Why do you do it? Because I'm too old to tour and too untalented to write good music. Live shows are in my blood, I've always loved them. Being able to help artists grow their careers and play to more and more people is an absolute passion and you get a buzz from seeing talented people achieving their dreams.
What do you love about the city you live in? I live in a town around 40 minutes from Glasgow, Scotland and I love it. Working in music can be hectic with plenty of travelling, long hours, a lot of competition and so on. Retreating home to a quiet place surrounded by fields with plenty of space to take my son out and to go walking and running is an absolute blessing.
Where did you go for your last holiday? Our last big holiday was to New York last year. Our son was three years old at the time and coming from a small town where there are no buildings over two stories tall, it blew his mind. Getting to see the city through his eyes just gave it this new, adventurous feel. He says he wants to go back just to go to Madame Tussaud. That is absolutely not happening.
What's your favourite item of clothing? None! I'm so terrible with fashion (which my wife reminds me of constantly) and we have three cats that like to dig their claws into my clothes. I can have nice clothes or I can have cats nap on me while I watch TV and I'll always choose the latter.
What was your favourite TV show when you were a kid? (If you've got kids, what's your favourite show to watch with them?) 'Bluey'! I don't need to tell Australians about this show – instead, I'll just thank you for giving the world something great that unites parents and children come TV time.
We've just got ten new episodes here that have been out there for a year and it felt like that moment where you finally catch your breath after a long run. I had to get my son a cheetah hoodie – he loved that episode so much, likely because he doesn't understand yet why it's so sad.
If you could travel back in time for a day, where would you go? 2nd September 1945, the day WW2 ended. Just to experience that joy, the relief, this overwhelming emotion that people must have felt. Imagine that first pint you got after lockdown but multiplied by a factor of f...knows. Wow.
If we were coming over to your place, what would you cook us? I'd spare you and order in. We'd get a few things and share. That's the kind of dining we do at our house. Whatever's left over, the cats get.
What's the best lesson you've ever learned? It took me nine attempts to pass my driving test. I was diagnosed with anxiety and panic attacks early in my life, but was too young for medication. We did ask if there was anything they could give me for my driving test but they felt that drugging a 17 year old in charge of a half-tonne car wasn't a great idea, which I sort of understand now.
Each test would send me into a blind panic and I'd make one stupid mistake or another that would be an automatic fail. Anyway, before that final successful test, there was a cocky driving instructor in the room talking about one of his students on their test and when he was asked if the student would pass, he just responded: "Yeah. . . well, it's easy, innit?!"
When he said that, it clicked. It was easy. I just had to break the test down into smaller segments, build a plan for each and work through it slowly. So whenever I come up against a daunting task, I remind myself to break down the plan into smaller sections and work through it at a comfortable pace: It's easy.
Tell us one thing about yourself that nobody else knows... Sometimes when I have the house to myself, I like to walk about like Robocop.
Are you happy with your work/ life balance? I am. I used to work morning till night but I've cut it down, generally working from around 8:30am until 6pm. So I can do the nursery run in the morning and in the evening, I'm free to do whatever I want. Not only has it had a huge benefit on my health, it's also helped me catch a lot more Pokemon in Pokemon Go. Also I feel like I get just as much work done.
How do you define success? By the difference you make in others lives. Whether it's your family, your colleagues, neighbours, strangers that you pass in the street, who doesn't want to make the world a better place?! It's like a spiritual tax: if you're happy to put more into the world than you expect out of it, you should do it – and be happy that you're making a difference where it matters. Also, having a big fast sports car and lots of money.
What's your spirit animal? I'm unsure what exactly a spirit animal is or if I'm about to just vent about my frustration at being born on two legs but here we go.
Cats. I've alluded to my love of them already and it's hard to really put into writing just how high the esteem by which I hold them is. They sleep all day and they're still nature's perfect athletes. They never have to worry about cooking, cleaning, any of that nonsense. And strangers love them just from a quick rub of the leg, which I'm absolutely certain would not be the case if I were to attempt it.
Colin will be a speaker at 2023 Indie-Con Australia Conference that takes place at Mercury Cinema (Adelaide) 2-4 August. The 2023 event welcomes a host of industry brains, shedding light on a range of topics which cater to Australian independent labels, and the music industry at large across 16 sessions – a mix of panels and workshops featuring 70 speakers made up of label representatives, independent artists and journalists, and representatives from 40 companies.
