seja says...

Seja Vogel is the stuff synthesiser dreams are made of. Her sound is melodic and catchy without being artificial or repetitive. Being the keyboardist for Brisbane pop bands, Sekiden and Regurgitator has given this clever beauty enough confidence to finally launch her first solo album, We Have Secrets But Nobody Cares. We cornered Seja last week and asked her to share with us a little about herself and her plans for this year.

Covered: Devo, Spod, ‘60s pop, flying solo.

Cat Juan: Can you share with us when your love for synthesisers began?

Seja Vogel: I guess it was the first time I played one. In the very early days of Sekiden I used to play Simon's Korg Delta which basically had a string sound and a synth sound, and I thought it was the coolest thing I'd ever heard. At that time I started listening to bands who were interested in synths like The Cars, The Rentals, Devo, etcetera, and would get excited whenever I heard interesting synth lines anywhere. The first keyboard I bought myself was a Korg Poly 61 which was a little more versatile than the Delta, and that was the beginning of a long obsession with it all.

CJ: What did you learn about yourself as a musician while performing with Sekiden and Regurgitator?

SV: With Sekiden I learned a lot about what music means to me. It has a lot to do with fun and togetherness with friends, and team work towards producing the best sounds and songs we could.I definitely gained a lot of confidence as a songwriter and performer in both bands. With Regurgitator I learnt a lot about performing to large groups of people and knowing that it's not the scariest thing in the world.

CJ: Who or what gave you the courage to finally record your own solo album?

SV: I have a lot of really excellent friends who encouraged me along the way. The people who ended up being involved in the record (Mirko, Spod, Saul, Quan, and Cameron) were definitely a huge help as I was recording. Mirko and Simon have always been incredibly encouraging.

CJ: What are you most proud of with this album?

SV: I am proud of the whole thing! I am excited to have made it at all! I am proud of myself for finishing 13 songs and playing and singing to the best of my ability. I am proud of all the people who were involved. And I am proud of Rice is Nice for doing such a great job with it so far.

CJ: Can you name three artists you'd love to perform with?

SV: Mark Mothersbaugh, Gruff Rhys, Jason Lytle.

CJ: Who were your musical influences while growing up?

SV: My parents were really into ‘60s pop so I grew up listening to things like Herman’s Hermits, The Hollies, and The Searchers and I guess these bands played a big part in my appreciation for melody and harmony.

CJ: Can you share a bit of your song writing process with us? What are your lyrics often about?

SV: The way that I wrote most of the songs on this record was completely different to how I had done it in the past. I don’t think I ever actually sat down and wrote an entire song from beginning to end, except the piano ballad that concludes the album. I would just sit down in my studio and play something that sounded interesting, record it, then come back to it and record a bit that fit in with the last bit. Then sing all over it. It was a strange way to record the album and it was particularly hard to let go of songs because I did so much overdubbing. The lyrics were mostly about little obscure thoughts I was having, things that were consuming me at the time, or about people I know, or dreams.

CJ: What are your plans for 2010? Any collaborations with other artists or are you more interested in stretching your wings and flying solo?

SV: I am excited about touring the album a bit this year and I have already started recording a few song ideas, so hopefully I will have time to do some more of that and get another album together. And I have so many unique and talented friends, I'm sure there will be much more collaboration in the future.

seja, sekiden, regurgitator, spod