The Savage Frontier

When one imagines being serenaded by a Bad Seed, ‘Alone’ by 80’s poodle rock darlings Heart is probably the last song that springs to mind.
Conway Savage is discussing his work on Go-Between Robert Forster’s covers album I Had A New York Girlfriend and the Heart song is his favourite.
“It’s such a camp treatment,” he laughs, after a brief rendition of the chorus. “He does a very droll ‘Echo Beach’ with a young Warren Ellis playing a Bob Dylan Desire-type violin solo too.”
Conway, relaxing at home in Melbourne, is on promo duty in advance of his upcoming nationwide slew of dates and the release of his back catalogue here.
The pianist has released an EP and five albums as a solo artist over the last 15 years, having joined the Bad Seeds as a full-time member in 1990.
His solo canon comprises heartbreaking works of bittersweet melancholy, which explore themes of love and loss in a potent manner. Nestling comfortably beside his own compositions are inspired reworkings of folk standards such as ‘Fair And Tender Ladies’ and ‘The Streets Of Loredo’ as well as the odd Nick Cave cover.
“With ‘Bring It On’, I really fucked it up on the album with Nick and got booted off the piano,” he explains in his laconic drawl. “So I think in my heart of hearts it was my little snide reply to the boss. (Laughs) No, I was just mucking around and playing it really slow and I thought there was something there. It’s an old trick slowing it down a bit. I played it to Nick just in case but he’s very supportive.”
Dismissing the notion of any competition between the Bad Seeds’ solo projects he asserts wryly, “I always get incredible support from my great friends Warren, Marty, Mick and Nick. They’re fantastic people… to steal songs off!”
‘Bring It On’ is from the Wrong Man’s Hands album which was recorded on an 8-track in a room above a hotel.
“It was a very, very hot stinking few days,” Conway recalls. “At first it was, ‘Great! We’re recording it above a pub, we just have to pop downstairs to get a drink.’ By the second day it was (puts on whiny voice); ‘Aawww, whose turn is it to go downstairs now?’ Lazy bloody Australians!”
The album also includes ‘Tanist’ and ‘Strings Of The Earth And Air’, which are based on the respective James Stephens and James Joyce poems.
“I came across a book called 1,000 Years Of Irish Poetry when I was browsing in a book shop in Boston,” he says. “I had a lot of music floating around and I wasn’t writing a lot. I think pilfering was on my mind, my nicking sack was out. I apologise to all the forces concerned.
“The James Stephens poem suited a nice little ditty I had written, it just fitted really well. There were some lovely words from Mr Joyce that I couldn’t keep my fingers off. And then to rub his nose in it I added some of my own!”
On his forthcoming dates Conway is joined by Dundalk’s Mark Corcoran who has featured on all his Irish tours to date.
“When I first came to Ireland Mark met me at the airport and we’ve been holding hands and gazing into each other’s eyes ever since,” he quips.
On a serious note, he plans to take on production duties for the Louth man’s next long-player.
“Well – he says, puffing a big cigar – the kid’s got looks, an incredible voice and a really nice jazzy lilt throughout his songs which I intend to explore a bit.”
On his last visit to Ireland Conway recorded some tracks in Derek Turner’s Tumbleweed Studios. En route he had an unfortunate encounter with a lamp-post.
“Damn those things,” he rues. “There I was, minding my own business walking down the street in Dundalk and my accordion-player pops on this funny hat she wears. While laughing at it I walked right into a lamppost and developed a large egg on my forehead. I cut four songs anyway and I still haven’t heard them – or maybe I just imagined it.”
Conway Savage tours Ireland in October in support of the Irish release of his back catalogue – see News for details