Meursault is a name steeped in literature.
Taken from Albert Camus’ classic novel ‘L’Etranger’ the moniker is used to propel a musical unit of rare force, poise. Lingering on the sidelines for perhaps too long, Meursault recently delivered third album ‘Something For The Weakened’ to the general delight of anyone lucky enough to come across its evocative songwriting.
Promptly named ‘Album of the Week’ by no less a force as this very website, Meursault are now approaching a summer of live shows.
Just before that begins, though, Clash thought we would sit down with Neil Pennycook and discuss the songwriter’s literary influences.
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What is your favourite book and why?
I’m not sure… my favourite book at the moment is ‘Habibi’ by Craig Thompson. It’s about two children growing up in a ‘semi-fictional’ Middle East. It has a really moving relationship at the heart of it and is written in a very unique way from a perspective that’s both foreign and familiar.
What other authors do you like?
I like Kurt Vonnegut, Charles Bukowski, Dee Brown… Although I’m mostly reading comics at the moment, Chris Ware, Art Spiegleman, Jeff Brown, Craig Thompson, Chester Brown, that kind of thing. I’ve always felt frustrated by the level of indifference which is shown towards comic book writers. I’ve always seen the two genres as different branches of the same tree.
What draws you to certain books?
I’m a sucker for a good cover, if anything it’s a rule by which I gauge/judge most (if not all) of my book choices.
Have you ever discovered a real lost classic? What is it and why?
It turned out my old boss used to be involved in publishing a few decades ago and that in our store room were a couple of boxes of Robert Crumb books which he’d helped produce. Turns out that they knew each other pretty well. It’s a compilation called ‘Love to Ten’ made up of quite early stuff from his ‘ZAP! Comix’ days and features loads of other great artists like Gelbert Shelton & ‘Spain’ Rodriguez.
Do your literary influences have a direct impact on your songwriting?
I’m not sure. When I’m writing I tend not to read too much so it’s hard to tell what all filters through.
What are you reading at the moment?
At the moment I’m reading ‘Timequake’ by Kurt Vonnegut & ‘The Complete Peanuts, 1950 to 1952’ by Charles M.Schulz. They compliment each other surprisingly well.
What is the first book you remember reading as a child?
The first book I ever read was ‘The Perfect Hamburger’ by Alexander McCall Smith. The words and imagery in this narrative continue to inspire and influence me to this day.
One choice snippet I often find myself musing upon… “‘That’, said Mr Borthwick, ‘was the best hamburger I’ve ever tasted!'”… haunting.
Did you make good use of your library card as a child / teenager?
I was quite a slow reader as a child. In fact ‘The Perfect Hamburger’ may have been the beginning and end of my literary endeavours.
Have you ever found a book that you simply couldn¹t finish?
‘The Perfect Hamburger’ by Alexander McCall Smith.
Do you read book reviews?
No, I almost always pick up on something through the recommendations of friends/acquaintances. I’m the same with music actually. The only time I find myself reading reviews is afterwards and it’s more to see if other people had a similar response.
Would you ever re-read the same book?
Certainly. I’ve read ‘The Easy Way to Stop Smoking’ by Allen Carr four times now.
Have you ever identified with a character in a book? Which one and why?
I think Charlie Brown. I like the fact that he has this really bleak outlook yet is accepting of it and doesn’t let it get him down for too long. He also has a dog.
Do you read one book at a time or more than one?
I normally have a couple on the go at one time. I tried to read two Cormac McCarthy books at the same time once. I wouldn’t recommend it.
Is there an author / poet you would like to collaborate with?
My dream collaborator would have to be someone like David Shrigley or Chris Ware, someone really stylized and visual. Maybe we could do ‘Jimmy Corrigan The Musical’? Except that’s a rubbish idea, so maybe not.
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‘Something For The Weakened’ is out now.