The CD cover of Ħafna Xita.The CD cover of Ħafna Xita.

When a foreign artist releases an album with a Maltese title, it’s impossible to resist finding out the how and why behind it. This is the case with Stanley Brinks, aka French singer-songwriter Andre Herman Dune.

A former member of acclaimed (and John Peel-endorsed) folk band Herman Dune, in 2006 he upped, left and relaunched himself as Stanley Brinks. Adopting a simpler approach and a broadminded vision towards making music that steered clear of technology, Brinks has managed to notch up an amazing archive of releases and collaborations, among them the recent Ħafna Xita album, about which, along with many other things, the inquisitive artist is eager to talk ahead of his live performance.

What was your time in Herman Dune like?

If you’re enjoying what you’re doing, it just spreads, people get it, and they have a good time too

They were good times, fun times. I had everything I could ever want from the start and was just very happy to live the life. It’s great doing what you love full-time.

I quickly discovered that music, just like life, is all about fun. No matter what the conditions, no matter how famous or unknown you are, if you have a good time, if you’re enjoying what you’re doing, it just spreads. People get it and they have a good time too. We never had a clue what would happen before a show started; we mixed all kinds of improvisation with traditional love songs and people seemed to like it. I’ve always had a good time writing, performing, and travelling – it’s the best.

What brought on your taste for discovering new sounds?

As far as I can remember I’ve always played the way I do now. What opened my horizon was the purchase of a turntable a few years back. I got into a lot of music I’d never heard before – mostly Calypso, but all kinds really.

My recent albums would sound very different hadn’t I heard the Growling Tiger, Jimmy Giuffre, Laurel Aitken or those amazing Ethiopian jazz compilations.

I’m sure there’s a lot more out there left to discover, like Malta’s Lost Voices; God, I wish I could speak Maltese.

Where did the name Stanley Brinks come from?

I think it sounds good. When I was in Spain, I spent a whole night in a bar talking to a very interesting character who was convinced I was his old friend Stanley, whom he hadn’t seen in a very long time. I thought I shouldn’t disappoint him and decided to stick to it. I’ve never met the real Stanley Brinks though… perhaps it is me, after all.

What makes you keep your distance from technology and how does keeping it simple enrich your music?

Well, I still like electric guitars, but that’s the exception. If you have to go through a PA system, perhaps it’s more natural to use an electric guitar. A lot of them seem to have a soul. On tour I use a different one every night and every time I feel like I’m learning from a new teacher.

Aside from that, I think there’s nothing particularly good about technology in music. Most of the time, keyboards, pedals and effects sound hilariously bad and they don’t even look good; one-hand clapping sounds better. Keeping it simple is very obviously the right thing to do, like why not fill a pastizz (Maltese cheesecake) with real ricotta? A good singer doesn’t need effects on the voice, and a drummer tapping a pencil on a copy of the newspaper could sound better than a whole drum kit. I did a tour with a great singer called Ish Marquez, and I ended up putting a small table on stage every night because the sound of his bare fingers on it were more groovy than a whole Brazilian marching band.

I also met some amazing Norwegian traditional folk musicians a couple of years ago who know what they’re doing. I’m very proud of all the music we’ve made together and I can’t wait for them to come to Malta again. When they were here (to record Ħafna Xita) we really had a blast. The actual recording only took a couple of hours – we put a pocket recorder in the middle of the room, and the rest of the time we’d hang out and play for fun. I suppose we did use modern technology there, but in a very old-fashioned way.

People should never be allowed more than one microphone and one take. That’s how it was in the 1930s, everybody just had to be good back then.

You’ve released various albums, toured a lot and collaborated with many artists along the way...

It’s great to make music with other people, and the best excuse for hanging out. I feel bless­ed to have met talented musicians like Ish Marquez, Freschard, The Kaniks and The Wave Pictures, among others. They’re all good friends and I’d take them along more often if I could, though I like performing on my own. It’s stimulating to switch from one to the other.

I wonder why some songwriters don’t write more regularly. It’s like a pizzaiolo only making 12 pizzas every three years, it’s crazy. I only write two to six albums a year and, believe me, it allows for a lot of loafing around.

Where did the Maltese connection behind Ħafna Xita originate?

I came to Malta just to see what it was like. Some mysterious character had written to me about playing a show here. It never happened but it made me curious.

Being a fan of Calypso, I looked at a map and thought Malta was probably the European equivalent of Trinidad and Tobago and I was right. Here, even more than in Trinidad, it was really easy to talk to strangers – all kinds of people – in a casual and genuinely friendly way.

You even have an equivalent of the Calypso War, għana. I find the ‘Maltese-English’ very inspiring – it’s the language of the future. It’s not a Creole language but it’s very international, with a pleasant Mediterranean touch. I’m surprised some­­times how little people seem to realise what a blessing it is to have such a mixed culture. It’s beautiful.

A few words about your upcoming gig in Ħamrun this week…

I’m not sure what to expect from my own set, but I’m looking forward to it. I’ll be alone on stage and the venue is not very big, so it’ll probably be quite intimate, as they say.

www.stanleybrinks.bandcamp.com

Stanley Brinks will perform on Saturday at the Każin San Gejtanu in Ħamrun at 8.30pm. Entrance is €10. French singer-songwriter Freschard and Maltese indie folk band Stalko will support. For details call 9980 8386 or e-mail solofimusic@gmail.com.

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