Known worldwide as the frontman for 80s legends Men At Work, singer/songwriter/producer Colin Hay has spent the last several decades acting, producing, and enjoying the freedom of being a solo artist. Join Nick as he and Colin discuss the meteoric rise and anti-climactic fall of Men At Work, how growing up Scottish makes a person naturally musical, his upcoming tour, and the inspiration for "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself", his new collection of covers of some of his favorite songs.
HIGHLIGHTS:
[01:48] Colin recorded his new album "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself" as he was killing time before the release of another album scheduled for release next spring
[05:02] Colin selected the songs he covered based on the impact they'd had in his life
[06:02] Colin recorded the basic tracks in his studio, then sent them to his friend Chad Fisher for embellishment and mixing
[07:30] Colin chose to cover The Kinks' "Waterloo Sunset" because it was playing on the boat that took him and his family from Scotland to Australia when he was a kid
[10:45] Colin's father wanted an adventure, and he was sick of the Scottish weather, so he took his family to Australia
[14:06] Moving to Australia at 14 blew Colin's young mind, but the egalitarian nature of the country allowed him to make a great group of new friends
[16:44] Coming from the very musical Scottish culture, and having parents who were talented singers, Colin had music running through his veins
[19:45] After building a big following in Australia, Men At Work broke big in the US, their debut album "Business At Usual" topping the charts for fifteen weeks
[24:21] Men At Work were only together for a short time, from 1979 to their anti-climactic end in 1983
[27:11] When Men At Work was no more, Colin realized that was really what he wanted, to go it alone musically like before Men At Work
[28:17] Not long after he went solo, Colin got married, battled his alcoholism, and went to England to record his first solo album "Looking For Jack"
[30:54] Colin doesn't purposefully set out to be creative, he just finds that making music is part of his everyday life
[32:34] Colin appreciates the small moments when he feels like he's doing what he's supposed to be doing with his life, no matter if they're in the studio or in front of an audience
[36:52] Colin considers connecting with an audience something you pick up as a Scot
[37:59] After his father died, Colin found himself letting his father inhabit his body, going so far as to letting his father's spirit influence his performance
[40:58] For his YouTube channel, Colin created "Tuesday Talks", where he breaks down the origins and construction of his classic Men At Work tunes
[43:06] Colin is a fan of social media, using it for what he considers to be worthwhile, like his "Tuesday Talks"
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Find out more about today’s guest, Colin Hay.
Find out more about your host, Nick Terzo
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
@robinjcmillar [Colin's producer]
@ebtg [Everything But The Girl]
@official_fyc [Fine Young Cannibals]
