I’ve wanted to work with Yasgurs Farm for some time now, the idea of filming their silhouettes as I have been doing with other artists came to me when listening to their cover of the beautiful song ‘Innocence’ by Worldfly

We chose ‘Innocence’ because of the tension in the lyrics and the chords, Paul and Monique sing with such passion and honesty – straight from the heart, the visual of the young dancer in the background adds a gentleness and inspires to ‘always remember’ and hang in there even when times are tough as the song suggests.

The delicate keyboard playing in the background by Brent holds the music in a soulful way, hypnotising the audience. I love this piece for it’s rawness, the live performance shows the incredible talent of the musicians.

After the filming Yasgurs Farm at the studio, Paul and I had the following conversation about his creative journey which you may find interesting;  

Sean:  Your friend is one of the composers of "Innocence", can you tell me how it feels to perform a friends song?

Paul: Rob Geaney is an old friend since school days, and we have jammed for many thousands of hours over the years. He and his son, Joe, were involved in a band called "Worldfly"and they wrote "Innocence" together with the bands leader, Michael Maher. When I first heard the song, I was struck by how familiar it sounded, especially the use of the major 7th chords within a minor chord progression - a Rob signature!  Those chords together and the melodies they produce have always stirred me emotionally - a sort of bitter sweet feel and the songs lyrics are also very contrasting with love, longing and sadness.

Sean: Can you share what the song means to you and any particular lyrics that have a personal meaning.

Paul: For me the song is slightly mixed up and unstable - it feels very much like a breaking up song when you reflect on how the love affair started and what it meant, and also beginning to grieve for the possible loss of that person in your life. The lyrics and music have a tension in them that makes it brilliant to perform, especially with both the male and female voices. Innocence is a powerful word and concept - it’s a core part of our experience as humans. It can be seen as one end of a continuum with wisdom at the other end, but often we find that an innocent or naive view can cut through to see things as they really are, don’t you think?

Sean: Yes, I get that! There is a lot of passion and tension in the song when you and Monique sing to each other. As an artist how does a song like "Innocence" expand your creative horizons when you collaborate with other like minded musicians.

Paul: Well, Monique is my partner and there is probably subliminal tensions in there as a natural expression of relationship - I am sure people feel that when we perform it!  When a song touches the musicians deeply, there is a energetic conference - a meeting, that creates something larger than the sum of your parts -  in this particular song that waltzy swing that starts to happen when Monique and I are expressing the passion, Brent (the bass  and keyboard player) starts to accent the pulse, and I get a tingle up my spine! It’s an absolute pleasure when the whole performance rises and the band become one - I notice a slight loss of control and the song plays itself - that the moment that anyone playing music strives for - its slightly out-of-body. This song does that for us and a number of our mates!

Sean: Brent Calcutt is one of the most talented musicians living in the area. I love his musicianship. What does Brent's Double Bass playing and piano playing bring to overall sound of Yargus farm.

Paul: Brent is a serious musician, and keeps us honest - what we perform together must have some special aspect, whether it’s a musical challenge, a rhythmic feel, a special lyric or vocal. Definitely no clichés with Brent! When Brent gets into the groove, he is the classic bass player - pulling it all together and integral, but not as obvious or noticeable as the vocalists.

Sean: The female vocalist in Yasgurs Farm is Monique Lewis - what effect does her unique vocal on Innocence have on your own singing and guitar playing?

Paul: Monique has found her voice with Yasgurs, and a song like Innocence shows that she can really engage in an emotional lyric.This makes me as the other vocalist step up and reach for that same intensity - you listen and feel the other singer and it becomes a dance of voice and energy. We like to find great songs that have the female/male dynamic, and this song has that. Monique has a big range of notes and feels, and can sing anything - that versatility and emotional basis means that we have a very broad repertoire.

Sean: So, tell me about that repertoire and the band itself.

Paul: Yasgurs Farm came together when the great jamming and supportive environment of the Lovin Vibe Coolective kicked in in late 2009. Monique and I have always sung together, and when her cousin Brent Calcutt moved up to Byron Shire and started jamming with the Coolective, we found a natural synergy. We have gigged regularly at the Harvest Cafe and have played the Brunswick Hotel, various fairs and community events around the Shire, and of course the Lovin Vibe Coolective shows.

Our repertoire encompasses all genres where the vocal melody and harmonies are forefront and the instrumentation is elegant but stripped back - folk, country, the great post 60s singer songwriters. We just look for memorable songs - so some are well known like River by Joni Mitchell, or Landslide by Fleetwood Mac, and some not so well known, like Falling Slowly by Swell Season, or Innocence. A couple oforiginals also make the grade. We aim to touch the heart of people through the beauty and poignancy of melody and lyric.