Mitch: Your sophomore album, Death in the Business of Whaling, came out in January. Do you mind sharing a bit about the album and the themes that can be found throughout?
Searows: I don’t think I really intended for it to have such strong themes. I never plan that much around what an album is going to be; it just evolves in whatever way it evolves. The themes for this album are definitely a lot about grappling with your idea of your own life and your own inevitable death.
I write a lot of metaphors about chasing or being chased. They always come up, and then I have to retroactively analyse what that means. I think there’s also this idea of never fully being able to understand or put into words what anything means, what your life is, and what your relationships mean. It’s all so nebulous, and I write about that a lot.
Mitch: What does the album title mean to you, and what drew you to it?
Searows: The name came up a lot later in the process. When I heard that line in Moby Dick, “there is death in this business of whaling,” it really stuck with me.
I feel like there’s so much that I can’t even begin to analyse about that section of the book. After making the album, I hadn’t really even thought about Moby Dick, but I think it was something I was subconsciously getting inspiration from. When I heard the passage, I thought it made sense thematically. And also, it sounds really cool.
Mitch: What do you hope people feel while listening?
Searows: I don’t think I have a particular way that I hope people feel. I think I just want it to be personal and bring up whatever it brings up for whoever’s listening.
I’ve sometimes described it as the feeling after watching a movie or a play, when you feel kind of weird and emotionally raw and like you’re not really in the real world. I love the way that art can do that, so I feel like that’s what I strive for.
Mitch: You’re touring Australia in November, with shows in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne! How are you feeling leading up to the tour?
Searows: I’m so excited. I’ve never been there and I’ve always wanted to go. I’m so pumped. I’m a little bit scared about the flight because I hate flying, and it will be the longest flight I’ve been on so far in my life.
Mitch: Why should people come along? What can they expect from a Searows show?
Searows: My hope is that people feel moved in some way. I try to really put a lot of thought into what the show is like, the structure of it, the order and the flow of songs.
It’s always different too, which I think is an awesome and also scary thing about live music. Every show depends on how the audience reacts. I don’t really say the same things every night.
Mitch: What’s the best way for people to support you?
Searows: I think I just want people to hear it, like it and tell their friends about it if it means something to them. And shows too. When people come to the shows, it just says so much that they wanted to come and see me and my band play the songs.
Mitch: What’s next for you after the tour?
Searows: I’ve got to write more songs. Because of touring, I can’t really ever write when I’m on tour. I came back from tour and I was so excited to start writing songs again, but it’s been so hard to get back into it. So, I’m excited to get over my current songwriting slump because I feel very inspired, but sometimes it just needs a minute.
RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS!!
Mitch: Favourite track from the album?
Searows: It changes all the time. I think maybe ‘Belly of the Whale’ is my favourite right now.
Mitch: Favourite lyric from the album?
Searows: The first verse of ‘Geese’
Mitch: Koalas or Kangaroos?
Searows: I think koalas. That was my favorite animal as a child for many years.
Mitch: Finish the sentence! Searows is for fans of…
Searows: crying while driving a car.