First album recorded with the Bad Seeds since the therapeutic Ghosteen in 2019, Wild God is marked by the sign of resilience. Tested by personal tragedies (the loss of his children Arthur, who fell from a cliff at the age of 15, and Jethro, 31, who suffered from schizophrenia), the 66-year-old Australian singer chooses to look ahead. Even if the electric guitars are discreet, Wild God is endowed with a rare rock energy, an epic exuberance and a luminous lyricism. A renaissance that is underlined by the good humor displayed by Nick Cave during this London event. To a fan who tells him “you haven’t aged“, he replies “I don’t think that’s true“. Before thinking and adding: “Twenty years of heroin (reference to his past as a junkie, Editor’s note) and a good face cream, that must be it“. Selected pieces…
Wild God is very cinematic in its production. Is this due to your frequent work on film soundtracks?
This cinematic atmosphere comes from our desire to put a lot of strings and choirs in Wild God. With the Bad Seeds, we always try to build the songs in an elegant way, step by step. David Fridmann, who mixed Wild Godsaid he wanted to trade that elegance for raw emotion. He crushed it all in the final mix to make something powerful and epic. And that’s what I feel when I listen to the record again today. It slams from everywhere, it literally jumps out at me, it grabs me by the feelings.
The Bas Seeds are having a blast on Wild God. Is this your choice or were they complaining about being less involved in your latest projects?
When we recorded the album The Boatman’s Call en 1997, Mick Harvey (who left the Bad Seeds in 2009 in frustration, Editor’s note:) told me: “Why am I here in the studio, I have nothing to do with your songs“. It was the beginning of a new thinking for me. Afterwards I decided to use the group on certain projects and worked differently when there was less space for them, especially on albums. Skeleton Tree et Ghosteen. As soon as I started writing the songs for Wild God In January 2023, however, there was no doubt. I knew I wanted to bring the Bad Seeds back, put them in the spotlight and let them express their full potential.
Why this album title? Wild God (“Wild God“) ?
I hate making albums. I like recording them, but I don’t like writing them. It’s really hard for me to sit at my desk and deal with this kind of inner chaos and try to come up with pure, understandable songs. I can’t read the newspaper and think, “ah, that’s a nice story, I’ll write about it“. For me, the starting point is often an image that comes to mind. And so in January 2023, I had this image of a man with long hair flowing in the wind and who was going through his memories. I thought he looked like a wild god (wild god) and as is often the case with my records, this first idea ended up feeding all the songs.
Your songs are full of biblical references. What is your relationship with God?
This may seem odd coming from someone who puts “God“in all his records, but questions about the existence of a god are secondary to me. I don’t see any difference between belief in a god and disbelief. My religious nature is more based on a fascination. The Bible is a place where I can take my feelings and confront them. I find a certain vulnerability and tension there. It’s a creative space for me.
Compared to your last records, Wild God is joyful. There is even a song called “Joy” (“Joie”). Is Nick Cave a happy man?
Joy is not happiness, they are two different things. Joy is a feeling that allows you to go beyond the nature of the world and move forward. That’s what I tried to do on this album. It doesn’t shy away from loss (of his children, Editor’s note). On the contrary, it reveals my ability to feel things differently. When I listen Wild GodI have a big smile on my face.”Joie” has become the buzzword today. Look at the United States with Kamala Harris and her “Politic of joy“. But I was there before her. (laugh).
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Have you ever felt the urge to change the lyrics of some of your old songs?
The last thing I want to do is go back in time and tinker with what I’ve written or recorded. On the other hand, I have the freedom to change songs live. The problem with some of my songs is not the words, but the number of them. I’ve recorded songs that were too long because I was too talkative. In a concert, you can change all that.
There are many musical subtleties on Wild God. What will it be like on stage?
When we go back on tour, we tend to want to play a lot of new songs, even if they are a priori “difficult” to perform on stage. We had already said in the past that some titles of Ghosteen, Skeleton Tree or Nocturama were complicated to transpose on stage. But we continue to integrate them into our setlist and it works. There is a lot of energy in Wild God and we can express it in a different way live.
In 2018, you created the site TheRedHandFiles.com where you personally answer your fans’ letters. What do you get out of it?
I created something strange with these Red Hand Files so much so that I don’t know when I’ll be able to stop it, or how to stop it. It’s become a central point in my life. Every week I answer very intimate letters. People come up to me and say, “my father just died” or “I’m going to have a child, I don’t know if I’ll be up to it“. People ask me for advice. I can’t write just anything, it doesn’t come naturally to me. I admit that it’s changed me enormously. For better or for worse? I don’t know. But it’s a way to better understand my audience. It’s like I’m looking into their souls, it’s almost shocking.
Your concerts are attracting more and more spectators. Everyone seems to like you today.
The nature of my relationship with the public has changed, that’s true. I didn’t change it, it was the public who changed it. When I went on tour in 2017 after Skeleton Tree (his first concerts after the death of his son Arthur), I realized that the audience has different expectations. Today, they don’t come to my concerts just to be entertained. I am held higher in their esteem. It is not worry that they feel towards me. It is love. At least, that is what I feel.
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You say you hate making albums. When the inspiration is gone, will you stop?
A song is a terrible failure if it doesn’t have a universal message. What I try to do is write about things that are close to me and breathe life into the lyrics so that they touch people. As long as I succeed in this adventure, I won’t stop. Even if it’s painful to write. There’s also joy in releasing an album. That’s my job…
The 30th (complete) and 31st of October. Sportpaleis, Antwerp.
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds, Wild God, [PIAS]
Five must-haves
L’album – The Boatman’s Call, 1997
His tenth album, the first composed entirely on piano. Dark, calm, romantic and of a sad beauty. “West Country Girl”, “Blue Hair” and “Green Eyes” evoke in a baritone voice the short-lived relationship of Nick Cave with PJ Harvey. He sang “Into My Arms” at the funeral of Michel Hutchence of INXS and everyone cried.
Le live – Live Seeds, 1993
While it’s impossible to capture the emotion of a Nick Cave concert on a physical medium, his live records remain fascinating. Recorded in Australia and Europe, this one is a testament to the post/rock fury and burning electricity of his early Bad Seeds days. The version of “The Mercy Seat” is killer.
The Book – Faith, Hope and Carnage, 2023
The result of more than forty hours of interviews conducted by Sean O’Hagan, a journalist at The Guardian, This book goes far beyond autobiography. These conversations allow Cave to detail his creative process without eluding anything about his junkie period, his personal dramas and his relationship with others. Huge.
The Soundtrack – The Snow Leopard, 2021
Nick Cave and Warren Ellis claim that this is their most accomplished and sincere soundtrack.There was something in the heart of Marie Amiguet and Vincent Munier’s film that moved us. The Snow Leopard deserved to have its own musical voice.”
Le film – One More Time With Feeling, 2016
Andrew Dominik’s documentary follows Nick Cave during the recording of Skeleton Treeas the artist tried to mourn his son Arthur. A moving therapeutic film that can make you feel uncomfortable, despite its modesty.
