We first discovered the band The Dignity of Labour when a friend of ours played us a track called "A Love That Cannot Be." It was only after we put it in rotation that we realized the song actually had been released more than ten years earlier! Soon, we acquired a compilation CD with a brand new TDOL track - "Satellite," which debuted on the chart back on April 27th. The first single from the group's upcoming self-titled debut album on A Different Drum, "XRV", debuted three months after "Satellite" and has just entered the top 20 of our chart. We recently interviewed Kirk Hilbelink, also known as The Dignity of Labour, and talked about several things including... John Tesh...?
AeschTunes: What was the origin of the band
name?
Kirk Hilbelink: "The Dignity of Labour" is the title of The Human League's first EP, released in 1978, I believe.
AT: Who are some of the bands/musicians that have inspired you?
KH: I've always said that it was '80s artists who have been my primary source of inspiration for electronic music, your typical crop of Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, and Erasure. As a songwriter, I've only recently realized how much I was influenced by 70's artists such as The Bee Gees, Bread, Elton John, CSNY, etc. Even some gospel from guys like Kenny Rogers and Kris Kristofferson. Throw in some Seal, Howard Jones, and Level 42, too.
AT: I also hear a bit of the Beatles on the "Tired Hands" CD, specifically on "A Love That Cannot Be." The intro to that song is highly reminiscent of The Beatles' "You Never Give Me Your Money" on "Abbey Road".
KH: Interesting. I'm
not familiar with that song. I suppose there could be some Beatles influence as well. My parents have many Beatles albums, including "Abbey Road". We always had music playing in the house.
AT: Your first two albums, "Tired Hands" and "Belief", are very different sonically, the former being dominated by gentle ballads and John Tesh-like instrumentals, the latter being a more "traditional" synthpop album. How did your approach to music change between these albums?
KH: I actually wrote most of the music for "Belief" around the same time as "Tired Hands". I just happened to have more material in the ballad genre, so TH came out first. Plus, the TH album was more of a personal project, just to see if I could pull it off and to have something tangible after a few years of songwriting. TH was originally given to friends and family, but word of mouth has been very kind to this
CD. "Belief" was more in the direction I wanted to go with electronic music, and obtaining some additional gear allowed me to achieve that. From a songwriting standpoint, I started to focus more outward than inward. I still write ballads, as the songs 'Someone is You' and 'Circle of Love' were recorded in the last few years. Someday, I'd like to re-record all of my favorite ones and release them as a 'Best of' or something.
AT: You commented on a change in focus to be more outward than inward - hence a song such as "Headlines," about the power of media.
KH: Exactly. Plus, I believe only one song on the upcoming album is of a purely personal nature ("Utopia"). The rest are more my observations on the world around me that were inspired by a personal incident or life-changing event.
AT: How would you sonically characterize the album you are working on currently?
KH: Well, thanks to technology and a general progression in engineering abilities, I'd say that my sound has matured greatly. I treat each song as a potential single, and I've always preferred lush and dense arrangements, so I'm always tweaking or spending hours perfecting a sound. The end result is gratifying when even after several spins, the listener is still hearing new dimensions of the song. So, expect a more
advanced version of "Belief".
AT: While "Tired Hands" was primarily ballads and slow tempo instrumentals, "Belief" had a large emphasis on uptempo numbers. Will the new album have more of a mix between uptempo and ballad oriented tracks than "Belief" did?
KH: I'd say that the song "Cliche" (a mid-tempo ballad) is about as slow as the new album's gonna get. I think the mix will be quite similar to that of "Belief". What I mean by 'more advanced' is that the songs will be even more intricate and deep.
AT: Many of A Different Drum's album releases over the last year have had limited edition 2CD runs with the second disc being a collection of remixes and other tracks in lieu of issuing multiple singles. Will there be a limited run of your upcoming album, and has there been any work on
mixes or bonus tracks for it?
KH: I've given it some thought. I can see pros and cons for the bonus CD. On one hand, the extra tracks would enhance the marketability of the album, and most fans would appreciate the added value of the release. But if you're trying to project the album as a complete work, the extra tracks would seem to dilute it. I think ultimately it will come down to when the album is done and if ADD thinks it's a good idea.
AT: The "Belief" album included versions of "A Love That Cannot Be" and "Shame" (originally from "Tired Hands") and the recently released single for "XRV" contains a new version of "Vinyl Bliss" (originally from "Belief"). What drove you to revisit these songs?
KH: In the case of "Shame," the original version was actually closer to that on "Belief". On TH, I scaled back the drums to bring the song in line with the rest of the
album. When recording "Belief", I was compelled to present "Shame" in its intended form, so including it was justified. The remix of ALTCB is actually the third version of the song, the original having a sort of a PSB-type feel. I turned it into a ballad for TH, and then did some experimenting with remixing on "Belief". However, I consider the ballad to be the most appropriate version of the song. Concerning "Vinyl Bliss," I've always liked the song, but I could never get it to sound the way I had imagined. It was good to finally nail it and be able to include it on the "XRV" single. If I do another single with ADD, I'll probably remix another track from TH or "Belief" and include it as a B-side.
AT: "XRV" and "Satellite" seem to have a more fantastical lyrical element to them than prior songs, with strong lyrical roots in science fiction. How do you balance these more fantastical elements with the more spiritual elements familiar in your earlier work?
KH: The lyrics for those two songs alone took me months to write. The challenge for me is to write in a way that every word has a purpose in the song, as opposed to an easy rhyme or a filler lyric. Although at first glance the words suggest some sci-fi theme, they're actually not about science at all. In fact both are very much about spirituality or lack thereof. Although most people are drawn to the musical aspect in songs like "XRV," occasionally I'll get an email from someone who reads my lyrics and 'gets' them or notices the intricacy of the rhyming scheme. Sadly, complicated lyrics are of no use to someone
when English is their second language, so the spirituality of a song like "XRV" may be a bit lost on some people. That's why it's important that the melody is catchy, too.
AT: How did you come to be involved in the Dead or Alive and The Fixx tribute albums? What drew you to the songs you are covering for those projects?
KH: I'm warming up to the idea of doing covers, after making it known that rarely have I heard a cover that surpasses the original. With the Dead or Alive tribute, I was approached with a request to cover a particular song, "In Too Deep," which happens to be my favorite DOA track. Plus, with all of the hoopla among the DOA fans concerning this release, I figured it would be a good way to reach a new fanbase. The Fixx trib was a no-brainer. I've always thought The Fixx were a disappointingly underrated band, where the best songs were tucked away on their
albums. They never seemed to quite fit in with the trends, and that's probably why I was drawn to them. That, and I have almost all of their releases, and recording a track as a tribute to them was the least I could do to express my gratitude for years of powerful music and inspiration.
AT: Will you be doing any live shows in support of the new album?
KH: I was originally slated to do an impromptu set at the upcoming synthpop festival in Salt Lake City, but decided not to perform, as I didn't have enough time to get material ready for a live show. However, there's a possibility that I will have some gigs at a popular club here in Denver. I never thought I'd be on stage again, but now I'm thinking a live performance or two would be a lot of fun.
AT: Belief was released four years after Tired Hands, and your next album is set to come out roughly seven years after Belief. How long do you anticipate the wait to be for a fourth album? :)
KH: Yeah, thanks for reminding me! This third album and everything leading up to it is equal parts blessing and curse. A few years ago, I had decided that I had had a good run, I had recorded a couple albums, did some gigs, wrote some songs that made an impact on people. I was very reluctant to dedicate another four years of my life to another album that would sell a few copies but otherwise collect dust. I got married, wrote a few more songs for special occasions, etc. But I never really lost the desire to write synthpop music. So, I composed a few demos, and the feedback I received on those were enough to encourage me to write more. Then I discovered the whole synthpop scene and how easily I could network through the internet, leading to a recording contract with A Different Drum, a single, a new album, etc. I would have laughed at this suggestion a year or so ago. So there's your seven years. I hope it will be much less than that for a fourth album! It's funny, I look at what's on my plate right now and think, 'You know, this will never end'. That is a harsh reality to face when you go from casually recording music to suddenly having a workload with deadlines. I can appreciate why many bands take so much time between albums. It's an exhaustive process.
AT: With your comments about the synthpop scene, I assume you're referring, at least in part, to the now-defunct Electrogarden Network?
KH: Sure. I don't precisely remember how I got connected with the scene. In fact, I think I had EN bookmarked for about a year before I realized that there were artists doing the same thing I was. Looking back, I think EN did a good job of increasing awareness of electronic music, by hosting a massive amount of streaming audio tracks from hundreds of electronic bands. It gained TDOL a great deal of exposure, and introduced me to a lot of good music as well.
AT: A "free question" - what would you like to tell the readers of this newsletter about the band, yourself, life in
general....?
KH: Aw, man. I hate these kinda questions.
How about, 'Thanks, Aeschtunes, for the interview, but seriously, John Tesh???' ;-)
AT: I knew that comment would get a reaction. :) Okay, would you prefer Yanni? Kitaro? Jim Brickman? :)
KH: Well, I can't tell you what you should think I sound like. ;)