Today we can unveil a lovely debut album from JP Klipspringer, the newest project from Melbourne troubadour Jack Poulson.
Recorded between early 2105-late 2016 across a range of Melbourne studios, Brutal Politic brings with it a varied team of production talent in Stephen Mowat (WILSN, Seth Sentry), Rohan Sforcina (Oh Mercy, Gold Class) and Simon Lam (I’lls, Kllo), but manages to feel like a cohesive record despite its patchwork construction.
To give us an idea of the forces at work behind Brutal Politic, JP is taking us through each track, from reflections on the old quarter-life crisis and “realising you’re not as smart as you once thought you were”, to the sadness of friends and relationships moving on – as well as the blues that set in from being relegated to the back pocket.
To hear his tale live, you can catch JP launching the record Saturday November 19 at The Toff In Town, supported by Slowcoaching & Tammy Martin – tickets on sale here.
Words For Me
I think this is the strongest track on the record, and probably the tightest song I’ve written. Steve Mowat produced this one, with Josh Barber nailing the drums. I like the dynamism of the verses
and the momentum of the track, and I think the song moves along quite nicely considering the chord progression doesn’t change once. It’s really just a simple break-up song, written from a distance after observing what a few different friends were going through. I threw in some personal memories and luckily it seemed to stick.
We tried to keep a fairly Australian sound for this one and didn’t want to overcomplicate what is essentially a simple and familiar story. They’re generally the songs I like listening to most, and hopefully that comes through.
I Blame Carl Weathers
This song was released as a single halfway through last year, at a point where I’d lost a bit of enthusiasm for ‘playing the game’ and trying my luck with radio spots and the like. So I just posted it online without much fuss and hoped for the best.
As it turned out, the track got picked up by Triple J and was played a dozen or so times over a few months, which directed a bunch of new followers my way. I was really grateful for that, but definitely surprised. It’s probably the song with the best pop credentials I’ve produced, and I really enjoy playing it with the band.
The story in the song involves someone blaming a significant other for all their problems, so I gave it a name inspired by some tragic characters in my favourite TV show, Arrested Development. Just like Tobias and Lindsey blame everyone and everything for their shitty marriage, the narrator of this song is trying hard to avoid problems that really aren’t caused by anyone other than themselves. Steve Mowat produced this one as well.
Watch the River
This song was written in America the first time I went there for a self-indulgent, booze laden holiday. I spent a few months backpacking around, playing a few shows and eating/drinking myself
silly. Watch the River was about falling in love with Portland, Oregon; the dirty Willamette River, the bridges, the arts & crafts architecture, the music and the perpetually drunk locals.
I spent a few weeks there and really didn’t want to leave. So this track is kind of about loving a new city as much as my home town of Melbourne, and it really felt like I was cheating. Steve also has his fingerprints all over this one, and it includes some backing vocals from Shan Busch (WILSN).
Bubbling, Boiling Wine
This is the first track I recorded with Rohan Sforcina at Four Hundred Acres in Broadmeadows, and I absolutely love what he did with the song. We were listening a lot to Sparklehorse’s album It’s a Wonderful Life, and Rohan suggested we throw some Mellotron into the mix.
It was the first time I’d played with that type of sound and he directed it all really well. It’s one of my favourites on the album, and I think it provides a link between the pop songs up the front of the record and the darker songs at the back end. Rohan completely nailed the mid-2000s indie vibe and really pushed me in the right direction. I think it’s Wilco meets Sparklehorse and that’s cool.
So Polite
Steve nailed the production of this track, and I think it’s a solid, catchy pop tune. It’s fun to play live, even if it is quite cheesy. Rich Bradbeer laid down some awesome basslines (his run in the second verse is one of the highlights of the record, I reckon), and it was our hope that the light-hearted nature of the music was a cute foil for the darkness of the lyrics.
The Beast
The Beast was an old song I had lying around, and I decided to give recording a go after remembering how the band used to enjoy playing it live. We’d given it a rest for about a year before I recorded it, so there was a chance to come at it fresh. This was done with Ben McCarthy at Sing Sing Studios in Richmond, and it was really great to spend time in that famous studio.
Ben’s a total pro whose other projects (Gordi, Alex the Astronaut and others) are doing really well at the moment, so I was more than happy to let him put his own spin on the track. It’s really quite different from how we used to play it, and I think it provides a nice point of difference for the record.
Ben’s also a ripper musician as well as an engineer, and I’m so glad he whipped out his Rickenbacker to lay down the bass in this song. His mirroring of the guitar riff in the second verse is spot on. The song itself is about someone to tells the sinister cloud hanging over their head to get fucked.
Can’t Be
This is one of my favourites on the album, and I have old mate Simon Lam to thank for that. Recording with Simon is ridiculous fun and something I love doing. He produced my first EP, Drip Dry, and I reckon this track builds on the vibes of those songs. I think there’s a cool Father John Misty vibe going on here.
We put a lot of tracks into it, and the Wurly keyboard sound is one of the
best on the record. Josh Baber’s studio drumming was particularly explosive, and that let my live band and I create a loud and bombastic version of the song for our live shows. Paul Guardini’s driving bassline is also a highlight. The story is set in the muggy heat of New Orleans, Louisiana and follows a sinister, obsessive and one-sided relationship that may or may not end in disaster.
Also, Ayden Crumpton made a fantastic film clip for this one that unfortunately went a little unnoticed when it was released, but I think it was the perfect accompaniment for the song and I hope a few more people can find it! It doesn’t feature my stupid head once, so that’s a bonus.
I Deserve Your Love (& Other Tall Tales)
Sonically, I think the record carries a few cheesy moments, so it was important to create a more identifiably dark track that sounds as grim as it reads. The production on this one is really simple
and hopefully achieves that goal. The words aren’t really as serious as they come across – and the bridge section is full of shit – but this track was more about creating some breathing space, albeit from a dark and less-than-secure place.
I had a few songs with characters and stories that fit that bill, and I think Rohan pulled the right line by choosing and developing this one. It was also a
chance to play some acoustic guitar and sing some extremely close vocals, which we doubletracked, just to tick all the relevant low-fi 90s boxes. This one is a real highlight for me and I can’t wait to add it to our live set.
Moonlight Receptions, Nicholson Street
Rohan and I recorded this one within three hours. That vibe is pretty evident, but I think it really works. Like Words For Me, this one sounds pretty Australian and stays honest to itself without too many tricks being pulled out of the bag.
I came up with the lyrics walking up and down the same section . It’s very simple and is really just an expression of that feeling where every little thing – no matter the relevance – reminds you of a certain person.
Back Pocket’s Lament
About a year ago I woke up from a nightmare. I’d just realised, in my sleep and at the age of 25, that playing AFL football for Collingwood was no longer an option for me. I wasn’t too happy about it. So I wrote a song and it’s the closer of the album. Hope ya like it.
