WHEN he’s not touring with Taylor Swift, playing at the AFL Grand Final, or writing Simpsons-themed doom metal songs, Portland musical export Jono Colliver has been working on pouring his heart out under the moniker Money On Verema.
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The results can be found on his debut EP When Two Become None, which can be downloaded from Bandcamp.
“It’s more direct songwriting, trying to not skirt around the subject,” Colliver said.
“You hear artists like Leonard Cohen and (it’s so raw) you almost feel uncomfortable. I like that idea – creating a little bit of discomfort.”
Musically mining the Australian jangle of Paul Kelly & The Coloured Girls and The Go Betweens, mixed with the bite and punch of Pixies, Money On Verema’s songs of heartbreak and political discontent are closer to Colliver’s project Gums than his Simpsons stoner-rock outfit Dr Colossus.
He said playing bass with Vance Joy (AKA James Keogh) had been influential.
“James takes so much care with the language and lyrics,” Colliver said.
“I used to think acoustic poetic artists (were taking) the weaker and safer option (lyrically) … but I’m finding that stuff … is far more brutal. It’s the therapy approach – a lot of these songs are the messages you wanted to tell individual people, but you couldn’t say it face to face.”
