KEY POINTS:
You won't hear Tim Guy singing about relationships. Not for now, anyway. The Auckland-based Aussie musician hasn't been in one for six years.
"I stopped having relationships so I stopped writing about boy-girl themes. You get kinda clouded when you're with someone and that becomes your whole thing," says the 34-year-old over a coffee. "It's a long time. You do miss out on life but I'm trying to find inspiration somewhere else within the song."
His new album, Hummabyes, might lack romantic inspiration but it doesn't lack the sentiment. A collection of poetic indie-pop that veers from the downright sunny to melancholic, Guy's music is the stuff of intimacy and reflection, like a softer, more whimsical David Kilgour.
"Down the base of the mountain I turned around in two directions, each one proved the other wrong," he sings on Rescuer.
His female fans would probably agree Guy's aversion to relationships has nothing to do with his personality.
Half the Auckland music scene wants to work with him, after all. His self-produced second album features Kiwi mates Anika Moa (vocals and bass), Anna Coddington (drums) plus appearances from Jeremy Toy, Age Pryor, Paul McLaney and Steve Abel. Ed McWilliams (aka Cake, as in Bressa Creeting Cake) mixed the album.
Serendipity brought Guy here three years ago. He had a dream he was playing music with Bic Runga; two weeks later he rocked up to her show in Aussie and introduced himself with a demo tape. "It was an amazing show. I saw the way she wrote songs and the musicians she had were Milan and Tim [Borich and Arnold, both of Pluto], Benny Maitland [Boxcar Guitars] all playing really understated music."
Runga returned the compliment and offered to produce and play on his first album, Blazey, which she released on her label, Nu Shoo Records. New Zealand support slots for Runga's Acoustic Church tour followed, plus gigs with (among others) Moa, Miriam Clancy and Tommy, plus a solo tour last year.
Guy eventually moved over for good at the encouragement of his mate, McWilliams, who offered him a place to crash until he'd found a flat.
"I was searching to be around people who work hard," says Guy. "When I first came over with Bic, the people she introduced me to were all hard-working musicians and songwriters who were all striving really hard at their craft. I'd been floundering around in Melbourne for a couple of years and it just felt like all the musicians in that scene were waiting for something. It was a relief to come here and see shows and see people excited about the shows. I just instantly felt like I was part of a community."
Two members of that community, Moa and Coddington, not only play in his band, the Tutaes, but live with him.
"Playing with guys, things can get a bit full-on. I like things to be quiet. I like working with girls. They just naturally have that thing that gets lost when there's too many guys involved."
Hummabyes is probably not inspired by the wild New Zealand climate, with songs such as the ukelele-driven Summer Breeze or Cater for Lovers where Guy suggests, "How about we sleep on a star with the moonlight touching your hair."
"I don't know where they came from," he laughs. "I've never really been a rocker. My music has always been soft."
