JOEL EDMONDSON chats to ANNA ANGEL about his departure from Brisbane, and the record that’s seeing him return.
Joel Edmondson might have been a pivotal player in the formation of one of Brisbane’s best-loved live venues and labels in Lofly Hangar, but he hung up his Brisbane boots last year in favour of Melbournian loafers. Originally performing with his band under the name of Calvara, Edmondson returns this month to launch his debut full-length record, Invisible Steps. This is not, however, a sign of a permanent homecoming.
“You stay somewhere for as long as it suits you and I do want to embed myself in the scene here,” Edmondson says. “It takes time for people to know who you are.”
He says that while Brisbane will always be home, “once you’ve played Ric’s and The Troubadour so many times, it feels like you can only reach so many people.
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“In Brisbane, because I have been running Lofly for so long, people come to know you as that, and a lot of people are restrictive with who can play where. It feels a lot less political here, because there are so many more venues, and you get so many more people interested in coming out and listening to music.”
Edmondson has filed Invisible Steps under ‘Progressive Apocalypse Pop’. The term initially feels odd, but after a few listens it becomes synonymous with the record. Powerful tracks like Edge Of The Road and The Greatest Name accurately earn the ‘apocalypse’ moniker, others like lead single Giant more easily fall under the ‘pop’ banner.
“I was taking the piss with that, but my songs are a journey; they’re not necessarily two-chord pop, so they’re influenced by prog in that way, and we’re living in times that people feel are end times,” Edmondson says of his choice of genre.
The name Invisible Steps represents Edmondson’s experience putting the record together – some of the tracks are almost a decade old – and thematically, the journey of humanity as a whole.
“It’s all about the experiences people have during times of transformation, like the times we live in – on a universal scale – but individuals are really feeling the personal experiences of that transformation.”
Edmondson’s confidence is high for the launch of Invisible Steps, fortunately held at The Troubadour – one Brisbane venue he doesn’t feel he’s overplayed. “I’m really happy to share this experience with the people who’ve seen it from the beginning,” he says.
Those at the launch can expect a stripped-back version of the recorded tracks, as Edmondson will be flying solo. “The record is very layered, I wanted it to be a very vibrant album,” he says. “Doing it solo is the polar opposite; it’s a much more ethereal experience.”
He confides that half the set will comprise of singles from the record, and half of material written for his forthcoming release. The newer tracks promise to be “much more existential ... much more interior.”
“I have a bit of detachment from the older songs, because they represent a version of myself from five years ago,” he says. “I feel like I’m talking about a different person, whereas the songs I’m playing now are about who I am today.”
JOEL EDMONDSON plays The Troubadour on Sunday September 26 with McKisko and Flying Scribble. Invisible Steps is released through Lofly on September 26. More information at www.myspace.com/joeledmondson.
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