It Is No Hallucination

Former Moist mainman David Usher grabs real solo success

It is a relaxed looking David Usher who settles into a booth at The Rivoli for his Tandem interview. He exudes an air of quiet confidence that is well deserved. Usher has made a successful transition from life as the singer of a very popular modern rock band, Moist, to an equally successful solo career. That is not an easy path to follow, but Usher's combination of hard work and creative adventurousness has paid off.
David's third solo album, Hallucinations, has just been released, and it's a little premature to predict its commercial fate. It has a lot to live up to, for his previous album, 2001's Morning Orbit, scored platinum plus sales in Canada, and significant international sales as well.
That record spawned such hit singles (and videos) as "Alone In The Universe" and "Black Black Heart," and spent over a year on the domestic charts. On first listenings, Hallucinations seems to lack singles as catchy as those, but it soon emerges as a more coherent and mature work.
Usher skillfully integrates the atmospheric sounds of electronica with more conventional pop and rock stylings, and both his lyrics and vocal delivery now possess more subtlety than in the days of Moist.
His allusive, sometimes elusive, lyrics manage to be both philosophical and personal, yet are always open to varying interpretations. "I want people to be able to take different things from the songs and take them personally, rather than having my stamp saying 'this is what this song is about.' Sometimes things are very specific for me, but they could have double meanings for others."
Similarly, his political beliefs and such outside activities as his work with War Child do not intrude. "I think it is important to be active outside your music, but you need to be careful that that doesn't become part of the music. I would never want to be Sting hanging out in the rain forest."
David's refusal to join the celebrity circus or cash in on his undeniable good looks are also admirable. "I tend to not talk about my personal life in the media, but if fans ask specific questions after shows, for instance, I will answer those. I do want people to listen to my records, though, and I'd much rather talk about them."
Given its success here, it is surprising to learn that Morning Orbit never even got released in the U.S., but David is not obsessed about chasing the Yankee dollar. "I am not very driven to spend a year there supporting a record. I try to balance out what will be good for the record and what is fair for myself and my band. I love going to Europe, I love going to Asia. You don't get rich touring there, but is sure is a hell of a lot more fun!
"The record did well in places like Germany and Greece and in Thailand [he is of Thai ancestry] and The Philippines. When I make a record I never have a clue how it is going to do. There are so many aspects involved in making a record a success."
He spent nearly two years on the road (160 shows in Canada last year) before concentrating on writing and recording Hallucinations. He used specific producers for specific songs, from Brit Iestyn Polson (David Gray) to locals Mark Makoway and Byron Wong (My Brilliant Beast).
"The tracks with Iestyn [including the title track and first single, 'Time Of Our Lives'] were done first and that set a tone for the rest of the record. He is slightly crazed, in a good way, and we had a really good energy in the studio."
Wong came up with the music on another album highlight, a cover of the Manic Street Preachers hit, "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next," originally recorded by Usher for a War Child project.
David and band are now preparing to return to the road, an experience he is eagerly anticipating. "The studio is wonderful for the first couple of months, then it gets quite long, especially if you don't like the dark. Touring refreshes everything. You take these songs you have slaved over and you have to bring them to life."

Hallucinations is now out on EMI Music Canada. A Toronto date for David Usher will be announced shortly.

Publication Date: 2003-09-28
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=3195