Originally from Scotland, Colin Lillie is one of a growing number of musicians and artists ‘from somewhere else’ who now call Alice Springs home.

And with the passion only a Scotsman could bring, Colin likes to call the Red Centre his “spiritual” home, and did so when interviewed on ABC radio about his newly-released, self-titled EP.

Featured as part of 783 Alice Springs’ AusMusic Month, Colin spoke without hesitation about his love for the Alice, its people and music culture.

“What I discovered was that the people in Alice Springs are here because they choose to be here, and with that comes a connection at a spiritual level, we choose to be here because of something magical,” he said.

Colin’s songwriting bespeaks a roaring honesty – moreover an emotional honesty – which palpably defines his music. Members in the audience of a recent professional development session at which Colin performed (iNTune’s Feedback on 5ive Acoustic at Totem Theatre) were visibly impressed, even taken aback, at the power of his voice and the authentic emotional narrative of his songs. (So much so, it prompted immediate talks between Colin and a national music publisher.)

Colin will tell you square too: music unequivocally transformed his life, and if it doesn’t come from his ‘soul’, he’s not interested in making it.

With a song climbing Reverbnation Australia’s national Singer/Songwriter Top 20, he might just be on to something. Colin recorded his debut EP with the help of good friends he met in Alice Springs, who then persuaded him to go to Melbourne further collaboration and final mixing.

Armed with his new CD, a new-found love for performing, and an excited ambition to tour and collaborate with his Alice peers, Colin may just shake up the world of alt-folk a little, once they hear him at work. And not just in Alice; said music publisher is keen to take Colin’s music beyond Centralian borders.

Describing the following as a simple “Q&A” does Colin no favours. Try a wee ‘glimpse’ into a passionate artist’s heart & soul, and you’ll be more on the money…

Music NT: What is your NT story – as in how did you come to be living in the Alice, via everywhere else – and Scotland?!

Colin Lillie: I got to the NT because of a fair Irish lass and her desire to travel Australia. I ran away from Scotland in 2001, very unsure of who or what I was going to be and do with this life.

We lived in Europe for a bit and I was living in Ireland when we decided to come here for a year working.  We travelled around Australia working and then spent the last 3 months in Alice Springs to make money for the next leg of our travels to the USA in 2004, and then return to Ireland.

During that time I met some wonderful musicians In Alice like guitarist Shaun Nancarrow, Dave Dow, Tara Stuart and Tecoma. Little did I know at the time how important some of these people would become in my life!

Late in 2005 I came back to Alice for a holiday where I have been ever since – and not for the first time I broke Eileen’s heart ’cause I never returned back to her!

MuNT: What do you like about playing music? How did the realisation come about that you had a ‘musician/singer’ in you? Did it take a while?

CL: I guess the freedom – the sense of ‘being yet not being’…

When I play it is like I am connected with something greater and bigger than me. Which makes me feel safe and like I belong – but it’s only when I am performing. Before that the tummy is doing its thing and after, well, it’s back to the real world and all it’s wonderful ups and downs.

It’s always a great gig for me when folks come up and tell me how they enjoyed it, as I can see we were all connected to the same moment. I found this in Alice Springs.

You see I never played music back home as a kid. I would make up songs in bed and be the entertainer of the family – and I did a bit at school and sang in a choir – but nothing like this.

I mean I took a  guitar around Europe only with a dodgy C chord and a wild G chord and that was my guitar!

I grew up in a part of Scotland that had been booming but in the 80s the pits got closed and brought with it high unemployment, violence – domestic and criminal – high youth crime, teenage pregnancies and very high alcohol and drug problems.

Don’t get me wrong I loved where I grew up – still do – but I was part of all those things and I never knew any better, and some of those thing were deeply rooted within me until I came to Alice. Where I found there was nowhere else to run or hide. I had to face up to some really big things, work at them, and it being Alice, a lot of the things I was working on within me were right in my face everyday. But I guess that’s how magic works because through all that something wonderful started; and that was my music and my voice.

MuNT: Did you ever think you would become a musician – let alone a professional one – in your lifetime?

CL: The funny thing is never thought I would be writing songs, never mind allowing others to share in them and that is just incredible. I mean it’s just wonderful to have found a voice to express myself. I left a job at the Commonwealth Bank to follow this, and really everything else is just a bonus – the recording, performing and the touring.

Possibly there has always been a deep desire and a longing to perform, but life took me on another journey; a path that had me dip my toe in the water, which some would say has lead me to this point. As a result of that my songs are true to who I am and my experiences and observations.

I hope to show others that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and not to give up on a dream. Because from a dream comes an idea, and from an idea comes change – and I guess that is what my EP is about. Not to give up on the things you need to do in life but to follow them regardless.

I guess that is where all my future projects will come from – a place of growth .

MuNT: Can you tell us a bit about how your EP came about – why did you decide th tim was right to record it?

CL: It’s funny but the recording came from a chat with my good friend Amira Pyliotis (Tecoma). I wanted to go and visit her in Melbourne as Shaun (Nancarrow) – who I teamed up with to play around Alice in the acoustic duo Scozzie – was leaving town, and I was a bit lost. But she was busy in the studio doing a project and said that if I wanted to catch up why don’t  I record some songs and make an EP. She offered to help with production and as she was going to be in the studio then why not kill two birds with one stone.

So we recorded at Sound Park, Silky Brown studios and the vocals were done in my unit in Alice with a home studio set up. With Amira producing it was Recorded by Marrs Coiro & Amira  and Assistant Engineer Tulay Kaplan.

There was no plan; it just all happened naturally like it was meant to be.

MuNT: Who did you work with on the EP?

CL: I was very lucky with the musicians who worked on the project. Lucas Taranto plays double bass and works along with award-winning artist, Goyte on his recent album Like Drawing Blood. He has just returned from a US/European tour, with Goyte too

The mandolin piano and fiddle was played by John Bedggood who has played with The Wilson Pickers, The Audreys, and on former Powderfinger frontman Bernard Fanning’s solo album, Tea & Sympathy.

The percussionist is Neda Rahmani who has played with The Cat Empire and Mista Savona amongst many other bands. She came to the recording with a great drum from Africa.

The final stage of mixing and mastering was done at Atlantis Sound by Dave McCluney who is a mixer and recording engineer from Melbourne with over 20 years in the music industry. He has worked with artists such as Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Kim Salmon, Dave Graney & The Coral Snakes, The Drones, Robert Forster and Maurice Frawley, just to name a few…

MuNT: What do you like about living and making music in the Centre?

CL: I think the great thing about all this is that I found that in the ‘Centre; in Alice Springs – and it is only the beginning. I have gained so much since living in Alice that I am very grateful for, and I know that it will keep growing. It is a great place to make music. The space and the energy in Alice is so unique – it’s one extreme to another.

It is rich; the amount of musicians in the Centre is mind-blowing!

MuNT: Do you have any favorite Territory artists?

CL: I really enjoy Leon Spurling; he is a wonderful song writer. There is the Silver Bullet Rollers who are a group full of incredible musicians like Steph Harrison who wrote the new Territory Anthem), as well as Matthew Hill, who I am working on a project with.

Then there is Catch the Fly who are a great hip hop group and their female vocalist Sassy J is working on a solo album on which I am collaborating too.

MuNT: And other music heroes?

CL: My musical influences are probably from my mother as she had a great record and cassette collection. She was with the Readers Digest and would get vinyl and cassette collections in the post every month. From gospel to funk, my mother has always enjoyed music. She would always say that if it touches you then its right for you.

My dad’s taste in music was more classic and traditional and it was in his collection that I had the connection between word and song.

The importance music has on the listener – and how the songwriter can pass on something more than just a song.

One big song for me was ‘The Strangest Dream’ by 70s Scottish folk duo, The Corries. I was about 14 at the time. I was just getting into metal, and I guess it helped me to look deeper into song. Which resulted me sneakily listening to mum’s collection, as it was precious and sacred to her and no one could touch it!

Also I had a secret record collection that my mates never knew about, which included people like Marvin Gaye, Otis Reading, Hall and Oats, The Furys, Dylan and Jerry Rafferty, to name a few. All because their words were well written.

So through my parents I discovered that music was not all about moving the feet but moving you deep within – and not always ‘labelling’ what you like. Just to enjoy the stories that music brings…

MuNT: You have been a ‘wanderer’; do you think you’ll base yourself in Alice or move again if other opportunities to make your music come up?

CL: Lots of people ask if I would leave to follow my music and I reply ‘why?’ I mean I really have all that I need here; I have my computer, a phone, Skype… There is great support network here which includes fellow musicians, Arts NT and Music NT which can help with shows  touring and promotion.

At the recent iNTune Music Conference here during the Alice Festival, there was a Feedback on 5ive Acoustic session which I performed at.

This was an opportunity for local singer/songwriters to showcase their work. We sang in front of a panel of industry folks, one of whom was Clive Hodson from Perfect Pitch Publishing. Who, after his feedback, pushed me to complete the EP and I am now in talks with him regarding a publishing deal.

So things can happen in the Centre; you’ve just got to take the chance when it comes and follow through. Don’t sit back – make it happen!

MuNT: What have you learned through your music – what has it taught you?

CL: If there is something I have learned from my music is I can’t label it; it’s not my place. It’s up to the listener. As a songwriter I put myself in a position where I bare all that I am, but  if I can stay honest and true to me, then maybe I can touch one heart the same way others have touched mine. Then it’s another bonus.

MuNT: Please finish this sentence: “In 5 years time Colin Lillie will..”

CL: …Have recorded an album, toured interstate, played a number of festivals and completed his current musical collaborations. He hopes to have performed the theatre production of Scozzie’s Thong Lines here in the Centre and interstate. Most of all he will have returned home and sang his songs to his home town in Scotland where he has never performed before.

And last but least, he will have grown as a singer/songwriter and performer, who is still very grateful to a ‘Town Called Alice’ and all who share her. Thank you!!!

• Official EP launch at Monte’s Lounge, Alice Springs, February 18, 2012.
  
• Listen to Colin’s music on Reverbnation
• Stay up-to-date with his gigs & news on Facebook
• Read more about Colin in AusMusic Month.

Words: Megan Spencer. Thanks to Colin Lillie for the interview. Additional source: 783 Alice Springs website.