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Lawrence Arabia is not Arabic. He's more of the European Caucasian variety, hailing from that most shaky of South Island centres, Christchurch. In fact, his name isn't even Lawrence. It's James. James Milne. He produces some pretty kick-ass beats though, and is putting some more together for our consumption over the next few months. Expect an album out in January 2012. I spoke to the muso about alter-egos, politics and, of course, recording.
May is New Zealand Music Month; what effect does it have on the way you promote your music?
To be honest, it doesn't make any difference to me in the slightest. Every month is New Zealand Music Month to me.

 
I understand you've been working on an album since the end of last year, where were you working on it?
I was living in England for most of last year, well between tours at least. Then I started recording my album in October last year and I am still working on it in Auckland at the moment.
 

So how would you describe the general feel of it so far?
It is a little bit more moody than the last one; it is definitely not an out and out pop album with upbeat songs. It is a bit more atmospheric, less melody. It is a lot slower and it doesn't forget itself.
 

From 2002-2005 you were part of The Brunettes, how was the transition from band to going it alone and what inspired the transition?
In terms of what inspired the transition, we got to do a tour of the States for three months and basically it took off as a commitment at that point. Up until that point, it was fun and involving but it wasn't three months away from home-involving. I guess during that three year period, I spent time learning from the process and watching Jonathan record the band and learning about various techniques, sound engineering and all sorts of stuff. So I was accumulating a lot of inspiration and ideas while I was in the band and then I started recording my own music during that period.

 
By the time we were about to do the South American tour, I was already in the process of recording a couple of albums, or a couple of reduction albums. I was increasingly interested in recording my own music and I had my own band playing. Also, The Brunettes were working in such a way that it wasn't going to allow both things to happen. So I had to choose my own path, at that point.
 

In terms of your name, Lawrence Arabia, you have said that when you “dressed up in robes, there was a sense of occasion and theatre that there never could be as James Milne”, I wondered what it is that the stage name allows you to do that James Milne does not?
I have always been uncomfortable to a certain degree. I guess I just like the idea that I can play a character and I'd be a character myself. It is a crutch against criticism in a way. In New Zealand, if you are pretentious or self-important or think you have grand ideas, people will call you up for being a dick. I guess playing everything through a character allows me to have pretentious, grand ideas but I can deflect it in the sense that it is not me as a person. I can just be normal, down-to-earth, and yet my pseudonym, my character, gets to be pretentious and say ridiculous things and be a bit pompous and be a bit grandiose and be a bit big-headed. It just allows me to be a bigger personality and still hopefully get to be a normal New Zealander who is self-effacing, humble and overly modest.
 

It sounds like the perfect plan! I understand you studied Political Science at the University of Canterbury, how would you describe your political orientation?
When I was studying politics, I wasn't really nursing much of a political agenda. It was more for the discipline and the historical point of view that I found it interesting. I am more fascinated by history, I find the future slightly daunting and depressing.
 

Really, what about it?
The fact that it just seems a bit overwhelming. Going back to the political question, I find politics at the moment somewhat disempowering, like I am not represented by the government and I have got no chance of being because [of] the whole economic structure of the country and the population demographics, the weighting towards the baby boomers and that kind of stuff. There is no hope. It is like being in a country that is run by your parents. It is like living a teenage nightmare and you are not allowed to do what you want to do.
 

What do you feel restricted by or what do you feel restricted from?
The only thing I feel restricted from is that I feel not-represented. That is a restriction in the sense that the people who run your country do not accurately represent your beliefs and feeling like you have no way of changing it.
 

How would categorise your view?
I would like New Zealand to be more focused towards the environment and have the environment as a guiding principal behind its economic decisions. I would like it to be more socially conscious.
 

Would you ever like to pursue a career in politics? Would you like to become the next PM given that your band is called The Prime Ministers?
I don't foresee myself entering office, but I don't know, we'll see. I wouldn't discount it, I enjoy engaging with people but I see politics as being akin to nothing more than aging school prefects.