We interviewed Custard, who will be headlining NGV Friday Nights at NGV International on Friday 11 November 2016.
The description of your sound has moved from being “dag rock” to “dad rock”. How would you describe the 2016 sound of Custard?
guitars, bass, drums and some singing
What was your creative motivation to record a new album after sixteen years, especially given the commercial success of Loverama?
we all loved the idea of having a photo of a horse on a record cover but didn’t have a record to put in it
How have your gigs changed in the last twenty years?
we wear different shoes
If your music was an artwork what would it look like?
one of Gilbert & George’s poos
Do you have a favourite artist/artwork?
my four year old daughter draws great dogs
What’s your favourite gig you have played to date?
playing Jonathan Richman songs at my daughter’s kinder
What inspires/influences your music the most?
butterflies
What song do you wish you wrote?
I Should Be So Lucky by Kylie Minogue
What part of making music excites you the most?
the key change in the song Pack Yr Suitcases
What is your favourite part of being involved in Friday Nights at NGV?
telling people we’re playing at the NGV
What can someone expect from your live show?
at some point during the gig Matthew will put his arms in the air instead of playing a guitar solo
Tell us about the last song you created?
this morning when I was driving my daughter to kinder I made up a song for her about starting school next year but she accused me of plagiarising her
What are you working on now?
there’s already more than enough music in the world
Viktor&Rolf once said “At the start of our career, the art world showed a lot more interest in our work than the fashion world did…. in museums we were simply making what we imagined in our minds and the response came from the art world”. What is the most surprising response you’ve had to your work?
“That was quite good”