Nicholas Allbrook: "Pond will do spectacular and world-buggering things within the year..."

The Australian artist also says that Pond will do "world-buggering" things this year - is he hinting at a follow up to Man, It Feels Like Space Again?

Nex tweek Allbrook releases his second solo record Pure Gardiya and begins his European tour. He recently shared "A Fool There Was", a ramshackle psych-folk expedition full of wiry solos and disjointed howls, which takes its title from a stage adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's poem The Vampire.

Listen to "A Fool There Was" below, and read our Q&A with Allbrook after.

Can you tell us a bit about the new single?

Recorded live with Evelyn Morris, Francesca Mountfort, and Cameron Potts. Thats probably why it's so fucked and messy... well, actually I'm the only one who's messy, those three are immaculately brilliant musicians. I wrote it in a traditional style, with guitar and a pen and paper. I think I was listening to Bob Dylan and reading Amerika. So that all makes sense.

How does it link to the stage adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's "The Vampire"?

The character's scared he's doing all he's doing for a love that might be all in his imagination. The Vampire is a classic example of the 'femme fatale' character trope, which the fella in the song, in his long lonesome anxiety, starts imagining. Another earlier femme fatale idea comes from the Siren myth, which he thinks of while crossing the sea and wotnot. He's just a scared idealistic little boy like all of us, who has nightmares about his life and his love after reading a book and turning off the light.

What have you learned from the process?

I know that it's good to smother the recording process in as much love and magic as possible - although anything romantic gets shut down as "gay" fairly quickly these days - because creating an experience, a shared experience which you can all be happy with and reminisce on is incredibly rewarding. And doing it quickly, and inviting people you love to share in it. Not taking all the work yourself. Being positive and energetic and open to chance. Also, the whole idea of the album was an idealistic fantasy I brewed up, and it's good to remember that you can actually make those fantasies come to life if you want to.

You've got a load of UK/EU shows coming up - how are you feeling about those?

A trifle nervous. A lotsle excited.

Is there anywhere particular you're looking forward to playing/visiting?

France... Rome... everywhere?

What are you working on next? Do you have any plans for Pond at the moment?

Ya. Pond has been beavering away and will do spectacular and world-buggering things within the year.

What are you looking forward to most this summer?

Being in bed all day like lions in a den. Then finding a rock conveniently placed over deep water I can jump into on the reg. Ricard.

Pure Gardiya is out 27 May on Spinning Top. Watch the "Advance" video below, and check out Allbrook's upcoming tour dates after.

May

25 - Kägelbanan Stockholm, Sweden Thursday 26 May Pustervik Stockholm, Sweden
26 - Pustervik Stockholm, Sweden
27 - Stengade Copenhagen, Denmark
28 - Molotow Musikclub Hamburg, Germany
30 - Studio 672 Cologne, Germany
31 - Postbahnhof Berlin, Germany

June

2 - Paradiso Amsterdam, Netherlands
3 - De Zwerver (Café) Leffinge, Belgium
4 - Le Pop Up du Label Paris, France
6 - Hare And Hound Birmingham, UK
7 - Brudenell Social Leeds, UK
8 - Deaf Institute Manchester, UK
9 - Courtyard Theatre London, UK
10 - The Louisiana Bristol, UK
11 - Field Day London, UK
15 - Monk Club Rome, Italy
16 - Mole Vanvitelliana Ancona, Italy