Exclusive: Interview with Anthony Kupinic AKA Pludo + Video Premiere

This article is something that I was really excited to do. Anthony was the lead singer of one of my favourite Australian bands, A Sound Mind, their album Harmonia, which sold over 40000 copies worldwide and paid for the bands Australian and European tours, still gets regular plays in my car pretty much everywhere I go, so to get to sit down and interview him was great.

A Sound Mind had their song “The Power to Dream” used as the Grand Final Song for the AFL in 2011, as well as the 2011 NFL Superbowl. A huge accomplishment and a great moment for the band.

Now Anthony has recently released a solo album under his alter-ego, Pludo, an interesting mix of rock and electronic sound, the album is very good featuring an eclectic sound and a great range of emotions. Entitled, “The Only Thing Certain is the Future” I have set it with my copy of “Harmonia” in my car.

Read the interview and see the World Premiere of his first music video for the song “Time Heals Everything” after the break!

The Mod Tech: Ok, first off I just want to say that I really like the new album and I’m a huge fan of your work with A Sound Mind!

Anthony Kupinic: Cheers buddy, that’s a good start!

TMT: So lets get to it, why did you decide to do an electronic album, coming out of a rock band like A Sound Mind?

AK: Yep I am coming out of the closet “I love electronic music”. At first it wasn’t a conscious decision, I literally opened up a new music project on my laptop,  started recording and this is what came out the other end.  I’d like to think that it’s not really an electronic album but its more of a hybrid between band music and electronic music.  I have a pretty eclectic music collection but i really feel like this record has somehow found a perfect balance between all my influences.

TMT: Was it a difficult transition going from a rock band or did you find it came naturally?

AK: I think since I play 5 instruments (drums, bass, guitar, vocals, piano) learning violin to haha, it hasn’t been hard at all.  To be honest I find it a lot harder to get my ideas sounding how I envision them when I am working with a band.  As soon as I start working on something I know what I want so its just easier if I do it myself.  Using electronic elements makes it a lot easier to make all by yourself!  I’ve also had some great technical help from good friends Trevor Rose and Laura Desusa! Thanks guys!

TMT: So did you play all the instruments on the album, or did you have any collaborators to help out?

AK: I’ve played about 90% of the instrumentation but I was jamming out some of the tracks with two amazing musicians Jason King and Chris Bodin.  I think they definitely helped bring an extra amount of magic to a few tracks.  I wouldn’t say I’ve gone completely electronic just yet.  It’s kinda more of a hybrid and they have really helped me keep a taste of my roots whilst also adapting to this new direction.

TMT: Yeah I heard that when I was listening, it has that electronic sound, but you can also hear the influences from A Sound Mind and the distinct rock sound, it’s a nice mix I think.

TMT: So where did the inspiration for this album come from?

AK: Well over the course of this record there has been some pretty dramatic changes to my football team that’s for sure.

It wasn’t so much the breakup of A Sound Mind itself. It was the awful 3 years of my life that led to the breakup.  Everyday felt like World War 3.  By the end of it I was an emotional wreck, after that cleared I pretty much had to rebuild my mind.  A lot of these new songs have been the building blocks inside my brain to help me do that.

As well as that I broke up with a girlfriend of 5 years.  I turned 29 last year I guess that’s the age where  most people start to think about getting married and having kids if they haven’t already.  Choosing between someone you love and something you love isn’t an easy thing to do.

Though thanks to an amazing friend I have had two of the best holidays of my life, one to Bali and one to Hawaii.  I am a pretty highly strung stress head most of the time but these two places changed me forever and turned me into an absolute space cadet.   I think they have played an enormous part in why the music is so ambient.

TMT: Do you have any other projects in the pipeline?

AK: I’ve been asked to sing on a couple of tracks on some very well-known electronic producers so looking forward to doing that.  I am also interested in producing some stuff for other artists so we will see how that goes.

TMT: Did you record any songs that didn’t make the cut onto the album?

AK: I write all the songs on the walls of my studio, just so I don’t forget all the songs I have floating around.  Yes there is heaps of ideas that haven’t made it.  I said to myself once I have finished this record I will take a break from.  The week after I finished it, I wrote another song.  Can’t turn the damn tap off.

TMT: Do you plan on releasing follow-up albums as Pludo?

AK: Till the day I die!

TMT: Hahaha, nice to hear.

TMT: Is there an overall meaning or story to the album?

AK: I think the album title sums it up pretty well “The only thing certain is the future” I guess it’s a bit like Forrest Gump’s quote “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get” although I am pretty sure you are going to get chocolates so I have modified my version.

TMT: Not a bad philosophy to live by!

TMT: What was it like creating the music video for the single, which song are you releasing videos for?

AK: Well let me tell you, I have shot some videos that nobody will ever see.  It’s a whole new beast to me that I plan to tame.  At the moment still getting use to seeing myself on camera, but I really loved making the ‘Time Heals Everything’ video.  Lots of really weird crazy shit in it.  I plan to do heaps of videos, I’ve got myself a Macbook pro with video editing software and a Canon 600d so I am going to go crazy with video clips and live videos etc.. can’t wait!. I will do clips for as many songs as I can.

TMT: That is good to hear, I can’t wait to see what you come up with.

TMT: Do you have a favourite song on the album, or one that holds the most meaning for you?

AK: My favourite is “The Colours Of The Sky” its like an emotional photograph of how I felt in Bali and Hawaii that always takes me back there.

TMT: How did you feel when you saw that the AFL and NFL had used your songs for their biggest stage?

AK: Was a high note to end A Sound Mind on and a good feeling to get some recognition from major media after working so hard for so long.

TMT: Definitely something you guys deserved.

TMT: When will the record be released?

AK: I am doing a few special editions via my website for special people and old fans of A Sound Mind but the album will be properly released in Germany and Australia in June or July.  My deals have been sorted out for Germany but still negotiating a few things for Australia.

TMT: Will you be touring in support of the album, if so, where?

AK: Yes Germany and Australia.  I am going to do all types of shows, unplugged, DJ shows, loop DJ shows, shows with guests (maybe a band).  Since I haven’t played live for about 3 years I am doing some secret shows to get back in the swing of things.  Sometimes to teddy bears and sometimes on a street corner in a random city when it’s not raining.

TMT: Thanks a lot for taking the time out to do this interview Anthony, and I hope the album does well, it has a great sound, so I’m sure it will do fine.

AK: No worries, thanks a lot!

You can listen to and buy the full album for $16.99 AUD here and visit Pludo’s website here.

We also have the premiere of Anthony’s first film clip for his single ‘Time Heals Everything’ which you can watch below.