Miaoux Miaoux's Julian mixes it up
BLURRING the lines between band and solo artist seems to suit Glasgow’s Miaoux Miaoux.
Behind the name is multi-tasker Julian Corrie, a multi-instrumentalist, producer, singer and writer.
But playing live, as in his appearance at Mad Hatters in Inverness next week, he boosts the sound with a full live band with drummer Liam Chapman and bassist Liam Graham.
The mix is something that Corrie enjoys.
"It seems to work really well for me," he said.
"I enjoyed playing live by myself but it’s much better having a band backing you up, especially this one. We actually recorded some drums on the new album with Liam, the live drummer, so the two worlds are starting to collide a little."
The new album is School of Velocity and comes three years after the debut Miaoux Miaoux long-player, Light of The North.
"I think my aims and what I’m trying to do with music have stayed the same, but what’s changed is my approach," he said of how his music had developed in the intervening years.
"I’m trying to think more about where the music sits in the grand scheme of things, rather than existing in and of itself. So that changes the way I write a little bit. It’s more direct. I’m not doing things for the sake of doing them as much."
The new album is once again released by legendary Glasgow label Chemikal Underground, home to such leading lights of the Scottish music scene as Arab Strap, Mogwai, Bis, The Delgados, The Phantom Band and R. M. Hubbert
"Definitely much better than self releasing! We have vinyl, for one thing," Corrie said.
"It’s great just having a group of people backing you up, helping you out, and believing in you enough in the first place to actually put your stuff out, which is really good to remember when you wonder what on earth you’re doing."
Born in Nottingham, Corrie spent part of his childhood in Peru and arrived in Scotland for a placement with the BBC as a sound engineer, a professional background that has also made an impact on his musical career.
"Working as a sound engineer, I’m mixing and micing things up and listening to music all the time, so I definitely learn things on the job that transfer over, and vice versa," he said.
"I’ve also started skateboarding again, which is a good allegory for being a musician in 2015 — you try and try and try, get beaten up repeatedly, but if you believe you’ll land it you eventually will."
Corrie’s musical background may edge towards electronica, but guests on the new album include the classical trained musicians of the Cairn Quartet, and ensemble as happy playing Metalica as they are Bach.
"They play a string part I wrote for quite a strange track, I guess it didn’t really need strings, but I always imagined it with them, and these guys did a great job bringing it to life," Corrie said.
"They’re joining us in Glasgow to play it live which should be fun."
As for a wish list for future collaborations, Corrie says he has always enjoyed the sound of female vocals.
"I’d like to do some work with a different vocalist, maybe an EP or something," he said.
As well as creating his own music, Corrie has remixing tracks for a host of other Scottish arts like CHVRCHES, Belle & Sebastian and Admiral Fallow.
"Remixing is great fun because it allows you to play around with the core of an idea that’s already there," he said.
"It’s also a great production exercise. I find you can concentrate more on getting a great sounding production when the idea has already presented itself. It’s like a collaboration, I suppose.
"Writing your own stuff, you’re always developing the initial idea and trying to make it work and fit together, so there’s more to think about. So remixing can be as fulfilling, but in a different way. I’m really proud of all the remix work I’ve done."
Corrie, of course, has plenty of experience of driving up to the Highlands — and a lot of good memories too.
"Insider festival has always been good to us. GoNorth last year was great, great fun. Brew At The Bog, we didn’t play this year, but closed it for the last two years, and it was sheer madness. Awesome crowds up there," he said.
As for his future, Corrie says his musical ambitions have changed a lot.
"I used to want fame, money, the whole nine yards. Now I’m happy to try to make a modest living from it, although that’s still to happen," he said.
"My ambition is to have the personal strength and motivation to keep doing it, and keep writing and getting better, and that’s the best reason for doing it at all, I think."
So, if he had to name just one track to sum up Miaoux Miaoux to a new listener, what would that be?
"That’s a tough one! I’ve deliberately written the record so that it works as a whole listen, rather than individual tracks being indicative of anything. So I’d say listen to the whole record," he laughed.
"But if I’m pushed, I reckon check out Autopilot from last album, Light of the North.
"It sums up a lot of what I’m trying to do."
• Miaoux Miaoux will be at Mad Hatters, upstairs at Hootananny, Church Street, Inverness, on Thursday 28th May.
School of Velocity is released on Monday 1st June by Chemikal Underground.
