Drapht (Paul Reid) has always had a penchant for inventing identities. His new single, ‘Dancin’ John Doe’, presents us with yet another character in his body-of-work, except this time, he wants to be anonymous.
Having stepped out of the spotlight for three years, the Perth-based hip hop artist’s latest release may well be a reflection of his own identity crisis. The immense success of his ARIA Award-winning fourth album, ‘The Life of Riley’, unexpectedly triggered a hiatus from the industry. “To be totally honest, I had what everyone perceived to be a really successful record but, I was so fucking miserable. I’d stopped drinking, I was on the road, I felt like I didn’t connect with any of my fans. I wasn’t enjoying myself.
“I exceeded all my expectations with that record, but it didn’t fill the void that I wanted it to. I basically stopped writing music. I didn’t plan to bring another record out. I had to come home and consider if this is what I wanted to do. I needed to be able to use music solely as my creative outlet and not as my livelihood; it just sucked all the life out of it.”
Fed-up with the industry and back home in Perth, Paul was definitely not resting on his laurels for too long. He decided to open a whole-food restaurant, which he still runs today. “As soon as I opened the restaurant, within six months I had started writing again, as much as I did on my first two records.
“It was not for the purpose of a future album, just because I really wanted to write again. I needed to take the pressure off it altogether. It’s such a fickle industry; you’re as good as your last song. That pressure alone, regardless of whether people admit it or not, is soul destroying.”
With fans still hooked on singles like ‘Drink Drank Drunk’ (2005) and ‘Jimmy Recard’ (2008), he even questioned whether the Drapht alias was still relevant. “It’s been a tough one over the years … I feel like I’ve evolved personally so much, but people still really identify me with my first record.
“I was 18 or 19 when I was writing that. I’ve grown up a lot and I’m not going to write the same music – it’s really hard for people to stomach that at times. I thought twice about using Drapht for future projects, because I didn’t think it was a good reflection of how I want to progress with my music and my personal life.”
Swiftly making its way to high rotation on Triple J, ‘Dancin’ John Doe’ has an infectious sing-along chorus, backed by jaunty, Motown-style instrumentation.
Paul isn’t sure how fans will receive this new direction, but he doesn’t seem to care. “I love ‘60s and ‘70s-based soul-pop music like The Beatles and Stevie Wonder. That’s the sort of stuff that gets me going musicality-wise – but people don’t know that about me. When you’ve accumulated a fan base over the last 12 years, it’s a bit of an open wound, for some of them, for me to even release a song like ‘Dancin’ John Doe’.”
His hip hop larrikin image has taken a bit of backseat with this new release, with minimalistic, black-and-white styling at the fore. The music video for ‘Dancin’ John Doe’ continues the theme. “It’s this black-and-white clip, I can’t give too much away. There are elements of animation, and the animators are working 'round the clock at the moment to get it finished.”
Drapht is pumped to kick off the national single tour in August, previewing tracks from the new record, ‘7 Mirrors’, to be released later in the year. Joining him on stage will be long-term friend Dazastah (Downsyde), who has done a lot of work on the record, and Sam Kuzich (The Growl). They are currently busy rehearsing for the first Drapht tour in over two years. “It feels like I’m starting from scratch again.
“I’m thinking about what songs I’m going to get enjoyment out of, but what people want to hear too. I feel like I’ve been playing those [older] songs for ten years. I think about massive bands that tour for 40 years, off those huge hits, and they’re still seeking enjoyment from it. I don’t know how that’s possible. They must just feed off the happiness that a fan gets from hearing that nostalgic song that is a massive part of their life.”
Written by Leisa Howlett
Drapht Tour Dates
Thurs 6 Aug - The Triffid (Newstead)Fri 7 Aug - Metro Theatre (Sydney)
Sat 8 & Sun 9 Aug - Corner Hotel (Richmond)
Fri 14 Aug - Metropolis (Fremantle)
Sat 15 Aug - The Gov (Hindmarsh)
