieces of equipment that you can’t live without when it comes to crafting your sound?

I’m definitely known in my circle as the gear guy, I LOVE it! I sadly don’t work out of my studio space any more so I had to reduce my stuff quite a bit. I mostly have utility type pieces which I can use on a variety of things. Recently I bought a tube compressor which was (apparently) previously owned by Eric J Dubowsky who is definitely one of Australia’s greatest mixing engineers. Now I have no excuses for my vocals to sound bad!

How do you make sure your music retains its own unique voice?

I guess I’m someone who lets the song be what it’s going to be, and that usually means it’s going to have its own space to exist in.

With the EP dropping next month, what are you most excited for listeners to hear, and how do you think this project differs from what you’ve done before?

CRUISE CONTROL! I had a lot of fun making that song. Tbh love all the songs on this EP. I feel like this is the first time I’ve felt truly proud of something I’ve made wholeheartedly. Making music on my own has been such a frightening journey for me, but I feel like I’m in a really good space which feels like me.