Graeme Downes

After having woken up The Verlaines from an almost decade-long hiatus two years ago, Graeme Downes is busy putting albums out. The songwriter talks to JULE SCHERER of NZPA about the role of artists in society and the challenges of middle age.

Wellington, Dec 1 NZPA - The Verlaines' mastermind Graeme Downes hasn't mellowed with age.

On his latest album Corporate Moronic -- released in July -- he's striking out on a raft of social and political issues.

He takes a swing at greedy finance company managers, environmental exploitation, free trade agreements, dictatorships, and dulled minds, but leaves room for the odd romance.

"Now that I'm older I clearly see things differently from when I was in my mid-twenties," he says.

It was a matter of recognising patterns in society, reflecting and putting a cynical commentary out. "Being the conscience of the society is certainly one of our jobs -- if you have the skills and the guts to do so," he says about the role of artists.

Musically he sweeps through different styles, from melodramatic rock, to European cabaret, jazz, and alt-country ballads.

The 13 songs might not be easy to digest, but they show Downes' craftsmanship and dislike of being put in a stylistic box.

He works these days as a senior lecturer in contemporary rock music at Otago University.

It's almost 30 years since The Verlaines released their first tracks on the seminal Dunedin Double EP in 1981, which was not only the first ever record for legendary NZ music label Flying Nun but also laid the foundation for the so called "Dunedin sound".

Over the years The Verlaines style evolved from the jangly sound they shared with their contemporaries like The Clean, The Chills or Chris Knox' Tall Dwarfs to a more classical approach.

The band combined Downes' interest in classical music -- he gained his doctorate on the music of Gustav Mahler -- with rock music; producing songs with eclectic and unusual structures, fast, dynamic beats and poetic lyrics.

The band saw a multitude of line-up changes, leaving Downes the only original member.

"The Verlaines are more an idea and a loose group of more than 10 musicians than band in the traditional sense," Downes says.

He writes the music on his computer and records the tracks with various friends and associates, with drummer Darren Stedman who's been with the band since 1993 being the only permanent fixture.

Pot Boiler (2007), the first The Verlaines album since 1996 -- apart from the 2003 retro-perspective You're Just Too Obscure For Me -- was recorded without the intention of being able to be performed live.

"It was a difficult time for the band. We were all engaged in full-time jobs and families and some personal problems.

"We are middle-aged, have responsibilities and can't just go galavanting around the world like we used to," the songwriter says.

With releasing Pot Boiler he re-discovered his musical passion and is already working on yet another album.

"Two songs are already finished, I'm working on two more and I hope we're going to record in the middle of next year," he says.

Technique has come a long way in the last three decades from 4-track-machines in bedrooms to lap-tops that enable musicians to digital record and mix their own music.

"It is much easier to write and record music, but that makes it all the more harder to make your mark as a young band," he says.

The Verlaines released Corporate Moronic without a record company, believing the album's quality and the band's reputation speak for themselves.

After having neglected the live aspect of the band for a while, The Verlaines are readying themselves for the stage.

The band played their first live performance since 2004 when they opened for US indie-rocker Stephen Malkmus in Auckland in September.

Malkmus, head of low-fi legends Pavement is a self-confessed fan of The Verlaines and covered their classic Death and The Maiden for Flying Nun's 21st birthday compilation Under The Influence in 2002.

The Verlaines will be playing a one-off show in Wellington next Wednesday (Dec 9) but are also planning a tour in February.

Being the lecturer that he is, Downes says, the Wellington show is not only set to be a great concert but also a lecture in contemporary music.

"We'll be playing songs of Corporate Moronic and Pot Boiler, a couple of mid-period songs and a really old song," he says.

This time around The Verlaines' line-up comprise long-time drummer Stedman, refined keyboarder Stephen Small (Autozam) who is an "honorary Verlaine for 10 years" and young bass-player Chris Miller (Tono and The Finance Company).

Scanning through his oeuvre he says, he found that the songs have not lost their lyrical relevance.

He promises a good night, a great opportunity for young fans to experience what the Dunedin sound is all about and for the middle aged to re-connect with their youth.

*The Verlaines play 9 Dec San Francisco Bathhouse.