Soundtrack to my life: Rodney Fisher

Each week we invite music lovers to share the songs that have soundtracked their lives. This week, we speak to Rodney Fisher, special projects and events manager for the NZ Music Commission, frontman for Goodshirt and new solo project Mixed Vege.

1 HOTEL CALIFORNIA The Eagles

In my third year at primary school, I had this amazing teacher who used to bring his guitar in, sing us songs and make us write out all the words. It must have been something he enjoyed because we seemed to be doing it all the time. I thought he was the coolest dude. He’d get different people to do solos and stuff. I used to love playing the bongo drums along with that song. There’s one little drum fill moment in Hotel California where he’d pause on the guitar and a little gap would be there and I’d play the bongo drum fill. It was really buzzy and I was blown away that I was playing along with somebody. It was a defining moment for me and my first live performance. I got my own set of bongo drums for Christmas that year.

2 JUST LIKE HEAVEN The Cure

This song is my go-to covers song and it’s stuck with me since I was a teenager. I got into The Cure in a really big way, starting in intermediate school. I’d listen to them on my own in my bedroom with headphones on. When I started learning guitar around that same time and teaching myself songs, that was one that I figured out how to play. I used to do busking and I identify that song with playing around the streets of New Plymouth. I should record my version of it one day.

3 A THING WELL MADE The Mutton Birds

I really remember the video for this song, it drew me in. The dude coming out of the house and walking down Dominion Rd. I remember thinking, “This is really weird, what is this song? It looks like New Zealand.” I was new to New Zealand music at that point but I identified with the song and the sound of it. I don’t know why but it felt like home. Another aspect that made me really excited was that there is live footage in the video. Seeing them sweaty and playing in a pub was the first time I saw what that environment would be like and I started to think about being in a band.

The extra thread is when I came to Auckland I met this guy and went round to his house with a handful of songs I’d written. I noticed there was a platinum disc for The Mutton Birds on the wall and I asked, “Why do you have that?” He said: “Because it was recorded here.” I was like, “Oh my God. My first experience in Auckland and I’m in the same room where the Mutton Birds recorded. Holy shit.” It was buzzy. It was a tiny room and he said: “We recorded here and the drums were set up there in the lounge.” It inspired me and suddenly made recording an album feel accessible. Later, Goodshirt recorded the same way.

4 THERE SHE GOES The La’s

It’s one of those songs that gets you. A pure pop genius moment. I don’t remember the first time I heard it but it was a song that was always played and it got under my skin. As a songwriter and being interested in pop music I really loved how simple the song is but how complicated it is at the same time. It’s really hard to play. Something else I liked about it is that there’s probably a whole audience of people who don’t think about what the song is about. They’re just getting into the sound of it and the feel of it and the lyrics saying, “there she goes”. They’re thinking about a girl and missing the drugs aspect of it. The first time I heard it I was thinking about love moving through your body and veins. It made me realise that it doesn’t matter what you’re singing about, people will make up their own version of what it’s about and connect to it.

5 EVER AGAIN Robyn

I missed all of Robyn’s career until this song. It’s clever pop music and my kind of electro vibes. It’s kind of like Madonna but I feel Robyn sings better. The first time I heard it I was like, “Who is this?” When I found out I mentioned it to my wife and she was like, “Yeah, Robyn, she’s amazing”, and told me all about her. I was like, “Whoa, how did I miss this?” I felt I’d been ripped off. I’ve listened to it ever since. It’s my puton-before-I-go-out song. Do people still do that? I know I do.

6 FATHER AND SON Cat Stevens

During the darkest period of my teenage days, I stumbled across Cat Stevens. I had a Best Of album and was getting into it, lying on my bed with my headphones on. I ended up getting to that song and really hearing it. I was familiar with it but it was the first time I’d listened to it deeper. I got really upset and just started crying. I was like, “Whoa, what the . . . ” I was totally moved. There were things going on in my life at that time that connected with me in a different way. But it made me aware of the power of the folk song. Of being really direct with a message and simple-sounding recordings. There’s not much going on, just guitar and voice. It’s a really beautiful song. That’s my teenage angst moment. Strangely with a folk song.

7 LANGUAGE Dave Dobbyn

Goodshirt’s first tour of New Zealand was opening up for Dave Dobbyn because he saw us playing the Good Morning show. It was lucky that our first appearance on that show was the same episode that he was appearing on. He saw us and thought we’d be fun to take on the road and he gave us that opportunity. Which was amazing. This song is the one that really got to me after seeing his live set over and over around the country. The song is played with this strange, almost crab-fist picking of the strings and in a riff-y way. It was something I’d never seen before. And it’s so epic the way it builds. I have strong memories of watching it live and feeling like it was a turning point and something really starting for us.