A killer new show by Indian Ink has premiered in Wellington.
Welcome to the Murder House is based on a true story about the creation of the electric chair.
Welcome to the Murder House Photo: Facebook - Indian Ink
Despite the dark subject matter writers Jacob Rajan and Justin Lewis have created a comedy incorporating puppetry, live music, song and dance.
It focuses on death row inmates and the creator of the electric chair and uses a lot of music by David Ward to bring this killer show to life.
David has chosen some of the music that’s influenced the soundscape of the show currently on at Te Auaha.
Arvo Pärt’s 'Fratres'
“At the time I wrote Welcome to the Murder House I had just discovered this piece and I think I subliminally had some of its harmony in my head,” he says. “This piece is so full of beauty and pain, moving between and in between emotions.
“While my song is very different, I think it also has an interesting juxtaposition of joy and darkness.”
Charles Mingus’ ‘Moanin’
“This is from one of my favourite albums called Blues and Roots, and it is deeply rooted in the blues tradition, while being wonderfully bent and dark and free,” David says. “In the show, the storytellers are a bunch of death row convicts, and I wanted to create songs that had some of the grit and groove to match the characters.
“This tune is a mixture of darkness and fun, joyousness and intensity, just like the show.”
Zappa’s ‘Don’t you ever wash a thing?’
“Frank Zappa has been a big influence on me, and I love this live album. Few rock musicians have been so orchestral or bands so tight,” he says. “I love the humour inherent in the music.
“This album was kind of a gateway drug to jazz for me when I was a teenager.”
Coleman’s ‘Lonely Woman’
“From the phenomenal album The shape of things to come this tune combines both the conventionally understood method of composition by way of its haunting written melody, as well as its beautiful free interpretation through improvisation,” David explains. “I am lucky to be playing the music of this show with Eamon Edmundson-Wells and Sean Martin-Buss, both players who play my written material in a way that stays alive to the bigger music.”
Frisell’s 'Tales from the far side'
“Bill Frisell is someone who has influenced both my writing and guitar playing immensely. This piece is wonderfully strange and dark and epic,” he says. “One of my favourite points in the show is ‘The Horse Song’ where all eight performers are singing and playing an ascending line together in harmony, liberally backed by cavernous telecaster reverb a la Mr Frisell.”
