The Obelisk Questionnaire: Liam Deak from Tumble
The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.
Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.
Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.
The Obelisk Questionnaire: Liam Deak from Tumble
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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?
I’m a musician making the music I want to hear, with the hope that others can get as much joy out of the sounds I create as I can. I got my first acoustic guitar at the age of 12, which quickly set me on my path of writing and performing songs.
Describe your first musical memory.
Hearing “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” by The Rolling Stones… which isn’t to say it was the first song I ever heard or anything like that, but when I was just a kid and heard that song something really clicked in my head. That hook instantly got me and left me wanting more, and it was the first time I really heard all the instruments in a song working together to make it greater than the sum of its parts, ya know? It was a huge revelation, especially at that age.
Describe your best musical memory to date.
There are already so many, but here’s the first one that comes to mind. One summer a few years back, me and a group of friends were camping on this big farm property. We had an outdoor stage, a fire pit, pig roast, “party favours”, you know the deal… anyhow, it was this big beautiful time with lots of laughs, lots of food and jams around the fire. Once the sun went down, a few of us got up on that stage and cranked our amps under that huge star-filled sky and jammed until the sun nearly came back up and our gear was soaked wet from all the morning dew. It was a magical experience. The nearby neighbour didn’t seem to mind, until he pulled out his lawn tractor first thing in the morning to give us a little taste of our own medicine.
When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?
We once got asked to join this bill at a venue in town which was all groovy and we were all for it, but then a day or two before the show we were told we had to “pay to play” which was never mentioned beforehand, so we had to defer the offer. That’s a firmly held belief of ours, we sure as shit don’t pay to play!
Where do you feel artistic progression leads?
To something far bigger than words can possibly explain.
How do you define success?
Is there such a thing as success, or is it only an idea? As soon as we strive to arrive at that destination which is success, we just want more and are bound to further conflict. If you love doing something with all that you’ve got, you’re not concerned with failure or success. You’re already there.
What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?
I once saw this homeless dude laying in the middle of the sidewalk whip out his little feller and take a piss in broad daylight just as a young mother was walking by with her kid in a stroller. Damn, dude… we’ve all pissed in public but did ya have to do it right there and then?
Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.
The first full-length Tumble LP.
What do you believe is the most essential function of art?
To make us question ourselves and the world around us. To bring us together. To inspire us to create more art.
Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?
Travelling around Europe again. I love it out there, and there’s still so many places I haven’t been to yet. Toronto is great in the summer but the long winter’s can be pretty bitter, and I’m all about that hot weather!
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