We’re loving the new album from Plini, Handmade Cities – our review of which can be read here. We caught up with him for a chat and asked him to introduce himself!
Can you introduce yourself and tell me a bit about yourself?
G’day! I’m Plini, a 24 year old guitarist and composer. I write and record music in my bedroom in Sydney Australia. I am also an avid fan of travelling and drinking coffee.
When did you first start making music as Plini – how did it all start out?
I’ve been making music since I was probably about 7 years old, just recording shitty noises to cassette tape haha. A few years later, I got my first copy of Garageband and started to delve into the world of multi-tracking and MIDI. I guess my knowledge of both production and composition grew in tandem and eventually I felt like my ideas were worth putting on the internet. I got lots of positive feedback and it has all spiralled out of control from there!
You’re about to release your debut album Handmade Cities. Can you describe the writing and recording process for it?
Because I sleep in the same room I record/produce, I don’t really have a “pre-production” phase – I start recording ideas and as they are expanded and layered, a “demo” session will eventually just morph into the “final” version organically.
Did you do anything different compared with what you did with your EPs?
With this release, once the songs were basically complete, I sent scratch tracks to my bass player and drummer and let them spice them up – I guess a little backwards from the traditional way of recording drums and bass before the rest!
Were there any tracks that were more of a challenge to complete?
Cascade was about 2 minutes longer when I first “finished” it, but after some difficult (for my compositional ego) conversations with both Troy (drums) and myself, I eventually agreed that it wasn’t so great in that form and trimmed a bunch of its fat. I think generally, the internal argument for or against the validity of a cool part or section in a composition is one of the most challenging things, especially in instrumental music.
Which song are you most proud of?
For the reason above, probably Cascade! I also did some new things with the title track that I’m kinda proud of.
What has been your best experience in the industry so far?
Aside from getting to meet/hang out with some of my idols, probably all the stuff that doesn’t really have anything to do with music as an “industry”. Just writing music, playing music, meeting people, travelling – these are the experiences I enjoy most.
And what’s the most difficult thing?
Tuning out of the “industry” – charts, reviews, opinions, industry politics – it just detracts from the goal: to create!
What inspires you as an artist – who are your role models and idols?
Musically, so many artists, at the moment: Steve Vai, Animals As Leaders, Jakub Zytecki. Aside from that, I get a lot of inspiration from things outside of music – art, landscapes, conversations.
What can fans expect from a Plini show?
Hopefully: a clear sound and musically tight performance, as well as to be emotionally uplifted, and maybe some jokes if I have time.
What’s the best show you’ve ever played?
Probably Brutal Assault festival – during the most mellow part of the set, a circle pit emerged in the crowd of thousands, with people slow dancing and doing ballet moves haha. That was unreal.
What about the strangest or weirdest?
See above!
And finally what’s in store for Plini for 2017?
Some touring early in the year, and then depending how things pan out, either more touring or I’ll have time to start working on some more music and other cool projects.
