Interview : Hikanui

Hikanui is the only Kiwi in Brookes band (from the Waikato) and plays bass.

Firstly....How did you become part of the "Brooke Fraser Band"?
Well I became part of the band thru Paul- he was appointed Brookes’ music director and I’ve known him for about 10 years now. When Brooke supported David Bowie at the start of 2004 Paul contacted me to play that gig which I did and it developed from there. I live in Sydney so initially it was for that first show.

When did you know you wanted to be a musician?
I was a late developer musically. I didn’t even listen to the radio up until I was 14 when I picked up an acoustic guitar and discovered music then. From that moment on it was pretty much a given. You can imagine I was stoked to find out I had this God-given ability!

What about your career so far makes you smile?
I guess something that makes me smile about my job is how music as an art form is shared with me by other people who are artists and musicians, who are interesting as people, passionate about what they do, and can be so different from you in terms of background, and perspectives, but the bond that we can all relate to with each other is music. I’ve learnt a lot from mixing with, playing, and just being around other musicians, and that process is a joy in itself. Especially with three other beautiful people as Brooke, Paul and Nigel.

Most embarrassing/funniest thing that's happened / any of you have done on tour?
Oh, there have been lots of instances as you can imagine, but one that comes to mind would be the late night food mission that we the boys undertook with a good friend of ours, Pinky, in Blenheim on last years’ national tour when the poor unfortunate elderly gentleman behind the counter at the BP station misunderstood our exhuberance and general zest for life as a case of young schoolboy-type hooligan behaviour that could only be dealt with effectively by withholding our desirable purchases and promptly telling us to vacate his store. We never called him a liar, we didn’t know him well enough. We did clear up the misunderstanding though, and Paul got his sausage roll, as did we all. Moral of the story-always assume that the sausage rolls you see in the warmer are FRESH. Don’t question it, believe me, just go with it, its not worth the hassle.

Most amusing / Weirdest thing Brookes said during a show? (I've experienced many):
The tuner story is always a winner! (Refer; tuner, back pocket, toilet, splash)

Best show you guys have ever played?
I’m going to have to go with the Auckland show from the national tour. Although it wasn’t the tightest show that I in particular played, there was something very special about that night. There was a real sense of God that night, in our immediate space, something that is very important to us. He rocked up and it was way cool.

Best memory from recent tour?
Just generally getting to see this beautiful country of ours again, all in one hit. Nuttin’ in Australia compares to it, or is like it.

Which is your fav song to play?
Reverie. The way we play it live is different to the recording, but that’s what I like about it-the way we play it.

Coolest thing about touring with Brooke?
The thing that is cool is seeing the faces of an audience when they are singing along with you, realising from that particular moment how Brookes’ songs have affected people and what those songs mean to them.

Any drawbacks to being on tour?
Apart from the early starts to the day, living out of a suitcase, lack of freedom to do washing whenever you like and listening to Nigels snoring, no, everythings dandy. (NB: Sorry Nige, I shouldn’t discriminate, hes’ not the only Jedi night-talker- there is another!)

Strangest thing a fan has said/done?
Aftershow at front of stage: ‘Is Brooke coming out soon?’ Ok, it’s not that strange, but it’s the strangest thing I’ve heard so far. I could have been blasé and just answered this one with a no, nothing really.

If you could play in one place in the world where would it be?
Wembley. That’s in England.

If you could take credit for writing one of Brookes songs - which would it be and why?
Arithmetic. Lyrical content and melody structure. Its all about how the song has been crafted, how the lyrics are sung, what they convey, and the musical backdrop that compliments the mood of those words.

And any other artists songs?
Reminiscing, by the Little River Band. For exactly the same reasons.

Who inspires you? (musically or otherwise):
Jesus does, every day. My friends and family. Che Guevara, for his commitment to his convictions and loyalties, even though he chose violence as a means to fight his cause, which I’m not down with in terms of options, he was a man who had courage and knew compassion.

What would you be doing right now, if you weren't doing this?
If I wasn’t doing music I would like to think I’d be involved in the wine industry- my newfound other passion that I wouldn’t mind getting paid for.

What do you rate right now?
All the regulars, the Killers, Keane, Boomcat, plus a local Sydney acoustic singer-songwriter called Lior- very Jeff Buckley meets James Taylor.

Is it hard to stay true to your beliefs in the industry that you work in? (with all the sex, drugs and rock‘n’roll thing):
Well, the best way I can answer this is that, realistically, the whole sex, drugs and rock’n’roll scenario is not really a confronting issue when you’re playing for Brooke Fraser! You don’t find yourself in that situation very often, which is great, one less hassle to face. But I think that staying true while doing what we do is as hard or easy as you want to make it. If you find something hard to handle when you’re on tour, is it because being on the road has something to do with your problem or is it because you just find some temptations harder to resist, in general? I think its important to try and steer clear of all the stereotypes and look at this question in particular a bit more laterally. I like to think about this question by rephrasing it-‘Is it hard to stay true to your beliefs; at home? Every moment of the day? When you don’t feel like it?’ I would have to answer then that yes, its easier to be lazy then to live as God instructed! But the more you apply your beliefs to your life every moment of the day, the easier it becomes to live in obedience, and so when you are on tour and you’re faced with something, you will react according to what you are grounded in. Its all about grounding.

Being on the sides of such an artist what advice would you give to other up and coming artists that want to learn from the successes / mistakes of others?
I guess I’ve already answered this one upstairs. Another piece of advice I’d like to offer up that I think is important is don’t forget to love people. The fans, your team around you, your band mates, your critics. Loving people and going out of your way for the benefit of others helps you to remember what life is really about, because the industry in itself can cause you to forget. It also helps you keep your feet where they’re meant to be, and your general awareness and tolerance of others puts you in a place where you can genuinely learn from them, their successes and mistakes.

Any other comments:
Keep checking out Brookes web site and also this one (www.brookefraser.net), as I like to browse regularly- there's always interesting stuff in the forum to read, and they’ve both been set up awesomely. It's also one of the best ways to keep supporting Brooke and her music, and having input into it all, which I know she greatly appreciates, and keep coming to the shows, whenever there's one near you. Peace out!
 

Interview : Paul Mabury

Paul is the massively talented dude from Jive Express, and has been Brookes musical director and drummer for the past year.

Firstly....How did you become part of the "Brooke Fraser Band"?
I met Brooke at Parachute Music Festival 03. She was into what i did musically... [I was there with a band that I put together called "The Jive Express"] and when I was able to I came on board to put her band together.

When did you know you wanted to be a musician?
I can't remember-I started playing the piano when I was 5 years old and I started on the drums when I was 12.
Music has always been a part of my life... it has always been some kind of focus point.

What about your career so far makes you smile?
Hanging with the boys I play with... we have plenty of laughs... plenty! I thank God that "my career" has put me around wonderful people, they have been my focus... I think a career in itself won't make you smile unless you have community, and community is great... great moments of crap... great moments of fun... that's life and I think it all should be celebrated!

Most embarrassing/funniest thing that's happened / any of you have done on tour?
I don't know? nothing comes to mind...want me to make something up? My mate has a story about a hospital visit that involved an enema... very funny and very embarrassing.

Most amusing / Weirdest thing Brookes said during a show?
Too many to mention... too many I don't want to mention!

Best show you guys have ever played?
Auckland town hall... good times.

Best memory from recent tour?
Hangin' with my girl [Maggie] on the side of stage listening to Dave Dobbyn doing his thing in Russell.

Which is your fav song to play?
The new song-i don't know what Brooke wants to call it... it doesn't matter what she calls it now, it will always be known to the boys as the "new song."

Coolest thing about touring with Brooke?
Her tours are always a little more relaxed as far as the schedule goes. Other tours I do are usually flat out. And I never have to play more than a couple of songs before I get a break. Which usually means a glass of wine! I have played gigs non-stop for over 2 hours at a time, in fact that is normal... we once flew with Brooke to Tokyo. We were there for 5 days to just hang out and we played for 20 minutes! Hanging in Tokyo is so cool... Harajuku is the coolest.

Any drawbacks to being on tour?
It can be intense.

Strangest thing a fan has said/done?
That's easy-guys who think they are "in love" with Brooke. How can you be in love with someone you don't know... that is strange.

If you could play in one place in the world where would it be?
Ed Sullivan theater down town broadway in New York. I love that place! Or maybe any reason to get back to Harajuku!

If you could take credit for writing one of Brookes songs - which would it be and why?
I couldn't but if I am to be truthful, some things I have said have come out as lines in her songs. Thats cool, it's proof of community. We should influence each other in positive way-I hope I have had a positive impact on Brooke's life.

Who inspires you? (musically or otherwise):
What ever reflects Truth inspires me. I would rather hang with someone who doesn't have it together and knows it than someone who thinks they have it together but clearly doesn't. Those people are missled and annoying... however I can be annoying too. I guess to answer the question, I find everyday people inspiring-usually the ones who aren't being told by society that they're inspiring.

What would you be doing right now, if you weren't doing this?
Something else.

What do you rate right now?
Most of my life I am listening to music that I have to for work related reasons... I'm too busy to really care about it. But I just bought an album called "the Beginning Stages Of..." By The Polyphonic Spree." It's very cool.

Is it hard to stay true to your beliefs in the industry that you work in?
Staying true to what you believe is a question of discipline, not of the environment in which you live. We find all sorts of things to blame. Forget about that, just get on with making better choices I say, quit justifying stupidity. It's not harder for me because I'm a musician...

Being on the sides of such an artist what advice would you give to other up and coming artists that want to learn from the successes / mistakes of others?
Success can ultimately become a distraction for both those who have made it and for those who want to make it. I think if it's music we're talking about, then it is a tool for community. Just keep it that whether you're playing to a full house or to your Mum, it should be the same vibe. It's a gift for service not for status. When music becomes selfish-it sucks.

Lastly, what would you like to say about Brooke?
"Brooke has a beautiful heart."