Concrete Playground Interviews Geoffrey O’Connor

He has been gamboling around the Melbourne indie scene for years with Crayon Fields, but it is Geoffrey O'Connor's debut solo effort, Vanity Is Forever, that has garnered most attention since its release in October. The album, full of sultry synthesisers and insinuating stories, has gotten a lot of people talking, and more than a couple of girls swooning. Now, Geoffrey O'Connor is bringing his polite heartbreaker brand of cool to Sydney.

Concrete Playground spoke with O'Connor ahead of the launch of his new album, Vanity Is Forever, at Goodgod on Friday, November 18, and his summer shows at Laneway Festival 2012.

How long did it take to piece together Vanity Is Forever?
Three long, blissful years.

How has making a solo album differed from what you've done before with Crayon Fields and Sly Hats?
The preparation was a lot different. I guess when you are developing a song with a band you become focused on presenting it in a particular way. I had the freedom to re-record and re-work these songs many times, often discarding months of work. It's something you can't really do in a group situation.

There are a lot of '80s pop sounds on the record. Was that a deliberate move or did the '80s influence just come naturally?
It was more that I deliberately set out to make a very synthetic sounding record, which I guess is why certain aspects of it evoke the '80s. Even the acoustic instruments on the record - such as the acoustic guitar, string sections and drums - have all been treated in such a way that they sound a little otherworldly and synthetic.

A lot of the songs on Vanity is Forever are very romantic and tell stories of complicated relationships. Are the songs inspired by personal experience or is it all just made up?
They are all based on personal experience and observations. I love speculating about people's lives, especially their romantic lives - it's how I get my kicks. There is a slight fantasy element as well, but that is only to spice things up. When drawing from personal experience I omit certain details and exaggerate others to make out I'm a cooler guy, but there is still a strong resemblance between what happens on and off the record.

What was it like touring with Jens Lekman this year?
One of the best experiences of my life. A lot of fun. The touring crew were really interesting, cool people and I really enjoy long drives through the US. We watched Australian coming-of-age movies in the van which was funny - Puberty Blues, The Year My Voice Broke. All the shows were in incredible venues too - a synagogue, an 'ethical society', and a Masonic Hall in Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

What are you looking forward to most about playing the Laneway Festivals this summer?
I love playing festivals, especially outdoors - you can wear sunglasses on stage and pour water on gigantic drunk guys. I'm really looking forward to seeing EMA, The Drums, The Horrors and Anna Calvi too. Even missing bands due to laziness or chattiness can be a blast too. I get a real kick out of drinking backstage, knowing the faint rumble in the background is a band I'd otherwise sell my mother to see.

The video for 'Whatever Leads Me To You' is amazing. What inspired the whole aesthetic and the goldfish in a cocktail glass, amongst other things?
Thanks! The goldfish in a glass was inspired by when I went to an opening party for a bar and they had oyster cocktails - which seemed equally decadent and disgusting. I'm interested in the way extreme decadence can often involve flirting with something that can seem otherwise quite repulsive - so I thought I'd make my own little concoction.

What can we expect from your Sydney show at Goodgod? More specifically, will you be wearing the sunglasses on stage, because I'm sure that would please everyone.
Ha! It's not something I normally do, but if I come across some shades on the night I'll put them on for sure. It will be me, duelling synthesisers and a set of kaleidoscopic laser beams to keep us all in time.