Blistersticks - Harry Howard and David McClymont (self released)
It’s an odd thing, creativity. You might recognise David McClymont’s name as the bass guitarist in Orange Juice, who had several bright, accessible pop hits in the late 1970s, initially with the Scottish label Postcard. Orange Juice played frequently with friends like Josef K and The Go-Betweens. The Scottish expats found common ground with the then-plentiful Australian ex-pats such as The Moodists and The Birthday Party.
Orange Juice weren’t an easy fit with the skinheads of the day; theyd walk onstage to cries of “poofs” from the skins. Their retort? “Hare Krishna!”
Coming within a whisker of serious UK pop stardom (including two appearances on “Top of The Pops”, David left in late 1983, and the recordings for his own outfit, the brilliantly-named Ape the Scientific, which recorded for Polydor.
While Ape did not release any records, Chris Walsh had resigned his position with The Moodists and McClymont was recruited instead as the band shifted stance. After The Moodists fell apart, McClymont left music for a while
But you know what creativity is like, I guess. Like a kid with an itchy scab, McClymont has been scratching again for more than 10 years, building an impressive portfolio of virtual LPs on Bandcamp.
"Blistersticks" is McClymont’s second collaboration with Harry Howard; the first is “Under The World”.
So, first: David McClymont is a major talent - never mind all the bollocks trending on Spitify or t'other platforms. I'm a human being, and I've listened to these songs, and I say, check 'em out.
It's been less than six months since these two hit us with the hypnotic and powerful “Under the World”. Like many creatives, McClymont and Howard can't stand still, each raising the bar to (or on) the other. Mostly it seems they live apart, McClymont sending music to Harry, with Harry either shuffling through his sheaves of lyrics (or else muttering, “fuck, how am I gonna write a lyric to THAT?”)
McClymont's music is loaded with melody, upbeat, jivy and will have you more than tapping your foot. Don't do the dishes to this record: you'll break plates, your uncle's favourite mug and you'll probably stand on the cat's tail. Or the dog's. Or both.
The thing with folks with major talent is that they don’t always ring your doorbell or play the local mall, nor are they always seen at billionaire’s parties. Sometimes you have to winkle these creatives out of their extraordinary cell…
Harry Howard is perhaps best known as the founder of his band, Harry Howard and the NDE, with Edwina Preston, and Dave Graney and Clare Moore, in Melbourne. Prior to that, he played in Pink Stainless Tail, and going back further, bass with Crime and the City Solution in the mid-1980s, alongside his older brother, Rowland S. Howard. Back in 1982, when The Birthday Party’s bass player was in jail here in Australia, Harry was one of several temporary bass players while the band gigged in UK.
“Blistersticks” opens with the groovy “Mirrors and Sticks”, piano and buzzy guitar waltzing about the place, with Harry accompanying himself being beamed in from a first, a bathroom, and second, a studio. If you told me this was an old Tom Waits song, I'd be hustling to find the LP - but it's not. However, this is all their own work.
A striking guitar leads us to the equally grooveball “Trust in Your Luck” a Bowie-esque internal thing which for some reason reminds me of lines of British council flats, with folk burying the peskier of their neighbours in the backyard - but I'm sure I have that wrong.
“The Thick of It” is another loping, groovy piece, with Harry's dark memoir leading to us to wonder about the stability of the floorboards.
Harry Howard's lyrics are straightforward, strong and gets you to the point quickly, then - they take you further down a path. They're eloquent, sharply considered, and loaded with familiar feelings of security and confidence - and the reverse. They're also infectious and I found myself muttering the words to the songs on repeated listens.
But this isn't just a review, so I don't dare continue as I'll be describing the songs all day, which is not the point. Adelaide guitarist Marduk Gault remembered the old quote to me, “Writing about music is like dancing to architecture”.
So, let's assume you're letting your fingers do the walking and you've hauled up “Blistersticks” on the web. You're bopping away, not at all thinking of crevices and misericords, nor fallen arches, nor The Shard in London which melted car tyres and caused all manner of issues. No. You're bopping lazily around the room and you've knocked over that vase, a present from someone who has no idea. Already "Blistersticks" is doing well.
Time I asked Harry and David a few questions.
Harry Howard. Credit: Bandcamp
I-94 Bar: How did you two meet, anyway?
Harry Howard: I often ask this question myself, Robert. I think it was at a picnic on Hampstead Heath. But perhaps that was a nightmare I had at a later date.
David McClymont: We met in London - probably at one of the many expat Aussie parties [of which] there seemed to be an inexhaustible number at the time.
I-94 Bar: Did you share adventures back in the day, or just gigs, tokes, pancakes and tofu?
David McClymont: Would you call sharing the living room floor of Dave Graney and Clare Moore's London flat when we were homeless pop stars adventurous?! I also taught Harry how to steal to make a living in London - and yes, tofu was involved ...
Harry Howard: David taught me how to pickpocket from the lorded gentry. Other than that we just met at social gatherings, etc. I think we were both freeloading at Dave Graney and Clare Moore's flat at one stage and finally, before he was deported in a convict ship bound for Queensland, we worked in the same Macrobiotic restaurant/clip joint.
I-94 Bar: The UK in the 1980s gave rise to a huge tranche of very varied bands (populated with quite unique characters) - which were your favourites? (Bands as well as characters)
Harry Howard: Tranche? Favourites? ~ it was a long decade, Robert. I don't think my taste was particularly unusual, but if we say the early 1980s, then the Velvet Underground had a huge resurgence or emergence into the wider world, and there were all sorts of things like The Pop Group's influence, and Nicholas Cave's related projects and my mind's gone blank.
David McClymont: There were just far too many to mention but I always had a soft spot for Jim Foetus [ie, Jim Thirlwell] and Stevo from Some Bizzare records. Genesis P-Orridge was always interesting and quite charming.
I-94 Bar: It's not been six months since your last outing, what's spurring you on? Are you insomniacs or something?
Harry Howard: As the bony hand of death beckons, Robert, I find myself attempting to move swiftly. We just kept going after the first one.
David McClymont: I'm constantly working on new ideas and new material, much of which is just sketches in rhythm and sound. Some of these ideas might become part of a solo project I'm working on and some might find their way into collaborations. Many just languish for years until I rediscover them.
I-94 Bar: I know you live in different parts of Victoria - how does this partnership work?
Harry Howard: Ha! Melbourne might seem large to someone from Adelaide but ... no Robert we both live in suburbs of Melbourne. Emails generally.
David McClymont: We work remotely and talk by text. We NEVER discuss ideas face to face. The only time we work in the same space is when we get together for a cup of tea when we are listening to the final mixes.
I-94 Bar: David, do you make music with Harry in mind, or are you referring to a huge backlog of ideas? You certainly seem to be bursting with music at the moment, you've released so much on Bandcamp...
Harry Howard: Yes, Harry is an inspirational figure. Sorry, that's Harry pretending to be David.
David McClymont: As mentioned above, I do have a backlog of ideas, but I tend to only use them to kickstart a project and then I write new material as we are working, and these new ideas are usually informed by the project as it takes shape.
I-94 Bar: Harry, do you have David in mind when you're writing your songs, or are you riffling through a vast sheaf of lyrics?
Harry Howard: A bit, yes. I find that when you are in a band or duo or whatever, you're always influenced by who you're working with, if only because they are the initial audience to anything you present, so you might actually be trying to engage them. With David, we were talking about Bowie amongst other things before we started working, and I felt like some Bowie theatricality then just showed up in the work ... which was enjoyable actually.
I-94 Bar: How significant are dreams to your music?
Harry Howard: I think they often come from the same place. Like dreams, lyrics can be about something you know well, but put into a code so that it's not obvious.
David McClymont: As a Jungian, dreams are significant to all aspects of my life.
I-94 Bar: Harry, apropos a couple of his songs (but not all) your big brother once explained to me that if a songwriter has written lyrics which seem unclear, then they're unclear for a reason. Do you find your own song-writing is like that, or do you strive for a clarity?
Harry Howard: Rowland always has interesting quotes.. I guess this relates to my previous answer. Sometimes I have been deliberately vague with lyrics ... and sometimes the mystery is part of the meaning.
David McClymont. Credit: Bandcamp.
I-94 Bar: And again, “Mirrors and Smoke” - just how personal is that?
Harry Howard: It must be commenting on my life. It's the only one I know. It's not deeply personal, and yet it is! Life's a battle in so many ways.
I-94 Bar: David, Harry's lopsided accompaniment in “Mirrors and Smoke” - what were you aiming for?
David McClymont: With “Mirrors and Smoke”, I just wanted to write a funky neurotic groove and leave Harry to do the rest.
I-94 Bar: If it comes to that, Harry, what about “Trust in Your Luck”?!
Harry Howard: Likewise “Trust in Your Luck”, but the premise of that one was slightly based around the idea of what might constitute good advice. I tried to not be too sensible but it wasn't just random information.
I-94 Bar: Now, you're both “lifer” musicians - how did you work out your division of labour in that respect? Are there things which you both wanted to bring to the fore with this LP?
Harry Howard: I can't find an answer to this one.
David McClymont: “Blistersticks” was a natural development from “Under the World”. We had written the track “The Thick Of It” just at the end of the “Under the World” sessions and it seemed to point in a direction we both wanted to follow. The division of labour remained the same - I would compose a piece of music and Harry would put some skin on it and then I'd stitch it together.
I-94 Bar: I suspect the process of creation has altered slightly since “Under the World”, could you tell me a little about that? Were some songs difficult to create or balance together? Were there any which you gave up on (which aren't on the LP?)
Harry Howard: To me it didn't really change much; I just got more used to it. It was less emotional for me this time (my input) but that was circumstantial. I did say to David, “Let's do an experimental album”... but it didn't really turn out that way.
David McClymont: The process didn't really change, but I think we may have taken a few more chances on “Blistersticks”. We've never given up on a song we've worked on. Some tracks changed completely during the recording process, and often I'll send Harry something that I think is just a springboard to somewhere else. We've both been very unprecious about the process of working together - we allow each other the space just to do our own thing, and that seems to work!
I-94 Bar: David, you said you were a Jungian. Given that I-94 Bar habitués may not recognise this term, could you explain the difference between an ordinary rocker with a leather jacket and a walking stick, and a Jungian?
David McClymont: A quick Internet search is probably the best option so I'll just offer up a joke. The Shadow Joke: A Jungian walks into a bar and orders a drink. The bartender says, "Wow, you look just like that guy who just left!" The Jungian replies, "Yes, I know, I've been trying to get to know him all day".
I-94 Bar: Harry, are you also a Jungian, and is that a necessary qualification to make songs with you?
Harry Howard: Lacan, Robert. As the lyricist it's my job to choose the words to “explain” things (that may have originated in dreams). I'm not saying my songs are based on dreams but the initial idea for my lyrics often comes from a similar place (could also be the subconscious). As such I deal with what words mean when they are compiled together so that they are more than just acting as signifiers for something obvious. That relates to some of Lacan's stuff.
[At this point, your humble scribe snorts in disgust and heads off to thumb through Britannica and, it transpires, several handfuls of other websites in search of a simple way to describe, first, 'Jungian' and then 'Lacanian' to I-94 Bar:'s audience of ordinary rockers in leather jackets clutching walking sticks (or perched in mobility scooters and clutching Sailor Jerry). It seems Carl Jung and Jacques Lacan are philosophical pyschiatristicky shiny-bums, which means that Harry and David are in a psychoanalytic bubble more often associated with academics, confused university students and cinema critics.]
[Even after reading all that guff, I didn't laugh at David's "Shadow" joke. Maybe it's the Melbourne water.]
I-94 Bar: On your bandcamp page, Peter Walsh describes lyrics of 'bitter intensity and splashes of abrasive colour'. Certainly Harry's lyrics are striking and vivid - often in a very tactile sense (take 'How It Feels To Drown')... but I don't know if I'd consider them 'bitter'. 'Burned', sometimes, perhaps, but ... comment (both of you)?
David McClymont: I think on occasions Harry's lyrics can have a biting/bitter taste to them but that is often balanced with dark humour.
Harry Howard: Some of the lyrics refer to bitterness without being bitter themselves; eg, "what on earth were you thinking" might sound fairly amusing but wasn't at the time.
I-94 Bar: What the fuck are “Blistersticks”? Either of you?
David McClymont: I'd like to believe that “Blistersticks” are small flesh-eating, land-dwelling crustaceans that can be found mostly in Preston.
Harry Howard: Never you mind Robert. There are things we are better off not knowing.
I-94 Bar: While I'm on that, David, you send Harry your music - how have you responded to Harry's lyrics in response?
David McClymont: I respond mostly with equanimity. Although I did ring him once to check everything was alright.
I-94 Bar: For me, it's the contrasting music which makes the vocals and lyrics stand out - the music is a backdrop to the lyrics, but the lyrics are a backdrop for the music, which is something I don't often hear. With “Bombs”, for example, I keep expecting to hear a vocal, but ... the title seems to be enough.
Harry Howard: Well, I agree, the title was words enough.
I-94 Bar: Harry, could you talk a little about what got you thinking "Enough’s Enough'"
Harry Howard: It's not really a rock'n'roll lyric is it? That's why I enjoyed writing it. If you're going to press me, then I guess it's 'existential', that sort of thing.
I-94 Bar: David, how did you react to Harry's lyric to “Enough’s Enough”?
David McClymont: With equanimity.
I-94 Bar:: Each of us can recall a world before punk, and indeed postpunk. To me, the current over-proliferation of hard and solid genres (and their apparent codebooks) seems as constrictive as the dinosaurs that the seventies underworld was kicking against … all in the name of making it in the music biz. Where do you two fit - or don't you?
David McClymont: You can't fit a square peg in a round hole. I think the music we make is a little bit like the game Exquisite Corpse that the Surrealists invented way back in the 1920s, where the aim was to create unexpected and bizarre images based on chance.
Harry Howard: I have no real idea what the current genres are. Judging by our total dislocation from the world of commerce (profits etc.), I'd guess that we don't fit in at all.
I-94 Bar: How do you both deal with the expectations of algorithmic bots and know-all substackers?
[David ignored this question entirely. Draw your own conclusions.]
Harry Howard: All expectations are irritants and should be rebelled against.
I-94 Bar: Will you be doing gigs?
Both McClymont and Howard ignored this question entirely. Draw your own conclusions, but go get “Blistersticks” and crank it.
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