The Bedroom Philosopher

Tue 31st Mar, 2009 in Features

Mild-mannered Tasmania-bred lad Justin Heazlewood is – œart-folk humorist and musician’ The Bedroom Philosopher. He’s just released a second album, Brown & Orange, an ode to his beloved era the 1970s.

In April, the bespectacled crooner will perform a run of shows at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. FL got some time on the couch with The Bedroom Philosopher to discuss language, conquering depression and ice-cream flavours.

Some of your stuff talks about self-worth and appreciation, as well as mental illness. Why are these themes present?
They are present because they are what I’m all about. I’ve suffered depression, I’ve grown up experiencing mental illness in my family, I’ve spent the better part of my adult life using art to figure what the hell I’m about and what’s happening to me. It’s working! I’m like JT, only I’m bringing depression back. There’s just so much to be said for feeling down on yourself and alienated and sad and it’s not exactly ripe pickings in the comedy world. Where’s the comedic equivalent of Nick Drake? I’m hoping to be that guy.

Let’s be frank – there’s a lot of young people, especially young men killing themselves in this country. I don’t dismiss the possibility that some bloke might hear one of my rambling fun-ballads and feel a bit less hopeless. In Australia we’re still not very comfortable talking about mental illness – and fair enough in a lot of ways. If you haven’t grown up around it then it’s going to seem shit scary. But I think back to how isolated I really was growing up as an only child in Burnie, and how much I would have appreciated my own crazy music that addresses certain dark themes but then also threw in a cheeky uncle-style smile. It reminds you that you can still laugh and fuck about.

Who inspires you as a comic?
Well apart from now calling myself a poor man’s Flight of the Conchords, I really like what Daniel Kitson has done. To me – to quote Magneto from X-Men – he’s a god among insects. If I get called Australia’s musical Daniel Kitson one day I’ll be happy. He’s probably reading this and swearing bitterly at me, which I love.

You’re a wordy person. Tell us about the importance of writing/words.
By crikey, words are satisfying. Writing is SO fun. I love words. I love the look and sound of them. I especially like breaking all the rules and playing around with them – like language Tetris. I just don’t think there’s enough of that going on.

I enjoyed Bob Dylan’s Chronicles recently, as he just does what he likes with grammar and tone. He’s very onomatopoeic and will say that the wind was crazy-cold and just write how you think he’d speak. The first line in my new album is an example: “Stuff’s gone bung, in my lifearooni.” I was like – let’s make up a word for big, bad, serious old life. There you go.

I think a lot of people are becoming depressed at how much writing, grammar and spelling is degrading with our education system going awry and mobile phone type speak and spelling taking over. It does make you feel ill. And if you’re from good writing stock you want to wield it even more. There’s never been a more important time to demonstrate intelligence.

Do you have any plans to put on any of your playscripts?
No, but you know what – I am planning to write a comedic play for a future comedy festival. I think it’d be good for me to take a breaksy from the solo song-writer thing and go back to my Uni Professional Writing roots. It’s exciting because some friends and I have just landed a regular show on Melbourne community radio RRR doing scripted comedy, so I’m getting back into that world. I wrote for Channel 10’s Ronnie Johns Half Hour a few years back and am good at that stuff and love doing it. The RRR show will be called Lime Champions and starts April 13.

Tell us a little about your word with young kids at risk. It must keep you grounded, away from the pretension of the “art” world…
When I was 18, I became involved with ‘Youth Insearch,’ a non-religious organisation helping teenagers deal with issues in their lives. They’d do stuff like self-esteem, drug and parent issues, learning how to hug, and heavier stuff like sexual abuse issues. Beneath the precocious fringe and glasses, I have an earnest sense of social responsibility.

I want to use my powers to help struggling young people, not just to entertain people in a bar. I think I should get back there because you can all too easily become jaded and self-important when left to your own artistic devices. I like feeling humbled. I like remembering that underneath this industry ‘thick skin’ is a genuine, loving person who knows that there’s a time to joke and a time to get serious.

What is your greatest flaw and your greatest asset?
My greatest flaw is I don’t have one. My greatest asset is my sense of modesty.
Like that? My greatest flaw is my over-active brain, which is also my greatest asset. Awww. Seriously, where did you find this guy? I’m going to puke.

If you had to be any ice cream flavour out of the Neapolitan box (chocolate, vanilla, strawberry) which would you be and why? No – seriously.
Chocolate. Strawberry is a flaky flavour, let’s face it. If you’re stuck on a desert island I don’t think you’d give strawberry a second thought. Vanilla, whatever – without Milo you’re like Garfunkle. Anyway, at least chocolate is the most honest flavour. Strawberry knows damn well it doesn’t contain one skerrick of the fruit it’s named after, but still it tries, like Garfunkle.

Any final words of advice to writers, musicians and general creatives?
Yes. Heaps! Keep doing it. Do it for free. Do whatever you can to give yourself deadlines. Street press, open mics, anthologies. Realise that you’re a superhero and your greatest nemesis is your own negativity and that it’s the worst villain you’ll ever encounter. Try exercising more before using anti-depressants.

Make sure you’re being respected and that you’re respecting yourself in all relationships. Don’t do things you don’t want to do, especially from 25 onwards. Remember above all confidence is the sexiest thing you can ever do and that whole “I’m a bit shit ha ha ha” approach can wear thin after a while. Just BE SO GOOD THEY CAN’T IGNORE YOU. And ease up on the booze and discover Boards Of Canada.

The Bedroom Philosopher’s Brown & Orange is out now on Nan & Pop Records. He performs Songs From The 86 Tram at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival from 2 to 26 April.