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Interview with Cut Copy’s Dan Whitford
The band’s second album, In Ghost Colours, proves that the new dance hall sound comes from a land down under
Cut Copy
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Melbourne’s Cut Copy is poised to become the next big thing. Their second album, In Ghost Colours, which hit number one on the charts in Australia, is a perfect blend of poppy electronic dance music and whimsical new wave, and critics have noticed. Encore spoke with singer Dan Whitford over the phone about the writing process, life on the road and creating an inspired sound.
Cut Copy’s music has so many layers, and seems like it would be tricky to recreate in a live setting.
I guess we were kind of lucky with it, but we also spent a ton of time trying to achieve our live sound. The music is difficult to recreate, but we don’t want it to sound exactly like the records. Mistakes are all part of it and make the experience more authentic.
What was the songwriting process for In Ghost Colours like?
We began by listening to lots of records when we stopped touring. You know, we took time out to sit back, listen and immerse ourselves especially with new records we bought while we were out on the road.
What were you listening to this time around?
A lot of Kraut rock, electronic, disco. Specifically ALO, it’s ’70s glam pop that moved more toward pop and synth. Also The KLF’s Chill Out, Talking Heads and Brian Eno. Then we just started writing our own stuff. We’re not trying to copy other sounds, but listening to the music we love helps us to inform our own songwriting.
How does the audience differ between a place like Melbourne and New York?
There are differences everywhere and it’s always fun to see the reactions. New York is definitely one of our favorite places to play, especially because of the musical history. It’s inspiring. Melbourne doesn’t have that history, but people also aren’t hemmed in by [a music tradition] and seem to be more open-minded. We didn’t have much of a fan base abroad before, but now we do, so it makes it even more interesting.
Who are your favorite acts you’ve toured with so far? Anyone on your wish list?
Oh, always. So far our favorite has been Franz Ferdinand. We did our first U.S. tour with them and it was so amazing. We also toured with Daft Punk. They’re such an iconic group, particularly in our music scene. They kind of created it. We’re playing with My Bloody Valentine for a few upcoming dates. We’re really excited about that—I’ve never seen them play live before.
What are you working on now?
We’ve been touring a lot and haven’t had time to do much else. I’m working on a remix for the Kaiser Chiefs. When we’re on the road, that’s the one thing we can work on—remixes—until we have time to record again. And we’re building new ideas the whole time too with seeing new bands. It starts the thinking process.