Having already slipped two albums and two EPs under the radar using his own name, Luke Temple has struck a chord with his new project, Here We Go Magic. Dropping the singer-songwriter guise has done the trick, and though Temple's music was always a lot more urbane and multi-dimensional than your average coffee house loiterer with an acoustic, with Here We Go Magic, he's transformed himself into an unpredictable and stimulating force with this experiment, which uses his stream-of-consciousness for inspiration. Luke took some time out to field some questions about his new musical venture, discussing how HWGM operates as a band, why he dropped his name and how much the term "singer-songwriter" irritates him.
What made you switch from your name to Here We Go Magic? Is it still considered a solo effort?
The record was recorded by me but now I have a band. I changed the name because I thought it would be nice to see through a different lens for a change.
How does bringing a band on affect the music?
Give and take, compromise - all the stuff that comes along with a group effort. The rewards can be greater because you get to share in them with the rest.
Are you surprised that moving to a different name has found your more attention and buzz?
No, I guess not. People are so squirmy with singer-songwriters.
Did you feel using your own name pigeonholed you in the singer-songwriter category?
Yeah it certainly did, I have been trying to broaden my music for a while and the in the context of "singer-songwriter" people can have the tendencies to be like "where's the song?" People make decisions based on assumptions most of the time.
The scope of the album is a lot more ambitious then the albums under your own name. Was there some kind of epiphany to make a change as such?
No, just happened to be where I was at. I treated the whole thing very lightly, just had fun with it.
What were you listening to that made you throw in more Afro-type and Kraut-ish rhythms?
I have loved the Ethiopique box set for a while now, King Sunny Ade. Got way into the Popol Vuh soundtrack for The Ecstasy of the Woodcarver Steiner by Werner Herzog.
How would you say working using stream of consciousness changed your music? Was it more a case of taking chances you may not have
before?
It wasn't pure stream of consciousness, there were definite decisions made. It was more about not needing to have any specific narrative to work from, just responding very off the cuff.
The album is really split in two when "Ghost List" hits. Did it seem that divided to you when you were making it? If this was a
conscious decision, what made you move to such a contrast in songwriting like that?
To me, the album felt like it was crawling back into the void and I wanted the second half to be a complete emergence into the primordial buzz.
What made you use a four-track to make the album? It definitely sounds like you weren't using such limited means.
What I had set up when I started so I just stuck with it. it has always been the main tool for jotting down ideas and sometimes I'll listen to demos I made on it and think they sound better than the album version.
There was a statement given by the "band" that says there are "no dirty words" - C'mon, there has to be at least one that you don't want to hear! Cocksucking fuckface singer-songwriter.
What made you switch from your name to Here We Go Magic? Is it still considered a solo effort?
The record was recorded by me but now I have a band. I changed the name because I thought it would be nice to see through a different lens for a change.
How does bringing a band on affect the music?
Give and take, compromise - all the stuff that comes along with a group effort. The rewards can be greater because you get to share in them with the rest.
Are you surprised that moving to a different name has found your more attention and buzz?
No, I guess not. People are so squirmy with singer-songwriters.
Did you feel using your own name pigeonholed you in the singer-songwriter category?
Yeah it certainly did, I have been trying to broaden my music for a while and the in the context of "singer-songwriter" people can have the tendencies to be like "where's the song?" People make decisions based on assumptions most of the time.
The scope of the album is a lot more ambitious then the albums under your own name. Was there some kind of epiphany to make a change as such?
No, just happened to be where I was at. I treated the whole thing very lightly, just had fun with it.
What were you listening to that made you throw in more Afro-type and Kraut-ish rhythms?
I have loved the Ethiopique box set for a while now, King Sunny Ade. Got way into the Popol Vuh soundtrack for The Ecstasy of the Woodcarver Steiner by Werner Herzog.
How would you say working using stream of consciousness changed your music? Was it more a case of taking chances you may not have
before?
It wasn't pure stream of consciousness, there were definite decisions made. It was more about not needing to have any specific narrative to work from, just responding very off the cuff.
The album is really split in two when "Ghost List" hits. Did it seem that divided to you when you were making it? If this was a
conscious decision, what made you move to such a contrast in songwriting like that?
To me, the album felt like it was crawling back into the void and I wanted the second half to be a complete emergence into the primordial buzz.
What made you use a four-track to make the album? It definitely sounds like you weren't using such limited means.
What I had set up when I started so I just stuck with it. it has always been the main tool for jotting down ideas and sometimes I'll listen to demos I made on it and think they sound better than the album version.
There was a statement given by the "band" that says there are "no dirty words" - C'mon, there has to be at least one that you don't want to hear! Cocksucking fuckface singer-songwriter.
