Megan Washington’s Pop Culture Bible: From ‘Bob’s Burgers’ To ‘Black Hole’
On the eve of her album release, we asked Megan Washington for her favourite books, TV shows, labels, books and podcasts. She came back with the goods.
Occasionally we ask interesting people for their inspirations — authors, films, websites, albums, events, people, whatever. For more instalments, click here.
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It’s been four years since Megan Washington released her ARIA Award-winning Platinum debut album, I Believe You Liar. Between then and now, she’s toured extensively, released a mini-album of offcuts (the masterful, tormented Insomnia), starred in a film with her ex Tim Rogers (Michael Kantor’s The Boy Castaways), and moved around between Australia, New York and London, where she was finally ready to write and record her follow-up.
Released tomorrow, There There is Washington’s first release under her full name, and it’s about to be all over every radio station. Written in collaboration with Sam Dixon (Sia, Adele), it’s a full-bodied and triumphant follow-up — in turns furious, hopeful, reckless, romantic, desperate, fun — with heartbreaking works dappled amongst immense pop and ’80s hooks; intensely personal, often dark, always true.
“I wrote all the songs I was afraid to write,” she says. “I wrote about living with anxiety, bad sex, being unfaithful, how much I loved the person I was unfaithful to, waking up in hospital, the heart-cracking sadness at the end of a party, being reckless and selfish and losing my best friend. I told the truth, as best I remember.”
To celebrate Megan Washington’s return, we asked her to list her favourite pop culture moments, from books to shows to films to fashion. She did not disappoint.
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A Book: Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
Washington: I just finished reading Colourless Tsukuru Tazaki and it was completely excellent, ten out of ten — but Kafka On The Shore will always be my favourite because I read it first.
Michael Tomlinson [from Yves Klein Blue] gave it to me in 2009, and reading it is almost transcendental, at least it was for me anyway. It sort of changes how you see the world, and in an extremely magical way. I know I sound like a lunatic, but if you’ve read this book you know what I’m talking about.
As well as magical life changing human insights, Murakami writes a lot about eating eggs, and going to the toilet.
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A Film: Forks Over Knives, by Lee Fulkerson
Washington: For the past five years or so, I’ve oscillated between vegetarianism and pescatarianism, but at the beginning of 2012 I spent about three months as a raw food vegan and it was the best I’ve ever felt (or looked, imho). When I watched Forks over Knives on Netflix at my friend Victoria’s place, it reignited that interest — and I’ve been eating plant-based whole foods ever since. (Not that remarkable, it was about three weeks ago.)
The documentary basically talks about reversing/controlling illness by rejecting animal-based foods. I know it’s preachy, but whatever, it’s important: there’s lots of interesting things to learn about what we’re putting in our bodies. I plan on living to a million, like Nosferatu. Make so many albums.
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A TV Show: Bob’s Burgers
Washington: I share Tina Belcher’s obsession with butts. I just really love butts.
That show is one of the few shows that makes me laugh aloud — although yesterday morning, I watched six episodes of The X Files in a row.
I have a habit of obsessively IMDB searching actors in shows when I watch them, to see what they did since and what they are doing now, and how weirdly they have aged (HOLLYWOOD). One of the male actors who was in season one of the X Files went on to marry a 16-year-old when he was in his forties or fifties or something, and another one of the actresses went on to write Hello I Must Be Going, which is another excellent film I watched on Victoria’s couch. I spent a lot of time on that couch.
What else? Utopia on the ABC is funny as hell, and I watch anything Anna McGahan is in because she is my lady crush. I don’t usually like shows with canned laughter in them, but if you haven’t watched The Catherine Tate Show you are seriously missing out. That woman is a bonafide genius. Will anyone who is reading this know what I mean if I say “gooseberry and cinnamon yoghurt”? YouTube that sketch. Or maybe the Junkee people will link to it for you.
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An Album: ???
Washington: THIS IS AN IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION.
Okay, let’s go. Right now I am loving L’amour by Lewis. The story is really interesting, you can find it on the lightintheattic website. Really like Glass Animals, but I don’t know if they have an album out yet. The War on Drugs’ Lost In The Dream is fucking brilliant, and I love The Books — my favourite of theirs is The Lemon of Pink but Lost and Safe is really good, too. Also Alpine, A is for Alpine. So good. I like Kimono My House by Sparks. I’m listening to Kimbra’s new album in scholastic pursuit, as I also listen to Present Tense by Wild Beasts.
Classic albums, obviously Graceland, Poses by Rufus Wainwright, everything else by Rufus Wainwright, all Phoenix, all Strokes, all Killers. Sometimes I think that Hot Fuss is my favourite album, but then I remember that my favourite album is The Colour of Spring by Talk Talk. If you haven’t got Muscle Memory by Scott Spark you’re not doing life right. Reading Writing and Arithmetic by The Sundays. The Shivers released an album in 2009 called In The Morning that I will listen to forever. Glassworks by Phillip Glass. I could do this for hours. Unorthodox Jukebox by Bruno Mars, I think he is one of the greats of our time. Fear of The Sea by The Gin Club. How good is ‘Drugflowers’?! Calling Out of Context by Arthur Russell. The Visitors by ABBA is their worst album but my absolute favourite.
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An Art/Comic/Cartoon: So Many Arts.
Washington: I just bought a sketch by Miriam Joan Montgomery, she is excellent. Love Guido Maestri, Luke Sciberras, Ben Quilty, Les Rice. Nicholas Harding. They are the best painters. And Euan MacLeod. Belem Lett as well. Oh and I love Total Bore. Look at him.
Bill Murray, by Total Bore
Comics wise, I’m reading The Fade Out by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, and it’s stupid good. I highly recommend it. It’s also a bit hashtag styleinspo if you like that sort of thing.
The only cartoon I like is Bob’s Burgers. And that’s mainly because of the butt jokes, and Kristen Schaal.
I met Kristen Schaal in Brooklyn, once. She was doing stand-up at that hot tub thing she’s been co-running for years, and I went over and told her how awesome she was. I think Scott Spark was with me. I can’t remember how she responded, so clearly my going over was much more about me than about her, which is easy to let happen in New York. I played lots of Big Buck Hunter in that dive bar near Veronica People’s Club on Franklin, and I lost my phone in McCarren Park, which was shitty because it had all my photos on it. Also that year Joe Mullins invited me to his house for Thanksgiving but I had a panic attack at the top of the Macy’s parade so instead I spent seven hours walking the length of Manhattan. It’s a good thing to do, actually. It’s very orienting.
I also still think about Black Hole, which I think is the best graphic novel. Can’t remember who wrote it. Some legend. Comic guys always have the most unassuming names and the most fantastic wicked brains.
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A Podcast: Freakonomics
Washington: These are the podcasts on my phone: Freakonomics Radio, Coffee Break French, Reverse Swept Radio – A Cricket Podcast (long story), Hack, This American Life and The Moth Podcast.
As I was boarding the plane I’m writing this on, Flatmate Daniel from London just told me that he came second in a Moth Story Slam last night. He’s great at stories. When we were living together, both my flatmates were working at Prufrock in Leather Lane, and when we got drunk Flatmate Daniel would recite that Prufrock poem. The only bit I remember is “I measure my life in coffee spoons”, which for some reason makes me think of that thing you learn in primary school about how if you laid out all your body parts they’d reach three kilometres or something.
Freakonomics Radio is really good. I have never even opened Coffee Break French.
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Fashion Label/Brand: The Serpent And The Swan
Washington: The Serpent and The Swan are two sisters and they have the best label. I collaborated with them on some shirts and sweaters for the tour we just did. We have really similar taste so it was very easy to work with them. Also they have a Griffon called Frieda and she comes into the studio and chews on my socks.
Image by Aisle6ix.com
I also love to wear Lover, as does the rest of the planet. Toni Maticevski is to die for but I have only ever worn one of his dresses, and I didn’t get to keep it. The hot babes at Dagmar Rousset in Melbourne just sent me a pair of overalls from 69us, which I haven’t taken off since I got them. They’re incredibly oversized but in a cool Japanese way, not in a clown pants way. I love them so much.
When I was in London I bought my first ring from Iliana Makri — it’s a snake ring, but not the best one. I have about a million pairs of nude Repetto ballet flats that I wear down to stubby nubbins and then throw in the bin. My favourite red dress is by Carven, my favourite black dress is by Carven. I looked for about five years before I found my leather jacket at Dover Street Market — I think that leather jackets are kind of like the wands in Harry Potter. There’s just one special one out there for everybody.
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There There is out Friday September 12, through Universal.
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Megan Washington Pop-Up Shows
Brisbane: Friday September 12, 7pm @ Queen Street Mall
Melbourne: Saturday September 13, 1pm @ Fed Square
Sydney: Sunday September 14, 1pm @ Westfield Pitt Street