Native New Zealand singer-songwriter Louis Baker sat down with MUSEUM to answer some questions about his craft.

Interview with LOUIS BAKER:

You said on Totes Maori that the act of traveling helps put things into perspective. How specifically has traveling impacted your relationship with yourself and with your music?

Right now, my writing happens on a much deeper and richer level. Before I had been away from NZ, my mind was being used on a different scale. As I began to sense and take in what life was like in other places, the scale evolved. Perhaps on some level, one can know the ways of others by seeking within, but travelling has certainly made the realms of potential in my life much brighter to me, and has helped in comprehending how to enjoy the little things.

When you are creating a particular piece, are you viewing it in the context of your overall body of work, or do you treat it as an isolated piece?

Joni Mitchell said: ‘Chords are depictions of emotions’, and that is my attitude too. Each piece stems from a manifestation of what you are experiencing and feeling in that moment. Therefore, in a way, I am in the passenger seat, and I am going along for the ride. I try not to hinder the natural flow by any means. For me, it’s about listening.

What’s the most recent thing you’ve turned to for inspiration? Is there anything you turn to often?

I like to read. ‘The Art Spirit’ – Robert Henri, ‘The Way of Life’ – Lao Tzu (Translated by Witter Bynner), Rabindranath Tagore, Walt Whitman, Dante, Alan Watts, T.S. Eliot.

What is your opinion on the relationship between the internet and the act of sharing and performing music today? Is this something that impacts how you write/record/perform?

No.

What is one thing you learned in the process of recording your self-titled album?

How to manage my time.

 

 

* Louis Baker’s self-titled EP was released March 21st, 2014.