Interview & Giveaway :: Bored Nothing

January 3rd 2013

Meet Bored Nothing, or as he is otherwise known, Mr Fergus Miller. Bringer of unpretentious, lo-fi tunes, the Melbourne-based muso released his cracker of a debut earlier this year. With his Sydney album launch only weeks away, The Flog caught up with Fergus to chat about being bored, his recent signing to Spunk Records and the acting talents possessed by his pets Chicken and Count Duckular.

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What prompted you to start making music as Bored Nothing?

Clever answer number one: Boredom. Last summer I didn’t have much on. I’d just got my hands on an old 4 track and fixed it up and I’d also been really into a few bands that played electric guitars like Slint and Sonic Youth (and I hear it’s really taken off as an instrument in the last 12 months?) so I decided I would get an electric and try making a few songs on tape.

How did a bunch of bits and pieces you originally recorded to share with your friends end up being compiled and released by Spunk Records?

Your guess is as good as mine. I was pretty ruthless about sharing my songs, and doing everything myself. I love finding things, and especially hand-made stuff, so I started making little CD-Rs and hand drawing the covers and leaving them in pubs and record stores and in trees and breaking into people’s houses and hiding them in their hair whilst they were sleeping.

What kinds of things inspire you to write? Are songs like Shit For Brains and I Wish You Were Dead about anyone in particular?

I mostly end up writing stories about the people I hang out with. Some are true, some are made up, but my favourite things to sing about are really boring things that seem like they should never have songs about them, like getting a degree and then having to work at a supermarket, or getting drunk and embarrassing yourself on the weekend.

Tell us about the filmclip you made for Bliss. Was filming as much fun as it looks?

It was pretty fun I guess. I was just hanging out at home and my friend had a camera so we just walked round looking for stupid stuff to do. There are animal cameos by my chicken called Chicken and my duck called Count Duckular.

P.S. Don’t fill your mouth with flour, it goes all up in your nose when you breathe and it really hurts.

 

Your debut LP was Album Of The Week on FBi Radio not long ago and will definitely make an appearance on a few ‘Best of 2012’ lists around this part of town… have you experienced any negative reactions to its release or it’s all been pretty positive?

Well I try not to read reviews, not to stay pure or uninfluenced or anything, but they are just a pretty naff thing and they all tend to say the same things anyways. The only real critical things I have heard about any of my songs is that they are boring, which is, hilariously, the point.

Who is the girl on the cover of your record?

She was a friend of mine in high-school. I love taking photos but I haven’t had time in years. That was just one of my favourites from way back when.

What song (current or classic) would you most like to cover and why?

I really dig the last track on the new Presets LP. As soon as I heard it I wanted to try to sing it but I haven’t had a chance to figure out how to play it on guitars yet.

How would you sum up your live show in a couple of sentences?

Our shows are quite up and down. My songs are so all over the place dynamically, so we tend to go from feedback and howling to whispery ballads in the space of a few minutes.

Things have been quite busy for you over the past few months with the album’s release and shows that go along with that… is Bored Nothing still Bored? 

As bored as I ever was. As soon as we get home from being on the road I still occupy most of my time with Seinfeld marathons and the devouring of junk food. It’s kind of the same when we are away as well, as soon as there is no pint in my hand and no band to watch I’m climbing up the walls trying to find something to do. Maybe I should get a gameboy or something…

 

GIVEAWAY:

The kind folk at Spunk have given us one double pass to the Sydney gig (below) for an FBi supporter. Email flogmusic@fbiradio.com with your best boredom cure and your FBi supporter number!

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Who: Bored Nothing + Jonny Telafone + Black Zeros

When: Thursday January 10, 2013

Where: FBi Social, Level 2 Kings Cross Hotel

How Much: $10 + BF from oztix, $12 on the door

 

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