SCOTT SPARK
His new album may be titled Muscle Memory, but you’re not going to want to go jogging to Scott Spark. He reckons the blue hour is best.
The Aussie singer songwriter in a revealing interview.
DNA: English pub meets opera house is how you describe your new album? Is that correct? Scott Spark: These songs are not obscure beings. They want to f ly the coop and form relationships with other people. If I end up overhearing stray voices singing one of the choruses down at the pub that will be perfect.
Where are you based these days? Ye olde convict town of Sydney via Brisbane, Hong Kong, New York and Los Angeles. Has Sam Smith shown that you can be a
pop star and openly gay? Hooray for Sam Smith, I say, but he’s contributing to a legacy of top-notch queer male performers: Elton John, Freddie Mercury, Jake Shears, Rufus Wainwright, Antony Hegarty, Frank Ocean. The list is extensive and ever-growing. Sexual preference and energy is one thing, but what you actually have to say is more important. When did you come out? Was it
traumatic? I was 17, but if I’d been more comfortable in my own skin, I would have done so earlier. But, it’s hard. We arrive at these things in our own time. I grew up on the Sunshine Coast, an incredibly straight, family-oriented, sporty place. Early on in primary school, I was the fattest kid there. When I thinned out, my interests became more obviously different. So the kids went from taunting me for being fat to calling me a fag. Once I was pushed off an embankment and knocked unconscious. You have to give straight teenage boys credit, though. They seem to have the best gaydar. I’m just thankful I had great friends and some of the best teachers. Teachers play such a crucial role in children’s lives. I’m really mindful of that and think it’s something that deserves more recognition.
Are you currently attached? I am indeed happily attached. But, you know what, that doesn’t mean I won’t accept your dinner invitation.
Do you see yourself ever getting married? No. Personally, I don’t identify with marriage but I love celebrating a good wedding. It makes you want to be a better human being.
How about kids? I love my friends’ kidlets. For now, I’m happy being a loving and dependable presence in their lives.
Who’s your diva? If by diva you mean timeless, towering legend, I’m going to nominate Kate Bush. Her songwriting will live on forever. It’s perceptive, generous and singular; thoroughly personal, yet also entirely relatable. She’s equal parts classic beauty and wonderfully kooky. She has a delightfully twisted sense of humour, and is entirely at ease with being earnest.
Who’s your hunk? Sal Mineo and Leslie Cheung. Sal was one of the first American stars to come out as gay. He starred opposite James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause, and was stabbed to death during a mugging when he was only 37. Skip forward in history to Leslie, a gay star of Hong Kong cinema who suffered depression. I lived in Hong Kong in 2003 when he committed suicide by throwing himself off a building. Hong Kong felt paralysed by shock that day. It’s a shame Sal and Leslie never had the chance to meet because I think they would’ve had a lot to talk about. They’re both enigmatic, adorable guys who were brave enough to share something of themselves that, at the time, was risky. I’d totally take them out and foot the bill. In fact, I wrote a song for them, Going Out Tonight. The album has themes like wanderlust, love, even outsmarting death. Talk us
through those? Wanderlust can feel as powerful as a sexual urge. I wrote a lot of this album in New York, thanks to a fellowship honouring the legacy of Grant McLennan of The Go-Betweens. What I loved about New York was the permission it gives you to embrace whatever you want. There’s nothing self-conscious about New York, and that’s a generous gift. As for love, these songs were definitely exploring how far you can stretch love, where it can travel and what it can survive. Is your love wearing boots for hiking, mountain climbing, or something simply out to make an impression? Outsmarting death is one of my great preoccupations. My dad died in 2008 and that changed everything for me. When I talk about outsmarting death, I’m really talking about our agency to make sense of it so you’re not trapped by it. Death is a teacher and can be a friend. For me, the lessons were about how the notion of possession is so core to our sense of identity and being. When you’re confronted with possession being impermanent, surrendering to that is really bloody painful. Your only option is to be entirely present, devote yourself to this moment, let go of any false security and approach life from a sense of gratitude. Your Tag Along video has you pursuing a hot black man. Is this where your taste
in men lies? Fez Fa’anana is a bona fide star and undeniable babe. In the video, the nature of our relationship is not immediately obvious. I wanted to play with identity, mimicry, dominance and how these dynamics can extend beyond life. That sounds all terribly academic, I know. You give a much sexier summary. As for taste in men, I’m pretty democratic. Fit is always going to pull rank. Your album is called Muscle Memory. How
often do you work out? As a formerly fat child, exercise is non-negotiable. Humans are made to move and everything works better
“Personally, I don’t identify with marriage but I love celebrating a good wedding. It makes you want to be a better human being.”
when you do. My songwriting is better when I exercise and I’m happier, too. Every so often I’ll do yoga, but jogging is what I love most. Whenever I arrive in a new city, I’ll jog it as a kind of reconnaissance. Could you imagine doing dance mixes of your music? Any favourite
remixers? Absolutely. Remixing is an art. I really dig Four Tet, Röyksopp, Mark Bell, Trentemøller, Hercules And Love Affair among others.
We love your video for Two Alarms. You put a ton of effort into your work, is that
fair to say? I’ll happily take your f lattery! But honestly, the genius behind the animation is Melbourne artist Oslo Davis and the team at Flutter. They took my concept and, frame by frame, brought it to life. They couldn’t have done a better job. What’s your message to the readers of DNA and the gay population of the world? Goodness, now I feel like a Miss Universe entrant! Let’s think. Drink lots of water and eat plenty of greens. Floss. Look both ways before you cross. Whatever you’re doing, try it with the other hand. Consume less. Love more.
Anything else you’d like to add? Only that I’d love to stay in touch – visit my website and join the mailing list. Don’t worry, I’m not some spamming git. On the contrary, I’d love to meet you. Also, I’d love to overhear you humming one of the songs from Muscle Memory down at the pub.