Dirty Three - Ocean Songs

When I was 15 years old my brother had Ocean Songs and I really loved the cover artwork, Mick Turner’s paintings. You look at the cover of the record and it sucks you in, makes you want to listen to it. Back when I was discovering music I’d get an allowance of 5 dollars a week and I had a job at a coffee shop, so if I wanted to buy a record it was a big deal. I would make sure I found something I liked about it, or else it was a waste. I feel like with this record I went on a little tangent, I listened to it painting in my basement every night for half of high school.

What was it like to jam with Dirty Three’s Jim White?

I was so nervous about it! It’s hard to jam with one of your idols because you can’t order them to ‘play this but slower!’ It was never going to work because I idolised him too much. He plays beautifully on [Cat Power’s] Moon Pix which is a really simple approach and I was so starstruck. I had a crush on him when I was younger, it was just weird.