PRINCESS CHELSEA INTERVIEWS JONATHAN BREE

Please find below a very impartial / unbiased interview with fellow bandmate, bff, and co-owner of record label releasing my album - Jonathan Bree of The Brunettes on the eve of the release of fourth album Paper Dolls + a complimentary remix of new single Red Rollerskates that sounds a little bit like Daft Punk.


PC: Paper Dolls is your fourth album. I understand it has taken a while to release?

JB: The album itself only took 6 months to record which by Brunette standards is relatively short period of time - however it took three record labels, three managers two booking agents and twelve months to come out.

PC: That sounds quite annoying, am I right?

JB: Correct.

PC: Despite all your issues I personally think the album is good.
It's quite electronic in parts which is zany. Did you set out to make an "electronic" album?

JB: No. It was just a natural gravitation for me, utilising a modern recording setup and working with keyboards and drum sequencing rather than organic recording. Saying that its electronic - it isn't really - anyone that likes electronic music wouldn't class it as electronic music at all, in fact they'd probably think it was rather organic. The reason we're putting in a press release that its electronic is that it is by far the most plastic sounding record that we've ever produced.

PC: What would you say to analog purists? I had an annoying conversation with some dick at a bar where he informed me that if it's not recorded on an 8 track (preferably a 4 track) reel to reel tape machine - its not a real recording. How would you respond to a statement like that?

JB: Nothing, I'd just smile and slowly back off into the shadows.

PC: I can imagine that certain websites / Ionlylikedtheirfirstepiamveryawesome types might not like your new digital approach......

JB: I remember when I made Holding Hands Feeding Ducks - I was fairly prejudiced against modern production values but since then have come to find some appeal in them. I wouldn't really knock anyone that doesn't appreciate the new production on Paper Dolls. I'm a huge admirer of Jonathan Richman but some of the production on his later albums can sometimes not do it so much for me. I guess some people need everything to be just so in order for it to be palatable. I don't really care I made the album that I still wanted to make.

PC: I personally believe that Paper Dolls has more in common with your first release than Structure and Cosmetics or even Mars Loves Venus. I know that a few of the songs on it were written ten I mean eight years ago. For me those songs in particular are an interesting listen - old songs kept in a time capsule and then finally recorded in a different way than they would have been back then. (See - Connection, It's Only Natural, Crime Machine).

JB: Ok.

PC. You mastered this album yourself. What were some of the reference tracks you used when mastering the album?

JB: I used some tracks from Rubber Soul and Air's Talkie Walkie album for reference for my mastering - but I still find it really hard to get the mastering right.

PC: I understand you were also listening to a fair bit of Britney Spears and JT while making the album?

JB: That's true. I've always had a soft spot for Britney and the production work on her recent efforts has been pretty inspiring. I didn't necessarily set out to mimic it because i just wouldn't be able to - but it definitely was on the stereo a lot.

PC: My favourite song on the album is probably Bedroom Disco - whats your favourite?

JB: At the time of making the album i was probably most enthusiastic about the title track and thought that it was lyrically and musically a bit different for me.

PC: It is - the structure is quite wacky.

JB: It's not a good pop song.

PC: I suppose it's quite an effort for you to try and write a bad pop song HAHAHAHA. If someone was to go to a listening post at Real Groovy or perhaps JB Hi Fi or Marbecks and they only had say 9 minutes - which three tracks would you recommend they listen to / legally download to get a good sense of what the album is like?

JB: In Colours, Bedroom Disco and Magic (No Bunny)

PC: Your new single Red Rollerskates - is it about S&M?

JB: Its about how you cant keep up with me when we walk anywhere and how unfit you are.

PC: I see

JB: We haven't got you a pair of rollerskates yet, it probably wouldn't work in New Zealand yet because the footpaths are so crappy but it was a thought anyway - born out of frustration.

PC: Once I took my little sister out to a bar to see Holly Golightly play when she was 15 and she though it would be a very good idea to wear rollerskates.

JB: I remember that. Really, 15? I think I got in trouble with my girlfriend at the time for looking at your sister in rollerskates that night.

PC: Perhaps that's where the idea came from - subliminally.
So just throwing it out there - the album's called Paper Dolls, there's a very long track with lots of lyrics called Paper Dolls and all the artwork is little Paper Dolls and shit - I'm just assuming its a concept album about human behaviour and lots of metaphors and shit about paper...

JB: You know that it is not a concept album.

PC: So... do you have any upcoming shows?

JB: ............... [Walks off, annoyed]







The Brunettes - Red Rollerskates (Robbie Loggia remix)