Interview with Oliver Baroni of Hillbilly Moon Explosion
May 1, 2014
They say that the best things in this world are worth the wait, and they also say that the best things in life are free. SO, keeping those two notions in mind - the fact that this interview is about two months in the making and that it's costing you absolutely nothing to read this right now - probably ensures that this damned interview is about to be the best damned thing that you've read all damned day! Here's what Oliver Baroni had to say about making The most recent Hillbilly Moon Explosion record, collaborations, Marxist Swiss politicians, and -of course- Sparky.
Tell us a little about the early days. How did Hillbilly Moon Explosion first come together?
The reason we have a silly band name is I had a psychobilly band called The Hillbilly Headhunters and Emanuela had her alt pop singer-songwriter thing called MD Moon. Both bands were sent on tour together in Spain which is how I got to know Emanuela. When we decided to start this new project, we decided to capitalise on the good reputation as live acts that both former bands had and therefore fused the names. The plan worked, we had an audience from day one. But now we’re stuck with this band name that I sometimes look at and think …pfff. ;-)
Where did you perform your first show together, and how was it received?
Funnily enough it was a voting campaign trail thing for the local leftist party over in Zurich. They had Marxist speeches that sounded like they had been copied out of the history books from 1905 - and then us. But we wet down well. Interesting evening.
You've been experimenting with a wide range of sound since 'Introducing' - even adding a bit of ska to some of your albums. Is this an organic effect, or do you guys intentionally vary your sound from album to album?
Oh it’s completely organic. You just play the song the way the song should be played. So if, like, say with ‘Cool Spring Breeze’, it calls for fiddles and pedal steel and turns out all honky tonk, then that’s what the song called for I guess.
Your albums have a very adult sound - some songs of yours are very dark and others are a bit lighthearted. What kind of musical influences go into making a HME album?
Oh just the usual pain and sorrow and misery of life haha.
Well our last album actually had a sort of leitmotif - all the lost love, death, sorrow thing. That was completely organic too. During the writing period I looked at the songs we were working on and realised they all were about those things, so I chose the cover versions accordingly.
Tell us a little about the early days. How did Hillbilly Moon Explosion first come together?
The reason we have a silly band name is I had a psychobilly band called The Hillbilly Headhunters and Emanuela had her alt pop singer-songwriter thing called MD Moon. Both bands were sent on tour together in Spain which is how I got to know Emanuela. When we decided to start this new project, we decided to capitalise on the good reputation as live acts that both former bands had and therefore fused the names. The plan worked, we had an audience from day one. But now we’re stuck with this band name that I sometimes look at and think …pfff. ;-)
Where did you perform your first show together, and how was it received?
Funnily enough it was a voting campaign trail thing for the local leftist party over in Zurich. They had Marxist speeches that sounded like they had been copied out of the history books from 1905 - and then us. But we wet down well. Interesting evening.
You've been experimenting with a wide range of sound since 'Introducing' - even adding a bit of ska to some of your albums. Is this an organic effect, or do you guys intentionally vary your sound from album to album?
Oh it’s completely organic. You just play the song the way the song should be played. So if, like, say with ‘Cool Spring Breeze’, it calls for fiddles and pedal steel and turns out all honky tonk, then that’s what the song called for I guess.
Your albums have a very adult sound - some songs of yours are very dark and others are a bit lighthearted. What kind of musical influences go into making a HME album?
Oh just the usual pain and sorrow and misery of life haha.
Well our last album actually had a sort of leitmotif - all the lost love, death, sorrow thing. That was completely organic too. During the writing period I looked at the songs we were working on and realised they all were about those things, so I chose the cover versions accordingly.
With the considerable amount of success and attention brought on by working with Mark Phillips and your showing at Pineda, you guys have broken into the psychobilly crowd in a big way. Did you foresee something like that coming your way when you started?
We’ve always gone down well with the psycho crowd and have played psycho festivals from day 1. I think because the audience enjoys a bit of variety in an evening of full out psycho thrash. I personally have a psychobilly background, always was, still am a big fan (more of the old stuff, though). Our first albums were on a psycho label. So, yes, it’s always kind of been there. In a way it’s similar to Restless playing the Klub Foot and the psycho crowd in the 80s without being a psycho band themselves.
In that same vein, keeping in mind the phenomenal support you guys received by way of the three million views of the video for "My Love..." on YouTube and the dark demeanor of the murder ballad trio "Brown Eyed Boy", " My Love..." and "Northern Crown", your music lends itself well to cinematic entertainment as well. Do you draw much inspiration from film?
It’s part of our cultural unconscious I suppose. But I wasn’t thinking of any specific film when I wrote “My Love for Evermore”. I just was working on this story line in the way murder ballads tend to have.
We’ve always gone down well with the psycho crowd and have played psycho festivals from day 1. I think because the audience enjoys a bit of variety in an evening of full out psycho thrash. I personally have a psychobilly background, always was, still am a big fan (more of the old stuff, though). Our first albums were on a psycho label. So, yes, it’s always kind of been there. In a way it’s similar to Restless playing the Klub Foot and the psycho crowd in the 80s without being a psycho band themselves.
In that same vein, keeping in mind the phenomenal support you guys received by way of the three million views of the video for "My Love..." on YouTube and the dark demeanor of the murder ballad trio "Brown Eyed Boy", " My Love..." and "Northern Crown", your music lends itself well to cinematic entertainment as well. Do you draw much inspiration from film?
It’s part of our cultural unconscious I suppose. But I wasn’t thinking of any specific film when I wrote “My Love for Evermore”. I just was working on this story line in the way murder ballads tend to have.
In keeping with the theme of this website and all things dreadful, are you or any of the others in the group horror film fans?
Not really. I must say I don’t know nearly enough about that genre. Something for my retirement, I guess :-)
You also worked with the very talented Paul Ansell on your last album. How was that experience?
Lovely voice eh? When a guy has a voice like that the whole studio lights up. Recording an album the traditional way - i.e. booking a studio for a couple of weeks - you get into a flow. And your guest musicians come in and do their stuff and so you’re counting on them all to be professional about it. Paul was all that - and a lovely geezer to boot. Enjoyed a nice beer or four down the pub after.
Not really. I must say I don’t know nearly enough about that genre. Something for my retirement, I guess :-)
You also worked with the very talented Paul Ansell on your last album. How was that experience?
Lovely voice eh? When a guy has a voice like that the whole studio lights up. Recording an album the traditional way - i.e. booking a studio for a couple of weeks - you get into a flow. And your guest musicians come in and do their stuff and so you’re counting on them all to be professional about it. Paul was all that - and a lovely geezer to boot. Enjoyed a nice beer or four down the pub after.
Is there another musician or group that you guys would like to collaborate with in the future?
Sure! Lemmy, Iggy, John Lewis from Wales … countless people.
Any groups whom you've particularity enjoyed sharing the stage with?
It’s always great fun having a double bill with Demented because it’s like a family get-together (a big dysfunctional family, yes, but still). Same thing with the Peacocks (they’re from down the road in Switzerland, but funnily enough we always end up bumping into them in England or Finland or Germany or somewhere). Then supporting Jeff Beck was great, too. We got to play the Paris Olympia and stuff. But there have been so many great bands we’ve shared the stage with. Usually if the people are friendly and professional we have a ball.
Do you have a favorite venue to play?
I enjoyed the Jazz Cafe in London … but my favourite venue would have to be somewhere in my hometown where I can get drunk afterwards and wake up in my own bed and not have to be back on the band bus at 7 in the morning haha.
Any consideration on doing a US tour sometime?
Well I’d love to. But I guess a promoter would have to come forward and give us an offer for, say, a two week stretch of SoCal or something. Because the logistics of getting the band over have to add up. But I always love visiting the US so, yes, I’d love to play the States.
Any plans for us to keep our eyes peeled for in the near future?
Yes. But have to keep them under wraps for the moment. But stay tuned and you’ll be the first to know.
Sure! Lemmy, Iggy, John Lewis from Wales … countless people.
Any groups whom you've particularity enjoyed sharing the stage with?
It’s always great fun having a double bill with Demented because it’s like a family get-together (a big dysfunctional family, yes, but still). Same thing with the Peacocks (they’re from down the road in Switzerland, but funnily enough we always end up bumping into them in England or Finland or Germany or somewhere). Then supporting Jeff Beck was great, too. We got to play the Paris Olympia and stuff. But there have been so many great bands we’ve shared the stage with. Usually if the people are friendly and professional we have a ball.
Do you have a favorite venue to play?
I enjoyed the Jazz Cafe in London … but my favourite venue would have to be somewhere in my hometown where I can get drunk afterwards and wake up in my own bed and not have to be back on the band bus at 7 in the morning haha.
Any consideration on doing a US tour sometime?
Well I’d love to. But I guess a promoter would have to come forward and give us an offer for, say, a two week stretch of SoCal or something. Because the logistics of getting the band over have to add up. But I always love visiting the US so, yes, I’d love to play the States.
Any plans for us to keep our eyes peeled for in the near future?
Yes. But have to keep them under wraps for the moment. But stay tuned and you’ll be the first to know.