Introducing: Human Buoy

Human Buoy started life as collection of ideas in the hard drive of Ben McDonald’s brain, and has started really taking shape over the past 12 months. Recently we had the pleasure of watching McDonald in action with his band at WAMFest, and his set was an absolute highlight on a day of many. It spurred us to get to know him a little better, especially as he's just released a wonderfully trippy new video for Fields - check 'em both out below:

Tell us about about Human Buoy?

In between playing in various other bands, I had been recording ideas on my laptop for a few years with no real end-goal in mind and eventually decided to finish them and make an album. After some encouragement from buddies, I figured I should try get a band together and see how it would go. I’m used to just playing bass so acting as a ‘frontman’ is a totally new and challenging thing.

What kinda tunes we talkin’?

Crusty DIY versions of whatever I was into at the time. It’s a big mooshy mess of things like UMO, Beck, The Beatles, MGMT, Pink Floyd, Bowie, Ariel Pink and who knows what else.

Writing process:

Hear a cool song, think “I should try something like that”, try something like that, find unused lyrics or write new ones, grab a drum loop, record song on laptop, get Mal to record real drums at studio, go back home and finish song. And the old fashioned 'coming up with words and melodies and building a song by finding chords or a riff that compliments them'. Or the other way around...

What do you do outside of Human Buoy?

I play bass in Dream Rimmy and Shiny Joe Ryan and teach people guitar, bass, ukulele and piano.

Any shows coming up?

We have two this Friday November 18, playing with The Laurels and Flyying Colours at Badlands, and then at The Rosemount with GUM and Doctopus and some other buddies for a fundraiser for my dear friend who fell off a bridge and broke himself.

And releases?

I did end up finishing that album I was talking about - it’s coming out early next year and it’s called Animation Station. It doesn’t really stick to one genre so it’s like someone with a short attention span flipping through channels.

What’s the rest of the year have in store?

Apart from shows and working on tunes - thinking about next year really.

Where can we hear more of your music?

FACEBOOK / SOUNDCLOUD / TRIPLE J UNEARTHED