Yoav Interview
The Israel-born, Cape Town-raised son of a Romanian Jew, who has lived in New York, Montreal and London, it’s easy to see the influences on the genre-straddling sounds of Yoav. Growing up, he was force-fed a diet of classical and opera (his mother was an opera singer) until modern music came to the fore when the South African apartheid crumbled.
This new order allowed artists, led by the likes of Paul Simon, to play in the previously boycotted nation and the first break for a 15 year old boy at a Crowded House concert. Spontaneously invited on stage to sing in front of 15,000 people, this experience led to that boy, Yoav, writing his own music. Incorporating classical guitar, dance rhythms, traditional rock song-writing and a Middle Eastern backdrop, all created with just his voice and acoustic guitar, the end result is debut record 'Charmed And Strange'.
To promote the album, he’s played support slots with Tori Amos and is currently on a world tour, with a set at California’s Coachella Festival looming. Yoav took some time out to chat before his Camden Crawl show.
How’s the relentless touring been going?
I’m playing a few festivals and some smaller gigs. I’ve been particularly enjoying some of the smaller rooms, with 200 or so capacity, like tonight. A lot have been filling, but some of the shows have been irritating. In Glasgow, I was the support act and you got the idea that no-one was there to see the support, with people loudly talking to each other. Most places have been fine though. If I’m supporting someone or they’re supporting me, it’s not right to disrespect the person on stage. I’m just watching certain areas and seeing if they’re looking likely to kick off really big for me, I’m happy to concentrate on those areas, like America, and I’m doing ok in Israel, which is somewhere I’d like to go back to and play.
You’re playing the Camden Crawl tomorrow. How are you feeling about that?
I don’t know what to expect. I’m kind of thinking it might be frantic. We’re running around doing various little things between shows so we’ll see. Could be good, could be strange. Probably a little bit of everything. The fire didn’t hit the area as bad as people think. There’s just one place really that’s been burnt down, but I expected the whole place to be flattened, which is just not the case. I’m looking forward to Robyn and The Fratellis and some others from the same record label as me. To be honest, I’m kind of saving myself a little for Coachella the following weekend. This is my ‘quiet’ weekend.
So you’re looking forward to Coachella (world-renowned Californian music festival)?
Very much so. It’s not far from LA and I love that part of the world. I’ve got good memories of playing LA. It’s a strange place and I like that. Arnold Schwarzenegger as Governor is just bizarre. I don’t like it enough to move there, but hey, it’s a good place.
Who are your main influences?
Bjork has to be my all-round favourite artist at the moment. She’s a complete artist. Everything about her: the people she chooses to work with, the shows she puts on, the lyrics. Every little show’s different and choreographed differently. The records, the way she evolves. I did an opening show for Tori Amos who is very similar to Bjork in a way. They both have a very similar edge, but Tori Amos is kind of doing the same thing as she has before. That thing is great, but Bjork is constantly changing what she does.
Tell us about your Crowded House story...
Well, they did two concerts. I was at one and Neil Finn asked the crowd if anyone knew the lyrics to this song. I was with friends and they all knew I liked singing so pointed to me. I was in the front row, so they got me up on stage and it all went well. The South African press are really cynical, so they instantly dismissed it all as a set-up, but it wasn’t! Despite that, the rush I felt afterwards was huge. The funny thing is that years later, when I was in New York after having my first break to leave South Africa, I met Neil Finn again in a lift in the city.
Why the blend of dance and rock?
Well, it’s not just about getting the trance influence in the songs, as I’ve read before. There are softer, more traditional songs and there are harder songs incorporating a bit of drum ‘n’ bass. There are songs that are like a kind of ‘acoustic Nine Inch Nails’ and I don’t think it’s as simple as acoustic dance songs. I’ve had a lot of influence from Prince and Michael Jackson.You obviously have to have frames of references for people to understand what I’m about, but it should be more than just naming bands.
Are you looking forward to seeing Prince headline at Coachella?
I’ve seen him a few times at the O2 Arena. He could have seen me a few times. I was opening for Cassandra Wilson and apparently Prince was there for two shows. Both times he arrived just a few minutes after my set was over! I don’t think Prince ‘does’ opening acts.
How has growing up in Israel and Cape Town affected your music?
Being born in Israel and growing up in Cape Town, I was always a bit of an outsider, so I suppose subconsciously this style of playing the dance beats with an acoustic could have come from this feeling.
A lot of your music sounds strangely upbeat. Is this a conscious move away from the political turmoil of Israel and apartheid of South Africa, as a form of escape?
Well, there’s positive stuff, but some of my main influences are quite dark and I guess I wanted to sound a little like them. Bands like Depeche Mode, The Cure, Portishead. I like music that’s dark and beautiful at the same time. They start off with very dark lyrics, but they’re beautiful and euphoric and, of course, uplifting in a way.
You grew up amongst apartheid and were born in Israel. What do you make of the current situation in the Middle East?
Well, obviously, the whole thing’s a mess, but when I started out I deliberately set out to avoid writing an overtly political song. It’s often clichéd to try and say something about politics. My lyrics are all personal, as there’s nothing I can write better about than myself and my own motivations and emotion. I’m starting to re-think that a bit, and I may start writing from the point of view of someone who is part of the troubles. There are songs to be written and Israel is obviously somewhere close to my heart and I’d like to go back.
Do you think being so varied and almost impossible to categorise works against you?
Well, sometimes this ‘outsider’ status can be a pain. It would be easier for me to sell records and get gigs if I decided to sound like a lot of the current popular singer-songwriters. Still, there’s the feeling that someone trying to do something a little different will keep evolving and have a longer shelf-life than those just jumping onto a bandwagon.
Barfly, Brighton, 17th April 2008.
Written by Nick Aldwinckle.
