“It’s definitely something that’s been on the cards for quite some time,” Ely says. “I love just making music by myself at home with the guitar, and I’ve kind of tried to write in just that environment in the past. I think I’ve always felt that whatever I was coming up with wasn’t any good. After a few years, though, I think I’ve finally gotten to a point where I’m happy with what I’m doing. I think, in part, that’s due to my hearing loss [laughs].”
Ely’s laughter leads one to believe he’s joking around. However, the mention of damaged hearing is no mere gag.“I’ve been playing in rock bands for over 20 years and had drums and amps and feedback and noise pounded into my ears that were unprotected for a good chunk of that,” he says. “My left ear has lost quite a lot of hearing when it comes to higher frequencies. I can still hear OK, but it’s definitely taken its toll. I just wanted to change my process a little, so I took to playing by myself. It’s almost like a meditation for me.”
Goodbye Machine was recorded directly to tape in west Brisbane, and the finished product mostly consists of first takes. It’s a raw-nerve record, which offers closer insight into Ely’s mindset than his previous projects (including Jump 2 Light Speed and Radio 5) ever could have.
“The lyrics are inspired by two fairly different things,” he says. “The first is my immediate frustration at the actions of the Abbott government and what they did to this country in the time that they were in power. The second is a little more personal and a little more sad – my mum had cancer for seven years, so I’d spend a lot of time looking after her out at her place. I’d find myself writing out in the shed out the back late at night while she was asleep. The album is generally quite dark, and I think it’s on account of being in a pretty heavy place at the time.”
Ely just finished a tour in support of Dan Kelly, who also has a new album. “We’re both Queensland boys,” says Ely. “We’ve been in the same sort of circles for a while. He was kind enough to have me on his tour, and the shows were all great – his band are killing it.”
Striking while the iron’s hot, Ely has kicked off a run of headline dates in small, intimate rooms – the likes of which he hasn’t played in quite some time with the ‘Gurg. “I’m mostly lifting from songs that are on the album. Occasionally, I’ll throw in a cover that suits the mood. Maybe even a Regurgitator song if that somehow fits into the balance.”
Modern Life, an underrated single from Regurgitator’s Unit LP, seems deserving of a Ben Ely solo twist. “I actually hadn’t thought of that,” laughs Ely. “I’ll have to work out a version of that now.”
BY DAVID JAMES YOUNG
