"xl: the new irish alternative magazine" palace interview

by Niamh Nestor, issue 4 April/May 1996

'Will Oldham of Palace (aka The Palace Brothers/Palace Songs) writes country flavoured songs so sad and beautiful that an XL reporter was physically moved to tears on hearing them performed live. (The fact that the reporter in question was drinking whiskey and had 'flu may also have been contributing factors.) Mr. Oldham's songs are perfect music to listen to while falling in or out of love.They're also an ideal step towards musical eclecticism for indie kids too timid to go so far as actually buy a record by Gram Parsons or Emmylou Harris.

The mellow wasted exterior of the music belies a seriously (often worryingly) bizarre lyrical content. That is why we included a Church of Scientology personnality test type question in our transatlantic phone/fax inquisition. Notoriously wary of the music press (damn right, too), we caught Will on a good day and convinced him what friendly pussycats we are. He proved to be a man of few words, with a voice that could lull you into a blissful trance and -eek!- a sense of humour!

*You've just come back from Africa-what were you doing there and what was it like?
-I was visiting a friend in Burlindi who I haven't seen in a long time.It's not a great place to be at the moment, ther's alot of political stuff happening over there.

*What's your favourite song that you've written?
-Oh, I can't just narrow it down to one. But there's a new song called "Take However Long You Want" that i really like.

*Have you ever surprised yourself musically or otherwise?
-All the time, I do it all the time.

*When are you coming over to Ireland again?
-I'm coming over in April, I'll be doing a solo show (in Whelan's on April 15 to be precise.)

*What music are you listeming to at the moment?
-I get alot of stuff sent to me, I just listen to everything that comes through the door. I got a tape of the last album by Steve Earle, with out-takes from the last Johnny Cash album. I've been listening to alot of Patti Loveless as well. (Not Travis Tritt to the relief of the XL staff.)

*But why are you so sad?
-Uhhhh... I dunno... I guess I was born.

*Who would play you in the TV movie of your life (the Palace version of the Karen Carpenter story)?
-Dolores O'Riordan. (Not Travis Tritt, as suggested by the Xl staff.)

*What's the nicest thing that's happened to you recently?
-(Ponders for quite some time over this one. Either lots of nice things happen to Will all the time, or nothing nice ever happens to him.) My coffee was vert good this morning.

*When you enter a crowded room, do you feel
(a)relaxed
(b)anxious or perplexed
(c)Homicidal
(d)Other (please specify)
-Probably a cross between anxious and homicidal.

*If we came to Iowa, where are the cool places to hang out?
-Just our house. And wherever we happen to be visiting. Nowhere else.

*Finally draw a picture of a bunny
-

If we've managed to intrigue the unitiated enough to check out some Palace records, we particularly recommend "An Arrow Through The Bitch" and "There is No One What Will Take Care of you" (see, even the titles are heart-bending), both on Domino Records. The new Palace album "Arise, Therefore"(also on Domino) is out in April and is as full of as many gloriously fucked up magnum opii* as its predecessor.

Miss the Palace gig at Whelan's in April at your peril. And you night be advised to bring along some Prozac (if you don't need it, I'm sure Will could do with some) and go easy on the Jim Beam.

[*Having contacted the School of Classics at Trinity, we are told the plural of magnum opus is 'magna opera' whereas magnum opii means 'big lump of opium', which is just as appropriate.]

return to the pulpit...