Alexander Gow is best known as the creative genius behind the ever so multi-faceted alternative pop band, Oh Mercy. But it appears he’s taking a break from fronting the group.
Well, sort of. Alexander is slated to play a string of solo dates this month where he'll cover a variety of Oh Mercy's catalogue. However, any pre-conceptions of the typical unplugged acoustic set should be left at the door.
“Technically I never do them acoustically,” Alexander explains. “I really enjoy playing the electric guitar when I'm playing on my own. Playing acoustically on your own means you have to present yourself with an acoustic guitar, which [in my opinion] usually sounds like crap anyway.
“When I play on my own it means I can play the songs I've never had the time to show the band – new songs, old songs and I cover my favourite songs as well. I enjoy presenting the songs in a bare bones kind of way because all of the songs are written in a really simple chord, melody kind of fashion.”
And considering Oh Mercy's material is usually performed by a quartet, stripping the songs down to the basics is enough to change their dynamics and structure. So, is there a contrast of audiences when Alexander is flying solo?
“Playing the guitar in the particular way I do – which is quietly and not very well – puts the words at the forefront. It's the kind of show where you have to be prepared to be open-minded and not everyone's ready to do that. The people that usually come to my solo shows are interested in songwriting and our songs, as opposed to being out for the night with the girls and taking an Instagram photo and tweeting about being there.”
It's not the first time Alexander has reinvented his musical direction, either. Oh Mercy's latest release, 'Deep Heat', departed from their previous folk pop sound in exchange for a groove-laden, almost soul approach. However, it seems not all were pleased by the change.
“They've generally been with me in that they're willing to give it a shot and look into the motivation behind the change in direction. There are some people I seem to have disappointed and they've been pretty vocal about that, but at the end of the day I'm not writing for them, I'm writing for me.
“I'll just keep following my whims and keep making music I'm interested in until no one else is interested,” he laughs before insisting, “and then I'm gonna keep doing it anyway.”
By following his ‘whims’ to explore eclectic genres of music, Oh Mercy's entire live set has also succumbed to a full-blown revamping.
“We've rearranged the older songs so they don't stick out like a sore thumb with the new stuff, so the whole set's really consistent now. The crowd reaction's still kinda daggy jiving – mimicking my daggy jiving no doubt,” he jests. “I won't pretend I'm any good on the d-floor.”
Whether or not he busts moves like Jagger, Oh Mercy has impressed all the right people with 'Deep Heat'. Its release earned them the support slot for Father John Misty's national tour which commences this month. And judging by his appraisal of Father John's debut album, you can just tell Alexander's eagerly anticipating the shows.
“That record that he put out last year, 'Fear Fun', [has] been with me since it came out and it's one of the greatest records I've ever heard. I've played that album to death – and still do – and I think he's one of the few very important modern songwriters.”
Father John Misty also played sold out shows last time he was on Australian soil; however, the prospect of it happening again doesn't seem to faze Alexander.
“We're going to do what we always do, that is we're going to approach playing the songs we love with a level of integrity and a lack of professionalism. And we have fun because we genuinely love playing these songs and we're really great friends, so we try not to think too hard about it.”
Oh Mercy Opens For Father John Misty At The Zoo Feb 20. Alexander Gow then plays solo at The Southside Tea Room Feb 21 before returning with Oh Mercy For Bleach Festival At The Coolangatta Hotel Feb 22.
