Paper Cranes Q&A

Your name: 

Fraser Browne.

Where are you from?
Based in Auckland, New Zealand

Name of band: 
Paper Cranes 折り鶴

Who else is in your band? 

We're looking for a bassist now so current members are Naomi Browne (piano / vocals / multi-instrumentalist), Tim Roper (Guitars), Joel Bremner (drums), Kristina Roper (accordion and vocals).

How would you describe yourselves?

Epic indie-alternative immersive folk. We're inspired by folk that harks back to its heady heyday, with an indie twist on it. It intertwines my love of lyrical poetry and Naomi's Japanese upbringing with the lush instrumentation of a full band.  Paper Cranes 折り鶴  is what comes out. We use a diverse range of instruments (shakuhachi, ukelele, mandolin, ocarina, harmonica, accordion), in songs that move between delicacy and outright abandon. 

Who are your main influences musically?  

That's always a difficult question, because influences come and go and depending on your frame of mind, they can less or more important. At the moment I'd say a healthy dose of Fleet Foxes, Ryan Adams, Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens, Nick Drake, Simon & Garfunkel and Fiona Apple, and then a touch of Mumford & Sons, The Beatles, Radiohead, Johnny Flynn, Crowded House and Beirut. Naomi brings a few Japanese influences in there: Matsutoya Yumi, Chemistry, My Children. 

What do you hope to achieve in music? 

I think the main thing is to enjoy the journey. There are so many people hoping to be successful - whatever that means - that I think it's really easy to lose sight of the music.
Part of the journey for me is writing lots of music: songs that move people, songs that say something or reflect on something, putting across ideas that might say something in a new way. Some may say that it's hard to come up with anything original, but you can always add a new twist to things. 

I guess a short way of saying this is I hope to write a lot of really good songs that people connect with.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?  

Releasing our debut EP 'Oh, Love!' last September (2012). We're hitting the studio to record a debut album soon with it set for release within the next six months!

And what’s the moment you want to forget? 

Nothing really so far! Singing with laryngitis at a recent festival was tough, but we turned it into something fun - lots of instrumental stuff.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why? 

Little Darling. I wrote it in the middle of a health scare, so I think it reflects where I was at that point. It's deliciously dark and - dare I say it - even a little morbid. But there's hope in there too. I think I'm fond of it because I know the cancer scare is in the past so I can sing it with a bit of a smirk on my face, now.
Musically, it also features the key elements that a lot of our music is written around: folky acoustic guitar and piano, lots of haunting harmonies, and a catchy melody line. 

Where can we listen to it? 

www.papercranes.co.nz or you can watch on  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7dtAohHLbA 

It's available to purchase on iTunes or from our website (above). 

Where can we find out more about your music? 

There are a heap of places you can get in touch, and you can buy music on our website or through iTunes.
www.papercranes.co.nz
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/artist/paper-cranes-zheri-he/id694928960  

https://www.facebook.com/NZ.PaperCranes
https://twitter.com/PaperCranesNZ 

http://instagram.com/papercranesnz 

Anything else you’d like to say about your band/music that I forgot to ask?

For a whole range of reasons, New Zealand is such an amazing breeding ground for new music. Check out some kiwi acts if you have time - we all know about Lorde and Kimbra, but there are plenty of others worth looking at.