M: Tell me a bit about yourself, who is Brendan Joel?
B: Hi. I’m a nineteen year old. I stack dairy freezers for a living, and am currently on a semester break from uni (film/television degree). My parents are a rare combination of nationality, my mum’s from Sri Lanka, and dad’s from Canada, they met in Sydney before moving to Perth.
M:What are your creative passions?
B: I love film/tv, music and photography. And all kinds of art.
M: How did you first become involved in them?
B: I’ve always been involved in the arts, because I have always seen life with a surreal tinge. It took a long time for me to learn about how things worked in the world, from young I really just took great interest in how things looked/felt and interacted. I had a huge imagination when I was little, and it almost felt as if my dreams/imaginations and real life were mixed, because I did not define a difference between them. I remember having this dream of standing in my backyard and jumping while doing a breaststroke motion. I pushed the air down with my legs and floated off the ground getting higher and higher. I always thought that it had been a real life experience until a couple years later when I remembered it, and tried it. Unfortunately I did not fly that time.
M: At what age did you realize this is what you want to do with your life?
B: I don’t think I’ve ever decided outright what to do with my life. I tend to just float towards something to do with film/TV, or music. Film appeals to me because it is the marriage of music and picture and is a fantastic medium for creative expression. For me, it’s not about making money but about making something people can enjoy/learn from, I want people to see how I view the world. It’s full of mystery and unexplainable things, my aim is to remind people that there is so much that we have not figured out, so much more to be discovered and enjoyed.
M: Tell me about your musical journey.
B: I’ve always been playing music. When I was young I was taught classical piano, but later moved to guitar when I won a learning scholarship. I used to be able to sight read and play scales backwards, all that… but I feel like simple is better so I’ve toned back on the technical side of things and adopted a more relaxed/mellow approach. I’ve been writing songs since I could play music, but only in the last year have I put together a specific song list and performed them to the public. It is quite a daunting process the first time you do that because you feel vulnerable to people’s judgment, but soon you realize that it is a great opportunity to show people how you feel, how you see things and it becomes an exciting and fulfilling experience.
M: How has your sound developed?
B: My sound has definitely developed over the years. I’ve learnt to take a step back and spend more time on songs that I have written before recording them. I will usually get a feeling/or idea and record a draft, then spend at least three months playing the song daily and changing it to make it reflect, more accurately, the initial feeling.
M: How did your first song sound/feel?
B: ‘Last Appearance’ was the first song I wrote on guitar and recorded (on a cheap crackly mic). It was about a girl…as are most of my songs. I think it was about a break up that hadn’t happened yet. But I sing in riddles so it’s never too obvious what I am talking about…
M: What equipment are you using to record/play?
B: My handy 100 dollar guitar and a rode video mic. I use a cheap recording program that seems to do the trick. I am happy with the quality not being super clean because I love when something sounds ‘raw,’ ‘unedited.’
M: Do you do gigs?
B: I’ve done a couple of gigs around Perth including: The Bird, Bar Orient, Mojo’s, Paddington Ale House. My favourite gig would have to be the first ‘big’ gig at Velvet Lounge. We supported a local band called ‘seams’ with ‘farthing woods’, and ‘the spin chorus.’ It was a really great night, good turn out, and the crowd was very supportive.
M: Tell me about your EP.
B: The EP should be coming out early 2011. It is called ‘Oh, those were the joyous days,’ and is a melodramatic journey about winter/love/a girl/loneliness. It’s quite an intense set of songs in the sense that they are all quite sad/lonely. I play a few songs on the piano and a few on acoustic guitar. I hope to be backed by a few friends playing cello, violin, electric guitar, bass and drums. We are yet to practice as one, but I am very excited to hear what it sounds like when that day comes. The current song list:
1) I can see your future
2) The Winter
3) Hurricane (Part I & II)
4) I Saw Lights
5) They Brought the Cannons
6) The Shadow of Time
M: Tell me about your photographic journey.
B:I started photography because I fell in love with cinematography in films. I wanted to capture the greatness of well-composed moving shots but in stills.
M: What equipment do you use to capture/edit your photography?
B: I used to use a Nikon d90 with a couple of lenses, but have upgraded to a Canon 7D with some expensive glass (mainly because of it’s filming capabilities). I edit on Photoshop with a range of custom curves I’ve been experimenting with.
M: What obstacles have been the biggest in stopping you from achieving your goals?
B: Money has been quite a big issue. I guess if I had money I could afford to buy better equipment, do more things. But I enjoy the process of making art, and do not mind that much if it is hard/time consuming. I’ve struggled with a bit of depression over the last few years. I don’t see it as a major obstacle though because it has been a big influence on the work I produce, I have a melancholy personality so I see the world with a tinge of sadness. I’ve never really been a producer of ‘happy’ art works because I don’t believe they express how I really feel.
M: How did you get your sphere of influence?
B: I did art history in high school and gained a lot of inspiration from surreal artists such as Salvador Dali, Shaun Tan, and Rene Magritte. There art was just like my imaginations, and I felt I shared their view of the world as something that is strange and obscure. Films with great cinematography/character development are a big inspiration as well as the large amount of music I listen to from various genres including: Shoegaze, folk, indie rock, Electronica.
M: What annoys you the most about the creative industry?
B: Making art is a long process, one that requires yourself to ask questions, study your own thoughts and behaviour, study the world around you and perfect your skills. I get a little annoyed when people purchase equipment and automatically think they are professionals or artists. They must learn that the technical side of art means nothing if you do not have something to say or don’t think, and rethink, about how to say it. Having said that I also think there should be more opportunities for young artists to showcase their works, receive constructive criticism and be able to view/admire/learn from other peoples works (and views/attitudes).
M: Any advice to young photographers/musicians trying to get their work out there?
B: If you love what you do, don’t stop doing it. It might not make you money and you might end up spending more than you’ll ever make back on equipment but if it makes you happy then it’s worth it. Don’t let people bring you down with words, take the good criticism and leave the bad. Everyone has an opinion and no one is completely right, so don’t let their words effect you or make you change how you do things unless you yourself believe they are right. Try and get out as much as you can, admire the world, admire peoples art, try and showcase your works anywhere that will let you. Ask questions, talk to strangers, take risks, and have fun!
M: Where can we find more of you?
B: Music: www.facebook.com/brendanthebrave
Photography/film: www.facebook.com/brendanjoel
~ Madelyn Grace
