Interview: Kurt Vile

It was recently announced that Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter Kurt Vile will play Laneway Festival in Auckland at the end of next January. Vile followed up that news by sharing a mix tape of songs that influenced him during the writing process for Wakin on a Pretty Daze, his latest and critically acclaimed album. In his own words he "worked hard on it like a total dork, hah… I didn’t just throw it together", and chatting to him down the line from his sound check in Cincinnati his fastidious, obsessive knowledge of and dedication to all things music is pretty clear. He's surprisingly self-deprecating, with a charming, sarcastic sense of humour employed mainly avoid probing questions about himself as both a musician and person. Ask him anything about music more generally - like including Gary Numan on his mix tape, for example - and his tone and pace change into this kind of chilled-out giddiness, which considering his sonic output makes perfect sense.

 

Head over here to read the full interview with Kurt Vile.

Head over here to check out more information about the 2014 Laneway Festival.