If those who attended The Humming Tree’s Backdoors festival or NH7 Weekender have been honest with themselves, Patrick Watson was not their reason for choosing either concert. And it is highly likely that their playlists got fatter with Watson’s songs post-performance. Watson’s dynamism on stage reaffirms the timeless joy of discovering great music live.
One of the only things he tires talking about is the band’s name, for Patrick Watson is both the name of the band and the man himself. You get over this confusion when the focus shifts from semantics to musical antics.
The band — Watson on vocals and piano, percussionist Robbie Kuster, guitarist Simon Angell and bassist Mishka Stein — made a name for themselves with a juxtaposed influx of cabaret pop, dream pop and indie rock with jazz and classical music influences.
Montreal-based the outfit has three albums under their belt. Whatever the name, their chemistry on stage is palpable. An,d according to Watson, each member brings an equal share vouce to the songwriting table.
Whacky instruments
Patrick Watson is no stranger to experimental sounds and whacky instruments. The band has previously used instruments like a glass marimba in their album Adventures In Your Own Backyard , and a bicycle in Wooden Arms .
Most recently, at The Humming Tree’s Backdoors festival in Bengaluru, Kuster wowed the crowd with a musical saw.
‘A continuous experiment’
Watson strongly believes in taking these sonic experiments live and juggling layers from their recorded counterparts.
“We always try to sound different from our albums, live,” he says. “There’s a whole different energy to our music live. A stage is not just a platform to play our songs, it’s an opportunity to express them differently. It is a continuous experiment.”
This onslaught of experimentation might be a tad overwhelming at first listen, though the sincerity in the songwriting makes up for any overbearance.
There’s a poetic quality to Watson that stretches beyond lyrics. This is best reflected when he describes his relationship with inspiration and practice and their interdependence.
“I am continually writing,” he says. “I come to the studio every morning and just practice. I think inspiration comes from practice. You keep your eyes open, notice little ideas and put them in your pocket. When you sit down to write songs, you dig deep into your pockets and pick out the scattered stuff from the bottom.”
Perhaps his simplified perspective of life comes from the humility absorbed from his early tours with stalwarts like Philip Glass and James Brown. “Before a gig,” Watson remembers, “James Brown had a pre-performance 20-minute prayer ritual. He would stand on stage and thank the world for giving him an opportunity to play. It was incredibly humbling to watch a legend like that humanise himself.”
In a lot of ways, Watson approaches the art of playing music like a ceremony. His first musical experience in life was that of singing in a church choir. He believes this helped him approach music with sanctity, keeping him grounded.
Citing an anecdote from his James Brown tour, Watson emphasises the importance of musicians shedding vanity. We were very young when we toured with him, but he was incredibly nice to us, even though he had no reason to be. If James Brown can be nice, so can you.”
The author is a freelance writer
Patrick Watson performs tonight at 9 p.m. at Summer House Café, Lower Parel. See insider.in for more details.
