“ALL the worlds a stage and all the men and women merely players, they have their exits and entrances and one man in his time plays many parts.”
Not simply the words of Shakespeare, but also the philosophy of Mat McHugh, front man of the ever evolving collective, The Beautiful Girls.
“The moments on stage are what we live for,” McHugh said.
“Venues are an ever changing backdrop; if you performed the same way every night you wouldn’t be able to sustain it, the whole day would be regimented.
“Having that element of surprise and unknowing is key.”
Festival requests and opportunities too good to miss out on brought The Beautiful Girls back from the shadows, with McHugh saying that the last few years had been immense, mixing songs from their past and his solo present.
“Blood, sweat and tears went into that name,” he said.
Taking a momentary break from touring before heading out once again to exhibit The Beautiful Girls newest offering Dancehall Days on the Australian stage, McHugh said that the album came together naturally, with more than a little help from their fans.
“I try to fool people into thinking I’m busy,” he joked.
With added pressure to produce the album thanks to the crowd funding campaign that supported it, McHugh said it reminded him of the group’s earlier works.
“You just get it done,” McHugh said.
“I honestly had no idea how people were going to react to the new album, confused, annoyed, their perceptions, no clue.”
Inspiration for the work was never far away, with McHugh saying he would never pursue music if it came in any other way.
“I just like writing songs, putting it together and the whole production side of it, that’s the most enjoyable part.”
Despite the years as a collective, McHugh said he still felt like an amateur in comparison to the heavy weight performers on the Australian scene, groups who had been together for more than fifty years he could not dream to compete with.
“I still feel like an apprentice,” McHugh said.
In terms of his own expression however, McHugh has a clear vision on how himself and the musicians who surround him operate.
“The inspiration is in me, I just have to let it breathe,” McHugh said.
“I don’t look at music as a career; I’ve been afforded the opportunity to do so and just try my best.
“As long as people are listening I’ll keep doing it.”
Self described as something between a writer and a playwright, McHugh said his music wasn’t always about himself, that consideration had to be paid to those he surrounds himself with.
“Everyone is used to how this collective works,” he said.
“I know everyone’s personalities, they impose their own spirit. I keep their styles.”
McHugh said he tried to keep the balance between his writing style and the group’s musical inclinations, yet desired that each show would contain improvisation and expression from his members that he did not suspect.
“I try to keep the balance between the pair,” he said.
“They’re players playing the part.”
McHugh said once upon a time touring had been a creative drain, but it was something all musicians would experience and then move on from to the other side.
“You find the magic in it again,” he said.
This tour however brings with it immense hope, as now the focus is primarily on his Girls.
“It’s a lot more together than it was,” he said.
“We’re so excited to perform as the set is sounding really, really good.”
To experience the Beautiful Girls in their theatrical element, head to the Dunsborough Tavern on March 1.
Tickets are available through Oztix.
