In 2002 Justin Heazlewood had a segment on triple J’s morning show. Upon hearing his demo’s, producer Vicki Kerrigan said the lyrics were like ‘bedroom philosophy’. The announcers started calling him ‘The Bedroom Philosopher’ and the name stuck. As Justin himself says: “I’m glad, it’s better than the other name I was gonna go with - Damp Slacks”.
In stores April 16th, Songs From The 86 Tram is the third studio album from The Bedroom Philosopher. A genre swapping LP that's as comedically profound as it is musically diverse, Songs From The 86 Tram is a full-blooded concept album about Melbourne’s iconic 86 tram route.
Explains Heazlewood “I understand that some of the aspects of the album are specific to the Melbourne area, but for anyone outside I can give you a crash course, a tram is when a bus and a train have sex, and the train smokes during pregnancy.”
The album was crafted from writer / performer Heazlewood’s (Frankie magazine, John Safran's 'Race Relations') award winning Melbourne International Comedy Festival show of the same name, which won the ‘Director’s Choice’ award in 2009 and the Green Room award for ‘Best Production’ in 2010. To help turn the show into an album, in the studio he enlisted the help of producer Chris Scallan (Avalanches, Akon, Cut Copy), Harry Angus (The Cat Empire) on brass, and his hipster slayin band The Awkwardstra. The album was mastered by Greg Calbi of New York's Stirling Studios whos credits include David Bowie, John Lennon and Bob Dylan.
From the lamington lament of Middle Aged Mum to the scenester satire of triple J hit Northcote (So Hungover), Songs from the 86 Tram sees Heazlewood masterfully construct twelve different personas, which each then receive their own unique musical treatment. From Aussie hip-hop, to indie-shoegaze, piano ballad and yacht rock to spoken word and prog-folk, every genre gets its turn. Each song is a story, told by a different character. Think Paul Kelly meets Flight Of The Conchords.
“This album is an exercise in character exploration. In comedy, bogans get made fun of all the time, and old people and junkies are all easy targets. I was interested in also taking on demographics that are rarely satirised in any way. Indie muso’s, wanky artists, middle aged women and refugees all get a mention. The 86 tram is what you get if you cross a rollercoaster and a psychiatric hospital so this album is basically ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’ for people watching. This CD holds a mirror up to society - I mean literally, I often use the CD to do my hair on the tram.”
Currently receiving rotation on triple J, FBI and Austereo’s Radar Radio - hit single Northcote (So Hungover) is the first time someone has captured the 'nu Australian' accent. From beneath the safety of a long fringe, our antagonist protagonist 'uh's' and 'ya's' his way through the exploits of his band. ‘Inpress single of the week’ Tram Inspector has also made a splash on radio and at live shows. Prompting comparisons to Beck and Bowie, the song casts light on the surprisingly sexual overtones of copping a fine. We Are Tramily is an authentically banging Aussie hip-hop track, complete with sitars, (a timely pro-Indian salute) whilst In My Day (Nan) is a Python-channelling comedy classic.
The Bedroom Philosopher - 'Northcote (So Hungover)' by HeapsaWill
There’s Trishine - the bogan love song with its timeless “words can get f**ked” refrain, Man On A Tram - a blisteringly simple piece of Dr Suess brilliance and live favourite New Media - which lifts the macbook lid on the stadium sized ambitions of the Melbourne arts scene. Final track of the album Old Man At End sees a reflective old man with a hipflask prepare to check in with ‘the big tram inspector in the sky.’ It’s Khe Sahn meets Radiohead.
Songs From The 86 Tram captures The Bedroom Philosopher’s unashamedly dense lyricism. From the inner monologue of a hopeful Sudanese refugee to the charmingly cynical diatribes of a marooned Irish backpacker, The Bedroom Philosopher treats each of his protagonists with intellect and empathy. Songs from the 86 Tram is resolutely Australian: “ I kind of resent the bombardment of American and British culture I had all through my childhood. Growing up in Burnie in Tasmania was a very isolating experience – I didn’t own an Australian album until I went to Uni. So from that angle I try and over correct by making my stuff capture a flavour that is uniquely Australian. You tend to get a lot of people banging on about ‘focus on the UK and US markets, don’t make it too localised’ blah blah, so with 86 Tram I went, ‘oh yeah, how about a concept album about Melbourne tram culture. Sell that’. Oh, I’m sure if Sufjan Stephens did it about the New York subway system we’d all be creaming our cardigans.”
Songs From The 86 Tram follows in the footsteps of The Bedroom Philosopher’s previous hits I’m So Postmodern (JJJ's Hottest 100 - 2006), Folkstar and Golden Gaytime, his ironic wit-hot comedy finding him a cozy niche on Triple J and community radio Australia wide, performing everywhere from The Melbourne International Comedy Festival to the Big Day Out.
Random fact #278 - The Bedroom Philosopher holds the world record for the longest continuous singing of John Farnham’s ‘You’re The Voice’. Heazlewood: “I sung it for 9 hours. I intended to go for 12 but I got bored in the end. It was a publicity stunt. I like the idea of endurance performance. In the end my voice held out fine but my wrist got RSI from all the strumming. The best thing about it was I had the lyrics on a sheet in front of me, and after nine hours, I still didn’t know the lyrics, as if my brain was rejecting them. Channel 7 came down to film it and I was the odd spot at the end of the news that night – but they said I was promoting the Melbourne Comedy Festival and didn’t mention my show at all. The lesson is, never try.”
Shows
Solo national tour dates have just been announced for April / May:
Wednesday April 28 – The Front Café, Canberra
2 Wattle St, Lyneham - (02) 6249 8453
Doors 8pm. $12 (door sales only)
SYDNEY COMEDY FESTIVAL
Thursday April 29 – The Vanguard, Sydney
Doors 6:30PM The Vanguard, 42 King St, Newtown | Bookings sydneycomedyfest.com.au 02 9020 6966
Friday April 30 - View Factory, Newcastle.
8pm. Free.
Wednesday May 5 – Grace Emily, Adelaide
232 Waymouth St, Adelaide. (08) 8231 5500 Doors 8:30pm. $12 (door sales only)
Thursday May 6 – Alley Cat, Hobart
381 Elizabeth St, North Hobart. Tasmania. (03) 62312299 Doors 8pm. $12 (door sales only)
Friday May 7 – Royal Oak, Launceston
14 Brisbane St, Launceston, Tasmania (03) 6331 5346 Doors 8pm $12 (door sales only)
Sunday May 9 – Powerhouse, Brisbane*
119 Lamington St. New Farm (07) 3358 8600
Free. Headlining 'Livewired' Comedy. Starts 6:30pm.
(*All shows except Brisbane are with Josh Earl as special guest)
"We’ve previously called the quirkily tweedy Bedroom Philosopher ‘the Jarvis Cocker of stand-up’; and you can almost certainly add elements of The Kinks’ Ray Davies and, almost inevitably, Flight Of the Conchords to the mix."
Steve Bennett, Chortle.co.uk
“...ample musical invention flavours his dreams of alien abduction, caged bears and Jesus on Big Brother, and unlike the accidentally funny troubadours out there, he knows a joke should have a point.”
Michael Dwyer, The Age
"As far as the greater population is concerned, I weep for musical comedy artists in this post-Flight Of The Conchords (*on HBO) age; Joe and Jo Blow tend to be able to stomach only one of each "thing" currently in the zeitgeist. However, their ignoring of other musically inclined funny people is their loss, because The Bedroom Philosopher's hysterical skewering of meat-headed ticketing inspectors falls somewhere between a Fame-era Bowie slink and inspirational Hunners balladry. I like my musical comedy to, as the name suggests, be musically captivating first, funny second. Luckily, with Tram Inspector, both come equal first."
Clem Bastow, Inpress.
“It is (like the man himself) entirely enjoyable, entirely likeable, and entirely odd”
Timothy Bocquet, BM
Steve Bennett, Chortle.co.uk
“...ample musical invention flavours his dreams of alien abduction, caged bears and Jesus on Big Brother, and unlike the accidentally funny troubadours out there, he knows a joke should have a point.”
Michael Dwyer, The Age
"As far as the greater population is concerned, I weep for musical comedy artists in this post-Flight Of The Conchords (*on HBO) age; Joe and Jo Blow tend to be able to stomach only one of each "thing" currently in the zeitgeist. However, their ignoring of other musically inclined funny people is their loss, because The Bedroom Philosopher's hysterical skewering of meat-headed ticketing inspectors falls somewhere between a Fame-era Bowie slink and inspirational Hunners balladry. I like my musical comedy to, as the name suggests, be musically captivating first, funny second. Luckily, with Tram Inspector, both come equal first."
Clem Bastow, Inpress.
“It is (like the man himself) entirely enjoyable, entirely likeable, and entirely odd”
Timothy Bocquet, BM
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