Our guest today comes to us via Tasmania Australia,
He has a strong blend of soul blues and R&B.
Let's give a welcome to Nic Meredith.

First off I would like to compliment you most of the lyrics are really down to earth, Do you write them?

Thanks for the compliment...yes I write the lyrics. I try hard to be honest in an emotional sense in my lyric writing. I'm trying to create an emotional response to things I see around me... not so much what I think but how I feel. I'm interested in the emotional subtext of life.

To what do you attribute your social consciousness?

I've always let my heart rule my head...that's the person I am. I'm fiercely comfortable with being 'uncool'. So I blurt things out... I approach things on an emotional level. People are people.

So I wont go along with the idea that any one person is worth more than any other person. There's so many people going without in the world and I don't see the rich West as rolling in happiness because of all of it's wealth.

There's an imbalance in the world, and in the end nobody gains from it. And it's the wasted potential...and the crap we fill our lives with in the West because we feel empty... I'd love to see Africa do well in the World Cup -it's about time there was a bit more respect for the so-called poor peoples...

One thing we do have in commun is an aversion to packaged formula art. Could you tell the readers why formula art is bad in your opinion?

If it's formula, it's not my idea of art. My definition of art is something that communicates a genuine feeling and the skill in doing that is the artisanship. Let's not sell our souls short.

What would you say is the most difficult part of creating?

For me it's not so much the creating, as once you've done the creating, and getting it out there and following through... that is when the work really starts...

there's lots of people out there making worthwhile art - it's a case of having the perseverance to get it out there in front of people...it represents more work than the actual recording and creative process itself.

But as I said before, if art is about communication, it's not going to work without an audience... I think the web is increasingly helping independent artists such as myself to get material out there. It's having a democratising influence. I have no aspirations to be an overpaid over-rated media hyped rock star (mentioning no names).

I'm just an ordinary person and I like ordinary people, and I hope they like my music. A website such as KLOD is where I'm at. Well done Claude - I really appreciate your enthusiasm and talent.

(CG: Thanks it's nice to be apreciated:-)

What was the most exciting gig you ever done?

I've played in front of 10 000 people for an environmental rally and that was a great feeling...we've started to do webcast gigs and that really excites me...there'll be another one soon...
keep an eye on my website!!

I'm always looking forward to the next gig. I love playing live and feel I'm at my best musically when playing live...creating in the moment...There'll be free videos available on my website soon...

We're just finishing editing them...If anyone would like to be kept up to date, please email me...

I know you have played extensively in various European countries. What is the difference in the music scene of Australia as compared to other places?

I'm probably not the best person to answer that question, because I've been living out here for 15 years now, but I would say probably the numbers of people is the biggest difference...

Europe has got so many people...and Australia has so few people... where I live in Tasmania, under half a million people live in an area just a bit smaller than England...

I sometimes miss that cultural diversity, that feeling that you get in Europe of so many roads meeting as it were. But this is a unique place, peaceful and overflowing with natural beauty...

a very reflective place - it influences me strongly I'm sure... I think Australian music is really coming of age, during the time I've been here, and is producing great bands like silverchair and Powderfinger ...

Are you musically exploring new avenues these days?

Ever since I started playing music, I've written songs, so for me, my musical development and my songwriting go hand in hand. I've learnt to play music through writing it, so I always enjoy exploring new ideas...

however the basic hooks of music have been layed down for centuries almost... it's the new ways of putting them together in a way that sounds different

I especially liked the song "Big World" can you give us some background about it?

It's a song that was written for my second daughter (we have three kids) who's now 5 and 1/2 (the half is really important!)...

kids are a bit of a re-run...you remember so many things about being a kid, who you were before you started layering all the prejudices that you build up in your life...

Young kids are just so there. They show us what and who we really are...it's a love song and it's saying I may not be perfect but I'll give you my heart... the feeling I have and the love you get from kids especially your own is the most profound gift that's ever been given...

How is the CD "Lost in the Rhythm" being received?

People really seem to like it, which really is my pay back. it's been played on local radio over here and the video clip (on the CD) of 'Whispers' has been on our national TV broadcaster's all-night music show 'Rage' a few times.

Even my mum in England likes it. It's been selling over the web and from shops...So I must be doing something right. It's certainly encouraged me to get on with the next album which will be out by the end of the year.

What was the music album that influenced you the most personally?

My favourite band when I was a teenager was 'The Clash'...my music might not suggest that in some ways...my favourite album is Sandinista...

I love Joe Strummer's street poetry in music and how they seem to have a real global conciousness...They made you identify with ordinary people from other cultures. The whole punk thing made me believe that I could do it too.

let me install the soap box, ok there you go, what is your favorite cause?

Hard question ...environmental, social justice stuff, unity between people...things like that...if I could change one thing, I'd knock off third world debt...I reckon the West has got enough now don't you?

(CG:I'm sorry, what did you say? The window of my rollsroyce was up:-)

thank you for participating in this interview any parting words?

Just thanks very much for the opportunity to have a yarn with you and your readers...

Cheers
Nic

I invite the readers to go on over to his site

Nick Meredith site

Or email your comments to:nicfi@southcom.com.au