Canadian singer-songwriter Dusted recently talked to ai love music about the release of the single “Baseball”, his new album, and his musical inspirations. Dusted is the solo project helmed by singer/songwriter Brian Borcherdt. His latest release, aptly titled III, is a 12-track collection of minimal, acoustic-based gems, many of which were crafted from the remains of nearly forgotten demos. Though these songs came back to him by way of a dream, their hiding place couldn’t have been more rooted in reality – a beat-up old laptop with a smashed kiwi fruit stuffed in the mic input.
Continue to read to find out why Brian Borcherdt chosen the name Dusted. Also, what was it writing for his latest single “Baseball” about his new album. Make sure to also check out Dusted’s newly-released material down below and let me know what you think in the comments!
First of all, please introduce yourself!
Hi, my name is Brian Borcherdt, of Canning, Nova Scotia, Canada. I have a solo project called Dusted. I play in a few other bands including Holy Fuck.
How did you get into music, and what has your musical journey been like?
I’ve been a music fan my whole life, starting with listening to my parents’ records and my mom playing the piano (Joni Mitchell, Zeppelin, etc). Then my brother and I got into breakdancing, followed by skateboarding and guitar, followed by playing in a band together doing original 90s thrash and metal kind of stuff. I moved to Toronto and started Holy Fuck while also playing more sad, somber stuff on the side, which eventually became Dusted.
Could you explain why you picked the name Dusted?
I wasn’t feeling connected to concerts or musicians when I played under my own name. It put me in a more of the Singer/ Songwriter kind of world. I decided a band name was more elusive and alluring. So I decided on Dusted. It was already a song title of mine. I liked the way it referenced a hidden, veiled kind of image, something just out of focus. It suited my synesthetic side.
What musical genres and artists inspire you?
I like everything. I have a hard time connecting with pop music, especially from a current perspective. I deal with pop better when it’s part of the past, connected to nostalgia. Otherwise, I prefer an eclectic mix. I like punk and noise and thoroughly engaging stuff that rattles the senses. I’ve never liked ‘good’ singers. I like honesty and character.
Let’s talk about your latest single “Baseball,’’ what is it about?
It’s about love and loneliness, how becoming connected with someone means giving up defenses. It’s a freeing, tender thing to admit that we are depressed and lonely when we’re admitting it to the person we love, the person who accepts us. It’s about acceptance.
Let’s talk about the music video for the song. What was it like making it? Is there a story within the music video?
The best story I can tell is more of a ‘making of’ story. We had a more expensive, bigger production of a video being produced for us, but we weren’t happy with the results. It was actually the most disheartening I’d felt in the process of this record. My wife, observing that, began making a secondary, backup video in secret. She finally showed it to me and I loved it. So I asked what I could do to help, but she more or less had it done. To her, it was initially intended to be about a character that was living a superficial life, someone trying to be someone she wasn’t.
The goal was to show her becoming more tuned in to nature and ‘earth’. How it turned out, because she was filming it and acting in it, in front of the stationary camera, she kept encountering difficulties and unexpected challenges. So the end result, while achieving its desired goal, became more comical. The character doesn’t necessarily return to nature so much as embrace her humanity, her flaws, and clumsiness.
What was the songwriting process like for the new album that came out this month?
I write often but struggle to finish songs. So I develop a backlog of unfinished material. This album became a process of ‘mining the depths’, looking for some lost treasures. I pulled out songs that were ten years old, mixed them in with some new ones, and checked into a friend’s studio. It was meant to be a simple, unadorned process. I think it was. I loved working on the songs once I got them home. It was a joy to finally finish old songs that meant so much to me as well as hear the new ones, fitting in so well amongst them.
In your music, what is the most important thing you want the listeners to take away?
I want them to feel connected to something inside themselves, whether known or subconscious. I like how my music floats, has no rigid structure holding it in place. I do this so it can feel a little ephemeral. I hope listeners give it a dedicated ear- headphones on a walk, or alone while looking out a window. I hope they feel connected to some of their own emotions and aren’t afraid to get a little lost or blue.
Finally, do you have any messages for the readers of ai love music?
Firstly, thanks, I really appreciate being able to share my music. Also, stay ‘in love’. It’s a hard world when we let it overwhelm us. I hope we can all love the chance we have to share this planet with each other, music is the best way I have to express that.
Make sure to check out Dusted at the following:
Official Site | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube | Spotify
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Very interesting. I’m always learning about new music with your posts!