Paul Murphy of Wintersleep/Postdata: The EIS Interview

Since 2003, Wintersleep have been creating some of the greatest music of the decade,offering a delicately dark, moody, artistic blend of progressive, alternative, indie, and pop rock. Hailing from the great Northern country of Canada, Wintersleep has gained national notoriety including Juno Awards, Canada's highest honor in the national music scene, and an opportunity to open for Paul McCartney. While work continues on Wintersleep's fourth full length album, singer/guitarist Paul Murphy is gearing to release his new side project, Postdata, together with his brother Michael Murphy. Stripped down with a more acoustic folk styled atmosphere, Postdata showcases the lush and exceptional songwriting that only Murphy can provide. Paul was gracious enough to answer a few questions about both of his bands before heading out on a red eye flight to finish work on the Wintersleep record...


EIS: What brought on the decision to create Postdata?

PM: A batch of songs, a bottle of scotch, some rented microphones, strange dreams, a couple of weeks to kill in Yarmouth with my brother Mike..

EIS: In your press release you state that the album was originally intended as a present for your mom. She must have loved the gift, can you safely assume this is her favorite project of yours?

PM: Well, I don't see her jamming to it on her headphones every day or anything but she is a supportive momma... I think she likes it. I think it is kind of a selfish gift really though, in the end... The record was as much or maybe more so in the end, for me...

EIS: How did you and Michael split the duties for the album? How will you split them live?

PM: Mike did the the keyboard-y stuff.. He mixed it too... Tim D'Eon from Wintersleep will join me for the live shows in Europe. Mike is studying Law... [better pay in the long run:)]

EIS: You're heading out on tour in Europe with David Bazan very shortly. Are you looking forward to the tour? Will these be the first Postdata shows ever?

PM: I played a show in Hamburg by myself a couple of years ago. This will be the first official batch of shows though I guess...

EIS: Do you have any plans on touring in support of the record in the US or Canada?

PM: If there is time & opportunity I would love to do a few in North America... nothing planned...

EIS: The experience of playing Postdata songs live must be a bit of a shock compared to the sonic assault that is Wintersleep on stage. Are you excited to play a more stripped down show?

PM: Yes!! I'm excited to play the record.. It is a different thing but yeah... `difference is cool`.. I really care about it & I think it'll be a good challenge to play something stripped down like this, to present in the right way.. I'm happy that there is the chance to do some shows for this record in Europe, especially with David Bazan.. Seems like a good fit..

EIS: Wintersleep started as a side project from Kary if I'm not mistaken... anyone in that camp getting nervous after hearing the record?

PM: We're all pretty passionate about getting things musically out of the system at the right time.. I look at these sorts of ventures as things that can only help.. Each recording is experience & you can never get enough of that.. This record really helped me prepare in a lot of ways for the vocals on the upcoming Wintersleep record..

EIS: You're in the process of recording the new Wintersleep right now in Glasgow, how's that going? What brought you guys to Glasgow for the recording?

PM: We recorded in Montreal actually, not Glasgow.. I guess we did some guitar &
vocals for half the songs in Glasgow.. but Glasgow is where we will mix the record.. Tony, our producer, lives in Glasgow.. He came to Montreal for 3 weeks in September, so we are the visiting team this time around..

EIS: You hinted at working with someone very exciting for the new records artwork, can you give us any more clues?

PM: Judging from his previous work he's handsome & originally from Nova Scotia I believe.. I haven`t met him in person. That's all I can say.


EIS: What's the song writing process like for the band?

PM: We have a few different ways of coming up with songs.. Usually someone has a few riffs or a lot of riffs or some times full songs & these will get brought into the jam space & get torn apart and built over or they works "from the get go," as they say.. For the most part the keeper songs are apparent & come together quite quickly..

EIS: It seems as though America has been the toughest market for the band to really "break through" into the mainstream. Why do you think that is? Will you be putting a bigger emphasis on that states with the new album?

PM: We are working with a new booking agent there now, who is actually amazing, so hopefully that will change.. It's very important for us to get into the US, some great people and places.. We`ve toured enough there to know we want to be back as much as possible..

EIS: "Tracers" and "Tobias Grey" are personal favorites of mine from the Postdata record, what is the lyrical motivation of those songs? On a similar note, a close friend of mine has always wanted to know the meaning behind Wintersleep's track "Insomnia". Care to help him out with that? In case you don't want to divulge, what inspires your lyrics/writing in general?

PM: The closest thing I can say is that the POSTDATA record is loosely, at points, inspired by my grandparents, the memory of them or subconscious version I have of them in my head.. But not completely about just that.. I think there are lots of things really that make songs mean something.. But it is hard for me to really pinpoint exactly one thing that motivates a song or what any given song is really "about," and it would be a pretty flat concept maybe, if I could. Kinda spoils things too, knowing the clues. A lot of the time the emotional thing that happens with a cluster of words, the way they are said over the music they are set to or that they inspire, is as important as anything that is actually said. And what it's about to me is maybe beside the point anyway. Alot of the words just come out
in clumps and I just try to sort out some sort of plot/narrative while writing it, as haphazard as that sounds.. I'm feeling/sounding like a dunce right now and this is why I don't finish answering this question quite properly or appropriately ever..

EIS: Seems like a perfectly reasonable answer to me. Any chances Wintersleep will be releasing a live album/DVD in the near future?

PM: No.

EIS: Hailing from Nova Scotia, you guys must be big fans of Trailer Park Boys [a hilarious Canadian television show to all who are unfamiliar], would you say that's an accurate description of parts of the province? [laughs] What was it like growing up there and starting a band? Does the area have an influence on your music?

PM: Ummh.. Yes.. parts.. But I'm not sure if it is the same Nova Scotia that I really grew up in :) It is a really nice place to grow up actually.. I like the air. I like the ocean. My family is pretty great..

EIS: 2010 will be another huge year for Wintersleep with the album and what I can only assume will be large amounts of touring. Any information on either regards you want to add to further fuel the anticipation?

PM: We finish mixing at the end of this month.. Be out by summer time.. Bit of a late Spring early Summer release vibe in the air...

EIS: Thanks so much Paul. Postdata's self titled debut album will be available everywhere January 26th. You can pre-order the record HERE!! For more information, be sure to visit...

Postdata:
*Official Website
*Myspace
*Facebook
*Twitter

Wintersleep
*Official Website
*Myspace
*Facebook
*Twitter