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INTERVIEW: Geoffrey O'Connor

28 May 2012 | 3:00 pm | Staff Writer

Purple Sneakers sat down to have a chat with Geoffrey O'Connor, synth maestro extraordinaire.

You may recognise GEOFFREY O'CONNOR as the frontman of CRAYON FIELDS or his alter ego SLY HATS. He's been on the Australian music scene for a fair while, but he's only just begun performing under his own name. Crazy when you consider how young he is. Ironically, although all his press photos show him in sunglasses looking suave, he looks really laid back in real life, sporting unintentionally hipster glasses with his fringe falling over his eyes. After premiering his latest single Proud last week, we thought we'd catch up with the man himself and get to know him better.

A few people characterized the Crayon Fields as being “naïve pop” — do you try to go for a more mature, “adult” sound in your solo work?

Not intentionally, though I think it does sound more ‘adult’ than anything I’ve done before. I started Crayon Fields in High School, so I guess I was a little naïve puppydog back then and that vibe has followed the band around since. As much as I’ve become a man over the years, I think I’ll always be quite juvenile in many ways.

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There’s a sense of aesthetic unity shared by your songs and the accompanying trilogy of videos — how much input do you have into your videos? Are you thinking about the video while writing music?

Often I am, or at least I have a few images in mind when I’m writing the songs that I eventually try to incorporate into the videos. This was very much the case with the image of a goldfish in a wineglass that appears in the Whatever Leads Me To Youvideo. I made all the videos myself – they were part of my major project for a masters in film production I recently completed. I really enjoy making them, though I must admit filming myself lip-syncing was a very strange experience.

Your songs have strong melodies on both keys and guitar. Is there one instrument you prefer? Which one do you start writing songs on?

I prefer to write and arrange songs on guitar, then adapt the arrangements and hooks to synthesizers. I think the guitar will get more of the spotlight on the next record though.

What do you think about the wide array of recent remixes for your songs? Which have been your favourite?

I like all of them – and I think they’ll have quite an influence on the next record too. It’s always quite a shock to hear them for the first time. I really like the remix Expensive Looks made for Whatever Leads Me To You and Chet Faker made two fantastic ones for So Sorry.

You’re playing at Vivid Festival in Sydney — how did that come about? Is there anyone you’re particularly excited about playing with?

We were asked to play a short while ago, which was perfect timing as we were planning to come up to Sydney around that time anyway. The whole lineup is stunning! I’m very excited about seeing Egyptian Lover – I have no idea what to expect. Its been nice to casually say ‘oh the Sydney Opera House I believe’ when people ask where my next gig is, being so humble ‘n’ all.

How does performing your solo material compare to playing live with Crayon Fields?

It’s a more involved show in some ways, there is a strong visual element with projections and lights. The sound of my solo backing band is quite removed from that of the record – much more synthetic.

After your shows in June, what are your plans for the rest of the year? Will you be touring or making music at all?

Definitely. There’ll be more touring, we’ve been enjoying that a lot recently. I’ve started working on a new solo record, and there is a new Crayon Fields album in the works too. I’m looking forward to spending more quality time with my synthesizers, rather than just hauling them from one show to the next like circus elephants.