Revolver Interview January 30 2003
7 Jul 2011
A Different Kind Of Perfect
Words by Craig New
Sydney outfit The C-Minus Project might just know your feelings better than you do. Sam Shinazzi is an extremely shy character. Not to the point of social retardation, but in much the same way as a turtle. To get Sam to elucidate on certain topics is an operation that requires patience and a lot of trust. For those without the time to spare, you could alternatively listen to his group’s debut album Less Than Perfect Day.
Sam is the kind of singer songwriter that plays his guitar with his heart rather than his hands. His songs with The C-Minus Project can veer emotionally between an almost cry for help to a warm glow of love and affection. At one stage watching him play live was almost like peeking on a little kid alone in a schoolyard, talking softly to himself and finding solace in his own inner world. These days Sam is quietly confident and his huge amount of songs have been honed to the point where even he cannot be embarrassed about them.
“These days I don’t really think about it, I just do it” Sam shrugs. “It’s what I’ve always done. I think half of why I play music is that it’s an outlet and all that kind of stuff. I find it really easy these days to just get up and sing, it’s not hard. I get nervous, but…hopefully I’m playing the sort of show where people can accept all of that. If I was playing at a Leagues Club or somewhere, I’d be wary of someone throwing a bottle at me, but usually it’s fine and people really connect with the songs. I do think I am the shy, retiring type, and people always give me that whole cliche – you can get up onstage and sing but you don’t want to go to a party or somewhere. But I don’t know, I think that’s just bullshit. I’m pretty confident doing this sort of thing but it’s taken a while”.
Without making a fuss, Sam has been slowly and quietly building up a solid network of fans over the past three years, including such luminaries as Evan Dando and Joe Pernice. Although, as Sam said, it’s taken a while, now may be his time to shine. Record companies are discovering that with the public ousting of industry practices through shows such as Popstars, suddenly marketing their imaged-beyond-belief artist as a ‘songwriter’ is the way to go.
“I think the line’s pretty thin” Sam contemplates. “I think a lot of the songs on this album could be as big as anyone, but I don’t know. I go play a show and I don’t dress down, but I don’t dress up. Sometimes I have a beard. Sometimes my hair is over my eyes. It shouldn’t really matter about that kind of thing. Look at Badly Drawn Boy – he’s huge. That should be the ultimate example, he’s a scruffy looking guy who writes pretty songs, and that should be it. The songs and the performance. I think these big companies just want to make a lot of money really quickly and ultimately they don’t”.
I guess sometimes it can just come down to the songs, and Less Than Perfect Day explores enough universally acknowledged emotions to allow them into the hearts of audiences everywhere. Songs of love, rejection and … bridges. Sam laughs bashfully. “I guess I was about eighteen or nineteen, just out of high school, and just this dumb kid who liked music and sport. I think I started to get a bit of culture, and just noticed that I really liked bridges. I started reading about them and collecting photos. They crept into a few songs but on the next recording of mine that you’ll be hearing it’s almost like a theme! I mention this bridge, I mention that bridge. I love how they look and what they represent – either taking you somewhere or bringing you back home. I live near two bridges – you can’t get to my house without going one. So that’s my bridge fascination”.
The C-Minus Project launch the album at The Annandale Hotel Thursday 30th January 2003 with support from The Cannanes and Founder. Less Than Perfect Day is out now through Gifted /
Steadycam Records via Mgm Distribution.
