The Curse of Company

Interviewed By: Chris DePaul

Date: 2008-12-16

Singer/songwriter, designer and actor David Wiley Rennick, best known for producing two internationally celebrated albums as part of Dappled Cities, has turned his hand to a blend of myth, music and storytelling with his least democratic work to date, The Curse of Company.

The land occupied by The Curse of Company is eerily embodied in the debut record, Leo Magnets joins a gang, and for it’s creation Rennick collaborated with the equally enigmatic talents of the redsunband’s Sarah Kelly (vocals), Mr Bungle / Secret Chiefs 3’s Danny Heifetz (drums, percussion), Tim “Jack Ladder” Rogers (bass guitar), and Gerling’s Burke Reid (co-producer, engineer).

The gang extends to involve other prolific and committed artists (including photographer Glen “Wilk” Wilkie and film director Zane Pearson), seeing the entire alliance reminiscent of that momentous Australian era that spawned the likes of The Dirty Three and The Bad Seeds.

The music draws on Rennick’s multi-platform artistic practices to convey story on a massive scale, mixing the psychedelic influence of The Velvet Underground with Neil Young’s scalding alt-rock and folk, and drawing on classic, coming-of-age storytelling that recalls a dizzying mix of The Odyssey, Blade Runner, 2001 and Apocalypse Now.

Below are Dave Rennick’s answers to our literary questions.

What are your favorite books?

There’s an Australian author named Peter Carey who really strikes a chord within me.  My favourite books of his are True History of the Kelly Gang, Theft and Oscar and Lucinda.  I’m also currently reading Dee Brown’s Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee which is both compelling and aggressively depressing.

Who is your favorite fictional character?

This would be the peculiar children’s book character named Grug created by author Ted Prior.  He looks like a hairy mushroom, and has a really big nose, and finds joy in intriguing activities such as constructing a rainbow out of wood.  It’s unfortunate that he is fictional.

Of any place you have read about (fiction or real), where would you like to visit most?

I have never really explored South East Asia, but have really wanted to since my teenage years reading Graham Greene’s The Quiet American.  The book, as though by accident, unfolds in an incredible setting.

Have any authors influenced the way you tell stories?

I’ve been greatly influenced by the poetry of Charles Bukowski.  His work has a “surface” and an “underneath”, and it’s delivered with a very subtle grace.  My writing is not really that similar from an end-user point of view, but his ability to shroud true meaning behind a blunt tone is a trait I’ve attempted to adopt.

What type of non-fiction do you read?

For some reason I collect dictionaries.  I don’t know why; I don’t really read them.  But when I’m at an op-shop or a market it’s the first thing I look for.  That didn’t really answer the question, but I’ve already typed it now.

Do members of the band ever share and discuss books?

Not yet, but you’ve inspired me to get the ball rolling.  “Band Book Club”, or maybe “Book a (Club) Band Books Alright, Sing It”… The music industry won’t know what to do with us.  (Honestly, yes we discuss books, as one would with any close friend who can read).

How important are your lyrics when you are making a song? 

Lyrics are very important, but I don’t think they are the independent and ultimate element to make a song work.  Great songs are an intricate (and often fluked!) combination of media that appeal to the senses.  I think it’s this entirety that conveys the mood of any given music, and it this mood that people empathise with and go ga-ga for.  Lyrics should complement and enhance the music and the mood, otherwise they’re just bad lyrics.

Purchase Books
You can purchase the books recommended by The Curse of Company here.

Links:
http://www.thecurseofcompany.com/