🟥 This article is translated from Japanese.

The Vines, a rock band from Sydney, Australia, formed in 1994 by frontman Craig Nicholls, made their shocking debut in 2002 with "Highly Evolved," which debuted at #11 on the U.S. Billboard album chart and was featured on the cover of NME magazine four times in one year. In the UK, where the album was particularly popular, it reached #3, and sold over 2 million copies worldwide. Craig's wild and unpredictable live performances and behavior also attracted attention at this time, but he was later diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome.

While dealing with his illness, they consistently released "Winning Days" (2004), " Vision Valley" (2006), "Melodia" (2008), and "Future Primitive" (2011), but in 2012, all the members who had worked together for many years left the band. This year, in 2014, they released their sixth album, the double album "Wicked Nature" with Tim John on bass and Lachlan West on drums, and started again as a three-piece band. I interviewed Craig over the phone on September 3, the day of the Japanese release of the album, which could be called a turning point.

-- Congratulations on the release of your latest album, "Wicked Nature". I think it was released yesterday in Australia, but it was also released today in Japan.

Craig Nicholls: Great! Yeah, it was released here yesterday... it's great to hear that it's been released in Japan as well.

-- It's been a bit of time between the actual completion of the project and its release, hasn't it?

Craig: Yes, it did. I was just thinking about it right now. But I'm glad it's finally out and people can listen to it. We recorded this album in a very short period of time, so maybe it felt even longer than it was. Disc 1 was recorded in 12 days with 12 songs, and disc 2 was recorded in 5 days with 10 songs. The songs themselves were easy to write and the response was good. Well, I like all the songs I've written myself (laughs). 

-- Like your last album, "Future Primitive", this album also expresses your thoughts on technology and modern society. 

Craig: Yeah. I've been thinking about those things since the last album. Anti-technology, pro-nature. My frustration with technology... I don't know why, but I can't get into it at all. I guess it’s against my instincts. I'm a simple person, so I can't stand too much information. I think it's good to be able to vent those emotions through songs and turn them into something meaningful for me. 

-- Did you ever decide beforehand that you were going to write a song like this?

Craig: Sometimes, but most of the time it's just a matter of letting the song guide me. I have a basic idea or a few words, and then I write from there. But there are times when I feel like I need to write an upbeat song. For example, the second disc of this album is a more personal piece with more ballads. I focused on writing songs that I thought were interesting and that had truthful lyrics. In addition to that, I wanted to create a rich variety of sounds. I just wanted to make something powerful - something that would stick in people's memories and move them. Even if it's sad or aggressive.

-- The lyrics of many of the songs, especially those on disc 1, have two sides to them, as does the album title. Did you consciously add these metaphorical elements?

Craig: Yeah. As you say, the title is the same, and there are many lyrics in the songs that have two meanings. In particular, many of them use nature as a metaphor for male-female relationships. "Wicked" can mean cool or awesome in a slang-like way, or it can mean scary. It's definitely one of the things I did somewhat consciously on this album. There is a relatively large amount of lyrics per song on this album. I think it's a proof that I've grown as a songwriter over time, and I'm able to use those techniques to express my frustrations more clearly and skillfully.

-- I see. I heard that you were more involved in the production of this album. 

Craig: On disc 1, the producer I hired took the lead, but on disc 2, I was a co-producer. I've been involved in production for a long time, and it's something I've always been interested in. It may sound a bit boring in words, but I learned more about the technical side of things. Everything was done in live takes, except for the vocals, which were done in only a few takes. Some of the guitar solos were improvised, like the last track on the album, "Funny Thing", but other than that, the first take was used for the most part. That kind of guitar solo is really nice and wild, and I really like it myself. It's nice to copy vocal melodies and play songs with a proper framework, but it's also fun to play songs that don't have such a framework. I think I'm getting better at playing... I've never really considered myself a technical player. I prefer to be a little off, rather than technical heavy metal style.

-- The second half of the title track, "Wicked Nature", sounds like improvisation.

Craig: Yeah, and it's inverted. What's interesting about that song is that it has the most guitar overdubs...about 4 or 5, and half of them are inverted. I like that kind of abstract feel to it.

-- And on this album, you've added Tim John and Lachlan West to the band.

Craig: Yeah, they're great. And they're good players. They were able to come up with a lot of parts in a very short time that fit the songs I brought in. The recording process was fun and we got along well. They used to play in the same band, so they knew each other, but I think there was a good chemistry between the three of us that allowed us to get through the recording in such a short time.

-- They are younger than you, aren't they?

Craig: Yeah, Tim is about 27, and Lucky is 23 or 24.

-- So they're both from the generation that grew up listening to The Vines. I'm sure they didn't think at the time that they would later join the band.

Craig: Actually, when we were recording, he showed me a picture of himself when he was about 17 years old wearing a The Vines T-shirt. That's pretty cool, isn't it? Well, we didn't really talk about it... Because I couldn't really ask him about it in detail like, "What? Did you listen to us?" (laughs).

-- (laughs).

Craig: If they weren't interested, they probably wouldn't have auditioned. But when I saw the photo, I was a little choked up. I was thinking about putting it in the artwork for the album... and now I wish I had.

-- But it's an undeniable fact that The Vines have influenced younger bands, and I think that's something to be proud of.

Craig: I've had a lot of people and bands have told me this. I've also been told that Arctic Monkeys was influenced by us. That makes me very happy. I started playing in bands when I was a teenager because, like everyone else, I loved music and was inspired by the music and bands I listened to and wanted to make music. It may sound cliché, but... it feels good to be able to give something back (laughs). I want to continue to make music to keep rock and roll and band culture alive.

-- Back to the topic at hand, is there a particular song on the album that you like? I like "Truth".

Craig: Oh, I'm glad you said that. That's my favorite song too (laughs). When we were recording it, a lot of people said they liked that song... I think it's the standout song on the album. It's very serious, but it's natural and beautiful.

-- I've always preferred the slower songs that you had written... And I feel that those songs highlight your appeal as a songwriter.

Craig: Then I'm sure you like disc 2 better (laughs).

-- Right (laughs).

Craig: Actually, I had written a lot of acoustic songs before releasing this double album, so I was thinking of making an all-acoustic album. I was satisfied with the songs I had recorded, but I wanted to do something that sounded like rock (laughs). That's how disc 1 of Wicked Nature was born. That album was almost entirely made up of upbeat rock and roll songs, with only one ballad on it. Disc 2 is more laid back, with more songs in a variety of styles. As you know, I've always tried to compose albums with some heavy rock songs and some sweet ballads to neutralize them. I just want to try out different styles, and there's a lot I'd like to try in the future.

-- How do you spend your day these days? Do you spend most of your time writing songs, drawing, or doing other creative activities?

Craig: When I'm feeling really creative, I write songs all the time, and when I'm not, I play guitar... I just have fun with music. There have been times in the past year or two when I've done a lot of art. Including the album cover, paintings, and collages. I also watch movies... Some days are quite mellow and hedonistic (laughs). I don't even live in the city anymore, I live in the suburbs of Sydney where there is more nature.

-- I see. So nature is the key point of this album.

Craig: Yeah, moving to the suburbs has had a big impact on me, I lived in the city for a few years until five years ago and I didn't like it. And I'm basically a loner. It's not like I've moved recently, but this is where I live now, and the natural environment that surrounds me is the inspiration for the album. It's really "Wicked Nature".

-- Do you still go out to see live performances?

Craig: I went to see Black Rebel Motorcycle Club last year, and they were great as always. I like all their albums.

-- They debuted around the same time as The Vines. But unfortunately, there aren't many people who are still active from that time, right?

Craig: That's true. That's why I'm such a big fan of BRMC. They've never stopped making good music. There are a lot of bands that have either disbanded or are no longer making music.

-- Are there any other current bands or artists that you feel sympathy for?

Craig: Hmmm. The BRMC that I just mentioned and... I'm sure there are more (laughs).... Supergrass, Blur, and younger bands...

-- How about Tame Impala?

Craig: Oh, Tame Impala is really good. I have both of their albums. I think it's great that a band with their sound has become so popular and successful. And I'm glad because when I first met them, they were still unknown and I thought they were really good. People say that rock music is dead, but I think there are still a lot of good bands out there. I have a lot of sympathy and respect for "real" artists who write their own songs and make their own music without being influenced by trends.

-- In today’s world, trends themselves change very quickly.

Craig: Indeed. It's changed a lot since we started out, and all the music channels on TV these days are playing music videos, like dance music. They seem to be very big and expensive to make. I wish they would just play rock music videos all the time (laughs).

-- Do you ever feel like you were born in the wrong era?

Craig: Yeah! Especially in terms of technology. I don't have a cell phone, I don't use the Internet, and I don't want to drive a car for the rest of my life. I think I could have been born hundreds of years ago and lived quite well.

-- What about music?

Craig: As far as music goes, I don't want to go too far back... But the 60's is key for me. It was a time of great bands that I respected, and the passion and drive to create, and the quality of the finished product was superior. Back then it was normal to release one album a year, and I think I could do it. But nowadays it takes a lot of time because of the business aspect and the number of people in between....

-- Did you find that the process was smoother now that the album was released indie?

Craig: Hmmm. I don't know much about the details, so I can't say for sure, but from my point of view, it wasn't particularly frustrating, and it seemed to go smoothly.

-- So, what aspects of songwriting do you feel have grown over the nearly 20 years you've been doing it?

Craig: Since I started writing when I was 17, I've been writing nonstop, and I've never once thought about giving up. I've never been afraid to sing the truth, especially in the songs I've written in recent years. Of course, I've always written honest songs in my own way, but when you're young, your perspective and values are not yet set in stone. In addition, I'm getting better at writing lyrics with experience. That's probably the most important growth for me.

-- Do you think you're more sensitive to the world and your surroundings than most people are, as many songwriters are?

Craig: I think that a lot. That's one of the reasons why I make music. It's an outlet for frustrations, truths...all kinds of emotions that I can't talk about with other people. I think you probably have to be sensitive to be a good artist. But I think the most important thing is to be yourself.

-- After talking with you today, I got the strong impression that making music plays a therapeutic role for you.

Craig: Yeah. It really does. Looking back, I feel like it was inevitable to make this double album - in terms of having to do something constructive with the ideas and inspiration that came to me. And I think I've done a good job of expressing that. It used to take me a long time to write songs in the past, but in the case of this double album, the songs came so easily that I thought someone else had written them. In fact, I've already written an album's worth of songs, not all of which are finished yet, but there are some that I think are very exciting, and I hope to record another album next year. I've also done a collaborative album with Nick Littlemore from Empire of the Sun.

-- Oh, I see! In terms of sound, what did you end up with?

Craig: It's somewhere between The Vines and Empire of the Sun. There are elements of electronic music, which is his forte, but he also uses a lot of live instruments. He used some interesting instruments that they are used in world music. I also wrote and sang on some of the songs. I've already recorded the tracks, and the mixing is done. I haven't done the artwork yet, but I'm going to do it.

-- So it will be released soon.

Craig: I don't really understand the industry process once the production is done, but it will probably be released early next year.

-- I'm looking forward to it. Finally, do you have any plans to tour the album?

Craig: Yes. I'm happy to say so. Because I'm really looking forward to getting on stage and playing the new songs, and I'm looking forward to playing with the new guys.