One of the things that fascinates me the most is asking artists about their inspirations when they write songs. Where were they? What were they doing? Who accompanied them? How long ago was it?
Unsurprisingly, that stimulus is often love- or relationship-related. Many times, it’s also their reaction to what’s happening in the world, expressed by anger, disappointment or frustration. On other occasions, it’s a profound reflection on their life experiences. And sometimes, it’s just a feel-good story they feel like sharing.
But I never thought a muso could be inspired by a super dull, everyday stint. Until I heard Maxine Gillon’s new release, “Girl 6”. And there’s more to this story.
PART 169 OF “AM I EVER GONNA SEE YOUR FACE AGAIN?” A RANDOM COLLECTION OF UNKNOWINGLY OBVIOUS FACTS ABOUT THE AUSTRALIAN MUSIC SCENE
Melbourne-based artist, composer & producer Maxine Gillon first landed in my inbox with her 2022 EP, Ultra Lounge.
“American Coffee” was the song that stood out to me from that release. It’s a quick (2 mins 15 secs) track defining the artist’s style: a rich countercultural history of alternative music morphed into a contemporary eclectic form.
Devoid of genre constraints or limitations, you get snappy beats, lush, expansive soundscapes, interlocking melodic layers and intellectual lyricism. But if you really need a reference, an indie-pop/electronic/ethereal wave fusion will describe this mix quite accurately. Fans of Caroline Polacheck, Primal Scream or Cocteau Twins will definitely be drawn to Maxine’s music.
The artist’s former professional associations also speak to her current sonic mood. She was the lead guitarist in the Sydney-based post-punk band Second Idol. With them, she supported fellow Aussie indie reps Jen Cloher and The Goon Sax.
But going back to her solo music project, it has already been praised by Music Feed, Pilerats and Demure Mag. Sydney’s FBi, Melbourne’s PBS and Brisbane’s 4ZZZ radios have been spinning tunes from Ultra Lounge, too.
In 2023, Maxine’s been gigging extensively in support of that EP. Those live performances include a regional tour alongside V and Ghost Bitch, a sold-out headline Sydney show, and inclusion in Oxford Art Factory’s 16th birthday festival with Cash Savage & The Last Drinks.
“Girl 6” is the first release since Ultra Lounge and the artist’s first full body of work since departing from Second Idol.
Hence, the single ushers in a new era in the muso’s career. “I’ve always produced my own work and sequenced digital instruments, but more through a rock lens, as that was the scene I was in. It dawned on me, after ‘American Coffee’, that I am a producer in my own right and have the vision, skills and means to create very layered and intricate arrangements and sonic effects,” Maxine shares.
That approach to her latest track can be heard in the sonic layer. “Girl 6” explores pop’s outer limits, taking notes from The Dare, Laura Jean and Alex Cameron, with nods to the new wave and post-punk.
But the best insight into the song is its background story. Scrutinising herself from an outsider’s perspective, Maxine wrote the song in probably the most uninspiring, mundane and uncreative environment I can imagine (because I once worked in a similar place).
It was during a stint in a debt-collecting call centre that Maxine explored the juxtaposition between the scripted and impersonal yet intimate interactions that took place over the phone. The track navigates how technology mediates interpersonal communication as an external factor and how lost and confused genuine human interaction can get in the projection of intimacy and fantasy.
She describes it like this, “I was simultaneously obsessively trying to court a girl via text who was unavailable and aloof, while tenderly chatting to strangers on the phone. This juxtaposition is where this song resides.”
Joining the new single is a music video shot by Andrea Blake (Bitumen, V), based on a concept conceived by Maxine. The clip is a clever parody of a 90s talk show, Charlie Rose. It depicts Maxine as an author interviewed about her book on a prestigious TV program.
That literary motif also serves as a bridge to the song’s artwork (which – surprise, surprise – is a book cover). And it clearly demonstrates how well thought-through the release is.
Maxine is keen to dive deeper into the pop-cultural references in “Girl 6”.
“A lot of what I wanted to do with this next batch […] was intellectualise the pop song”, she reveals.
For example, the new track’s title is taken from Spike Lee’s 1996 movie, Girl 6. This black comedy film is about a struggling actress who takes a job as a phone sex worker to fund her eventual big break in Hollywood.
There are more inferred messages in the single, though. Explore them all in Maxine’s Substack.
“Girl 6” is the first single from the artist’s debut album, Desolation Pop. This forthcoming body of work, comprising nine tracks covering themes similar to the current release, has already been recorded and produced by the artist.
However, as a completely independent musician, Maxine is currently fundraising via the Australian Cultural Fund to support its release costs. That includes mixing and mastering “to elevate the songs to industry listening standards.”
If you’re intrigued by the artist’s enigmatic personality and eclectic sound, you can catch her live soon. On Saturday, December 16, she will be supporting Underground Lovers with Syzygy at The Northcote Social Club.
I’m definitely keen to find out how that unusual debt-collecting call-centre inspiration translates in the live music setting.
“Girl 6” – released September 15th, 2023. Mixed by John Lee (Laura Jean, Lost Animal); mastered by Toyah Hoetzel (Simona Castricum, Matriarchy).
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