Several Questions For... Otouto

Posted: 17 June, 2010

Melbourne art-pop trio Otouto's wonderful debut lp, Pip, doesn't sound like a young band's opening shot: each sound seems chosen carefully, each shift in tone and rhythm both intuitive and sure. It probably helps that two thirds of the group, sisters Hazel and Martha Brown, have been plying their trade since their early teens. Martha played her first solo shows at 14; Hazel had a residency at Melbourne's John Curtin hotel at 15. A few years later, Hazel's solo writing began to incorporate her sister. With the addition of drummer Kishore Ryan (Kid Sam), Otouto were born. 

Together, the trio make an artful brand of pop that sounds only like itself: nimble, spare lines of guitar and keyboard, underpinned by Ryan's inventive, kitchen-sink percussion and Hazel's arctic-pure pipes. Always deftly rhythmic, Otouto's songs are the kind that leave enough space for single details to speak clearly, obviating the need for bigger arrangements.

The sisters' lyrics, meanwhile, do the same with the minutae of every day life –– squaring the focus on the little things, such that they begin to take on more meaning. 'Small things can be more exciting than typically glamorous happenings in our life,' Martha said recently to The Age. 'But that's because we find insignificant things more exciting.'

Part of the group's deceptively simple approach to writing songs comes from the dymanic between the three. Speaking to Mess & Noise recently, Hazel shed some light on the group's songwriting process. 'When one of us brings a framework or an idea for a song to a rehearsal, we are all very honest with each other,' she said, 'and we make a big effort to cut the fat: to only use what we all think is great and interesting, not just okay or easy.'

'Playing and writing with Kishore and Martha is great. Most of the time it's really, really fun, and other times we all get frustrated as hell when we get stuck on something. It's great to be able to go through all these creative stages with other people. I think I'd be bored and boring if I didn't play and write with the two of them.'

Just back from a spate of national touring, Otouto spoke to Gaga this week about their love for Arthur Russell, paradiddles, and their plans for retirement.

My favourite song right now:

Hazel Brown: 'Leipzig' by Matthew Herbert.

Kishore Ryan: 'Smell Yo Dick' by Riskay.

Martha Brown: Either of 'Ascending Melody' by The Dirty Projectors or 'New York' by Jay Z. Tough...

My current musical obsession:

HB: Dancing... that's musical isn't it? and Harry Partch.

KR: Paradiddles.

MB: Q tip, watching friends dance the way they do in the dark. I think that counts.

A great, under recognized record:

HB: Nick Huggins' 'Shipwreck' LP or Arthur Russell's 'Love is Overtaking Me.'

KR: 'Ache Horns' by 7 Year Rabbit Cycle.

MB: 'Come into my house' by No Kids or Oscar Vicente Slorach Thorn's self-titled lp.

At the moment, I'm reading:

HB: [Alex Ross's] The Rest is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century

KR: Gunter Grass' The Tin Drum and Raymond Carver's Where I'm Calling From.

MB: This winter I've chosen to knit instead, as I'm too blind to read and too poor to get new glasses.

Three movies everyone should see before they die:

HB: Wild Combination.

KR: Fitzcarraldo.

MB: It's so unfair that Hazel answered this first.

My dream collaboration would be:

HB: Beyonce, Matthew Herbert, Quincy Jones and Laurie Anderson.

KR: Gregory Saunier and Bill Orcutt.

MB: No kids, Fourtet, Q tip.

My alternate, non-musical vocation would be:

HB: Something in business, or a midwife....hmm... no idea actually.

KR: A writer.

MB: Fashiony something. Something fashiony.

If cash/logistics were no object, we would do a tour of:

HB: Japan, China and Berlin.

KR: Estonia.

MB: Japan, Berlin & Sweden. And actually if money wasn't an issue why not just the whole world? My answer is now world.

The last thing I bought:

HB: Train ticket.

KR: Petrol.

MB: Bread and dips for the peeps at our clip's dance rehearsal.

Most treasured bit of gear:

HB: At the moment, my new bass ukulele.

MB: Mb hugcase, and my farfisa. I can't choose between those two, I love them both and they love each other.

KR: My old Ludwig snare. It's the one part of my drumkit that would make me truly sad if it was stolen. I never leave it in the car, even if I'm really tired after a gig and can't be bothered to unpack everything.

Ideally, I will retire:

KR: When I'm rich and fat and have RSI.

MB: When I can afford to play music, knit, cook and eat all day. If you mean from music, then I don't really have an answer.

HB: Fat and rich sounds good Kish, I'll pass on the RSI though.

Otouto are on Gaga Pub via Two Bright Lakes. Pip is out now.

Pete : 17 June, 2010

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