Lifestyles of the Moist & Famous

DAVID USHER: LIFESTYLES OF THE MOIST & FAMOUS

Author: Christophe Bergeron
Source: Chart Magazine
URL: www.chartattack.com/features/99/davidusher/index.html
Date: May 25, 1999

David Usher is in the studio again. After a one-year solo stint he's back rockin' with Moist. He met with ChartAttack's Christophe Bergeron in a small Montreal smoked-meat diner at the decidedly un-rock 'n' roll hour of 9 a.m. (Usher's a "morning person"). They chatted about his new album, the joys of fame and home decorating.

Moist is recording a new album; any hints as to what it's going to sound like?

It'll be a big surprise. We're happy about it. I don't know how people are going to react to it; you just never know. The album's going to be a diversion. It's a little different. But I shouldn't spoil the surprise.

A new album, a new season of your life.

Each album is a season of a musician's life. As you work on it, you learn about where you are in life. You go through natural phases. I have a tendency to get very depressed or very happy. As a musician you can recognize the cycles of those things that are related to your work.

You're half-Asian, half-Occidental. How have you been influenced by those two cultures?

My mother's [culture] had more of an influence in terms of religion, simply because it's much easier being a Buddhist - you can pick the calming elements out of it. My father's Jewish, and Judaism isn't that easy to take things from. I find that it's a little more constraining.

Would you ever consider incorporating Asian elements in your music?

I'd incorporate any element in my music. I don't think it'll be my next stop, but it could definitely be a stop. I sang a song in Thai once, "Leave It Alone." I learned the words phonetically. The response in Thailand was good. People were, like, "You're good; that's so sweet. We don't understand what you're saying, but that's sweet." I wasn't really going for sweet, but hey, what can you do?

How do you like doing interviews?

I've done quite a lot. I'm not very good at the pop radio thing. They want you to talk fast and have quick soundbites, and they want you to be all happy. Not that I'm not a happy guy, but it's just not my nature to put on a fake smile.

And how about exposing your personal life in public?

I'm more careful now than I was. I've spent a lot of time in England. Interviewers can be pretty nasty over there. You have to be careful. You have to trust the person that interviews you. You hope that they're going to take what you said and that they won't change the context.

Do you ever make a conscious effort to build yourself an image, a David Usher character?

I don't think Canadians can do that. We're not wired for that. When we try to build phony characters for ourselves I think we come off as being obnoxious. I just don't think we can do it.

Some people think you're a sex symbol. What do you think?

Well that's a little out-there. I've been doing this for a long time, so things like that are not at the front of my mind most of the time. The Junos were a little crazy. I hadn't been in front of a crowd in a long time. It was strange to see all the screaming fans.

I guess too many screaming teenage girls can wear you down.

The business of music can wear you down. And when you're worn down it's more difficult to stay open to the fans. But I like a lot of aspects of this whole thing. It's a hell of a lot of fun. I'm not going to complain. It just depends on your mood. If you're in a good mood, you're open to people; if you're in a bad mood, you're not. On the whole it's been a positive experience to see that people have been digging the albums and digging the band.

Do you try to keep a low-key lifestyle?

I'm a low-key guy, except when I'm out with my friends. Occasionally we go out and we still tear. We just do it with a tighter circle of people now. I'm not doing much now, though. Just working.

What music do you listen to right now?

I like the Lauryn Hill CD.

That's not very original! [Hey, Christophe, it's a good album, so go easy on the guy!-Sensitive ed.]

Well, for the past two months I haven't listened to a lot of stuff. I'm just never home. I don't have a big record collection. I'm not the type of guy who spends hours at the record store. Besides, I keep losing my CDs. I lend them or lose them, take them to parties. I'm unable to collect things in general.>

Does that mean you have a minimalist home?

It's a work-zen home. My studio's there. My wife's darkroom is there, too. There's very little furniture. I don't even have a stereo; I just have a $99 ghetto blaster. We transport it between the kitchen and the shower.

What's your opinion of pop music?

I have tolerance for a lot of different styles of music. I'm not a dictator when it comes to music. There are things I don't like, but I'm not going to annoy people because they don't like the music I like. They dig it for a reason. You can like the groove of a song. People have a right to like what they like. Even if it's crap.

Your father's an academic. What does he think of your rock 'n' roll life?

I think he takes it well. He gets the occasional note from his students. He's pretty happy and supportive. At the beginning he was scared, because music is not exactly a secure thing to do. Once I got my degree it was, like, "He has a Poli Sci B.A.; he can fall back on his feet."

Do you ever think about what's going to happen when you're 50 years old?

Yeah, you think about what's going to happen later. It's tricky to plan the future while trying to stay focused on the present. If you always thought about what was going to happen when you're 50 and where it's going to lead, you'd be very out of the moment. Sometimes you're freaking out, thinking, "What the hell am I doing?" At the same time, you have to stay in the present.

Are you going to do other solo albums?

I think I will. [But now] I'm in the middle of this, so Moist is my one and only focus.

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