Good Morning, the Melbourne indie-folk duo consisting of Stefan Blair and Liam Parsons, have been making music together for a decade now, starting with 2014’s Shawcross EP. Fresh off the release of their latest record, the 17-track Good Morning Seven, and a lengthy tour supporting Waxahatchee, Blair and Parsons are getting the attention they have long deserved.
Their breezy songwriting evokes the uneasy oscillations heard from 2010s indie artists like Courtney Barnett, Kurt Vile, and Mac DeMarco. Often built on stuttering synthesizers, light percussion, and occasional woodwinds, songs like “Excalibur” and album closer “The Fear!” are solid illustrations of what Good Morning is all about.
Following the record’s release in late March, Parsons sat down with Uproxx to talk about Mick Jagger, Joanna Newsom, and dry cleaning influencers in our latest Q&A.
What are four words you would use to describe your music?
Melody, harmony, rhythm, lyrics.
It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?
Ideally as something that has aged well into whatever the concept of aging well in post-apocalyptic 2050 is.
Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?
Stupid answer but probably myself. I make music to have fun and as a purely selfish endeavor. There are too many musical influences to count.
Where did you eat the best meal of your life and what was it?
I like food just fine but all good meals are down to the company and the location. So anytime the food and wine are also good is a plus. Had a great post tour lunch in Paris a couple years back.
Tell us about the best concert you’ve ever attended.
Too many to count but The Damo Suzuki Network at the Worker’s Club in Melbourne in I wanna say 2011 really broke/fixed my brain.
What song never fails to make you emotional?
“Does Not Suffice” by Joanna Newsom.
What’s the last thing you Googled?
‘Tulsa time zone’
Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?
Not that weird but on a pretty disastrous tour of China we stayed in a hotel with no windows. I can’t remember where, I’ve tried to block it out of my memory
What’s your favorite city in the world to perform and what’s the city you hope to perform in for the first time?
Favorite city to perform in is NYC because I like to go to NYC. The shows are better in many other places though. I would love to play anywhere in Spain or Italy or Portugal.
What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?
Try to feel less bad about saying no. It’ll make you and everyone else happier in the long run.
What’s one of your hidden talents?
I’m pretty good at laundry and always aiming to get better. There’s a good dry cleaning influencer on the gram that I aspire to be like.
If you had a million dollars to donate to charity, what cause would you support and why?
The Dhadjowa Foundation, who offer support to families of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have died in custody.
What are your thoughts about AI and the future of music?
All a bit hyped. I think there should be protections in place for people’s likenesses but creatively I could care less. Good people will still do good things.
You are throwing a music festival. Give us the dream lineup of 5 artists that will perform with you and the location it would be held.
My childhood backyard, and you would have Neil Young (with or without the horse), Larry Levan, Joanna Newsom, Dick Diver and then fifth band would be a supergroup of the previous four that would probably be pretty trash.
Who’s your favorite person to follow on social media?
Mick Jagger’s Instagram.
What is your pre-show ritual?
1-2 beers, a small vocal warm up and stretch and then an elaborate high five.
Who was your first celebrity crush?
Cameron Diaz, which is odd because I’m gay.
You have a month off and the resources to take a dream vacation. Where are you going and who is coming with you?
My boyfriend and my family and we’ll get a house on an island somewhere. Whole lotta swimming and card playing and cocktails.
What is your biggest fear?
Spiders.
Good Morning Seven is out now via Polyvinyl Records. Find more information here.
