Hay’s yoke

The historic motto of the Hay family is ‘keep the yoke’, the yoke being the wooden cross piece that fits across the necks of animals employed for ploughing. This farming metaphor and indeed metaphor for life fits well with the concept of Colin’s new album ‘Next Year People’, dedicated to farmers and the hope that the next year will be better, ‘always moving forward with hope in their hearts to enjoy the fruit of their labours’. A few weeks ago I chatted to Colin from The US.

Colin Hay is a big fan of Tasmania. Colin says there are many things to enjoy about Tasmania ‘the solace of the wilderness, the food the remote coastline, Salamanca market and MONA’ which he calls ‘extraordinary.’

Another song on the album ‘Waiting in the rain’ is a personal reflection on Colin’s parents and also of an experience he had in a music shop.

Colin believes in Morris Gleitzman’s phrase of ‘the magic spaces’, the place where author meets audience. Colin says once songs are put out there it is left to people’s imagination in how they receive it.

As for the writing process Colin says sometimes the songs are ‘fiddly’ and take their time while other quality songs are almost channelled in the swiftness they are written. Songs that fit this latter category are such classics as ‘Who Can It Be Now’, ‘Down Under’ and ‘Next Year People’.

Colin will be returning to Australia soon for a tour, ‘Next Year People’ is out now.
Paula Xiberras