iOTA is about as hip as you can get at the moment.  His debut CD The Hip Bone Connection has been extremely popular, and now he’s doing the promotional/touring thang.  He responded to an e-mail of ours and here’s the results.
 

The sound of The Hip Bone Connection appears to be very dense – was that a deliberate ploy?

I have always had a soft spot for a big bottom end – the sounds on this recording remind me of being immersed in thick warm honey – YUM. I also didn’t want a typical “jingly jangly” acoustic guitar album - it’s acoustic, but still maintains a degree of heaviness.

Yet, at the same time, a track like “Cool” is more gentle, with an almost ‘sea-breeze’ feel to it.  Do you think that’s a fair thing to say?

I was toying with the idea of using “Sea Breeze” type sounds over that track eg: seagulls, crashing waves, breeze…but thought it was maybe a bit cliched or a little too “New Age, relaxation and meditation”.

Also I think the less that’s on that track the lonelier it feels, and is truer to the song but.... If you listen very closely, you can hear actual trains rumbling past (the studio is built next to Erskineville Station) which we didn’t realise at the time of recording.

Later I had the option to remove the sounds, but I kinda like it.
 

What was the problem with “SCHITZO”?  Explain the explanation in the cover!

The problem was that I was singing a ‘fun’ song about a not so fun disease. This was made clear to me by actual sufferers of schizophrenia and although I didn’t want to stop playing the song I wanted them to understand that I care about their feelings.

They understand. Schizophrenia is not about multiple personalities…as explained about inside the cover. By making a simple mistake I have learnt something new and become “aware”.
 

Nik Downing does an amazing job on the percussion with “Kleen”.  Is he part of your forthcoming tour band?  If not, where did the new band members come from beforehand?

Nik Downing is currently in Europe with his other band “Freudian Trip” and will not be touring with me, nor will Andrew Lane who is also touring with Nik. The new band consists of Bongo on bass and Sid Green on drums.

Bongo is from Sydney’s Northern Beaches and has played in various bands over the six years I’ve known him, the most prominent being The Bastard Son of the Bishop. Bongo cooks on the bass and is welcome in my kitchen anytime.

Sid Green is a neighbouring Sydney “Westy” like me. He plays in Christ Art Museum and Guilding the Lily but is most well known for his work with Mantissa. Although we have only recently been reunited I have known Sid for about 300 years.
 

You’ve been compared with everyone between Jeff Buckley, and well, Tim Buckley :)  Do you think that’s an accurate comparison?  How do you feel about my comparing your voice to Chris Cornell’s (Soundgarden) on a track like “Sea Bed”?

The “Buckley Cornell” thing is something I have to live with. But it is only an opinion offered after taking a small bite from a big cake. Fortunately or unfortunately this is the way it comes out; when I’m writing if I analyse too much it loses its purity…So what it is, is what it is!

Whenever I answer this question I feel like I’m justifying myself and it is very boring. I look forward to the day that someone is getting compared to me - maybe then I can stand alone.
 

Why include every track off your debut self-titled EP except for “Change”?  Are these re-recorded versions or the same versions?

Myself and my management were hoping to make the EP quite a separate entity from the album, by having earlier recordings (some live, some dodgy) plus a CD ROM thingy and less of the album songs on it.

Unfortunately Mammal Records decided on their own choice of songs and went ahead with pressing the EP that is now in existence.

I then chose to exclude “Change” from the album in a last desperate attempt to separate the album from the EP.
 

You seem to have a high level of adulation from Triple J listeners the nation over.  Why do you think that is?  How has it effected you as a musician?

I don’t know - maybe just they like what they hear. I don’t think too much about “why”!  If they like it “cool”!
It hasn’t affected me as a musician yet. Perhaps it will inspire me to reach higher?
 

The covers of both your releases have been very ‘visual’.  Do you do them yourself or do you get others to do them for you and let them ‘run free’?

The concepts are mine, and the original paintings on the album are mine.

The actual work was done by graphic designers. The EP was by someone who I don’t know, chosen by Mammal Records. The album was done by my friend Ashley Thompson. I think they’re both cool.
 

How has your background molded you as the artist you are today?

Everything I’ve done, seen, heard, felt, smelt, people I’ve met, you name it. It all informs who I am today, like everyone else.
 

Currently on tour with his all-star band, iOTA’s tour dates can be found at his official webspace.