Steve Kilbey interview

I've been a fan of Australia's The Church for so long that it's hard to remember a period of my life that didn't have them as part of its soundtrack. It was therefore an honour and a pleasure to catch up with lead singer / bassist Steve Kilbey via email during the band's recent US tour.

(Photo by Ron Henry)

GB: I caught the show in San Francisco and thought it was the best show of yours I've seen; the song selection and general energy level (starting with the kick-butt version of "Tantalized") were fantastic. How has the rest of the tour been going ?

SK: its been going good
we do have a lot more energy these days
people seem to enjoy that

GB: Do you have any favourite places in North America – and / or the world – that you were particularly happy to come back to on this tour ?

SK: i'm sad we didnt get to atlanta
which is a great city for us
but san fran n seattle n chicago were pretty good

GB: How do you feel about touring these days, after going around the world with the band for nearly 30 years ?

SK: its such a complicated question
i'd get RSI trying to answer it
but it sure beats working
yeah i like playing but i hate waiting around
for the other guys all the time
youre only as quick as the slowest bloke

GB: You've been really prolific lately, with the fine solo album Painkiller and the Martin Kennedy collaboration as well as the new Church record. Are you always that prolific but just don't necessarily release everything you do, or have you been branching into production or visual art or other things when you're not making music ?


SK: i do a lotta stuff
i paint pictures
i collaborate on music
a bit of acting
i've got a load of kids
i do yoga n i swim in the sea
what was the question again??


GB: I like the new album Untitled #23 a lot. It has a reflective mood that reminds me a lot of
After Everything Now This, one of my very favourite Church albums. I've read that the band writes and chooses the songs together these days, so was there a conscious decision to make the album come out that way ?

SK: everything we do is random n accidental
we never have any idea what we're doing
and we dont always understand what we've done
when we've finished
i didnt realise it was so good a record till i read some reviews
believe it or not
sometimes i need the critics to tell me what we've done

GB: A lot of writers have described your singing as “cool” or “detached”, but I really like the emotion you put into some of the vocals on this album, like "Space Saviour" or "Sunken Sun". Again, was that a conscious decision to make the singing more raw ?

SK: yes
that was a conscious decision
ive taken cool n detached to their extreme
so now i'm experimenting with more "emotion"

GB: Most Church albums have a song or two from guitarists Marty Willson-Piper and Peter Koppes, but neither (as far as I can tell) gets a lead vocal on Untitled. Why was that ?

they did a song each
but band decided that their songs were too discontinuous
ok then...

(GB note: Marty's and Peter's songs came out on the “Pangaea” EP released along with the new album, and are both well worth a listen).

The Coffee Hounds EP that also came out this year has a fantastic cover of the Kate Bush song "Hounds of Love", following on the tradition of great Church cover versions that the band really makes their own. How did that come about ?

i just thought we could do a good version of that one
it came out well didnt it

Graham Lee, of the much-missed Triffids and Black Eyed Susans, makes an appearance on Painkiller and also on Marty's new solo album Nightjar. What's the story behind your association with Graham, and any plans to work with him again ?

the triffids have had a big influence on me
ive known graham awhile
he knew of my enthusiasm to sing the triffids songs
hes the only guy i know who can play steel guitar

Over the years I've heard you come up with some pretty funny comments between songs. Any plans to go into stand up comedy ?

yeah...3 bass players walk into a bar.....