Mr Viral
There’s an almost palpable shift in energy when Dhani Harrison walks into the room. An irrepressible source of enthusiasm, he’s like a light bulb – the gloom suddenly improves when he’s present.
CLASH is meeting Dhani ahead of a screening of his new film. The studio album ‘Innerstanding’ has now become an in-the-studio performance piece, reuniting the disparate cast from the parent record. When the lights go down, it’s an immediately imposing watch, the material from the record – art-rock crunch meeting trip-hop electronics – brought to vivid life by a team marshalled by director Joel Kazuo Knoerschild.
“We actually did a similar thing with the first album,” Dhani notes. “With this one, it was good to get everyone together and record it as a historic document. This one is a bit more industrial… and a bit more hectic.”
“I can’t actually relax until I see the album done from start to finish,” he insists. And for Dhani, that means the performance aspect. “It’s the same with film scores – when do a film score, we’ll put on an event, perform the whole thing from start to finish, and then put the vinyl out. It’s like: OK we’re done now… this is the end of the cycle.”
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This isn’t Dhani’s first rodeo – he’s been in and around both music and film since he was a kid, and the thirst for new ideas simply doesn’t fade. “I love making films,” he beams. “Obviously, we produce a lot of things for other artists – because of Dark Horse – so I’m constantly working. Right now, we’re working on Concert For Bangladesh, with Peter Jackson restoring all of that footage.”
Ah yes, the ‘B’ word – both Bangladesh, and Beatles. There’s no getting around the fact that Dhani Harrison is part of a unique legacy, working to further the impact of his father George’s life. We don’t push it, but when Dhani flicks through some of the – admittedly colossal – film projects he’s worked on, Concert For George obviously takes pride of place.
“Now, I remember the first screening of that one,” he smiles. “I sat next to Minnie Driver and sobbed my eyes out! She was really sweet about it – kept passing me tissues… because it was so emotional!”
As it transpires, tears, smiles, and hugs are gifts Dhani readily bestows. He hugs CLASH at the end of the interview, and there’s no end of smiles at our questions. For tears – well, that seems to come through music; take a recent infatuation with Irish singer John Francis Flynn. “I guess my roots are Celtic as well… but it’s like absinthe, drugged up folk music. It makes you deeply uncomfortable. You cry your way through it, then it finishes… and you put it on again!”
“That’s the kind of music I want to make. If you leave feeling nothing, then that’s terrible. I want you to cry or get angry or something, you know what I mean?”
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There’s a confrontational aspect to some of his recent work. 2017’s ‘In Parallel’ and 2023 album ‘Innerstanding’ are both noisy records, dealing with the friction and psychic trauma of our times. His newest record in particular is a reaction to lockdown, and an attempt to promote unity after so much isolation. “I remember one of my first gigs after lockdown was IDLES at Brixton Academy. And it was just.. it was therapy. Those guys are so much about unity – it doesn’t have anything to do with your physical, sexual, medical, or political preferences, y’know? It’s about unity. It’s about connection.”
So Dhani set about creating a kind of ad hoc musical community… in his garden. Graham Coxon was one of the first to arrive – the pair became firm friends in Los Angeles, and kept in touch when they both, separately, relocated back to England. Joined by old pals such as Leila Moss – a long-time Harrison collaborator – his garden was soon spilling over with talent. Colin Greenwood from Radiohead popped by, Gaz Coombes from Supergrass arrived to say hello… it was quite a scene.
“We spent a week together in the garden. Essentially, like a writing camp, to bring everyone back on to the same level… after having been trapped in their bodies. We were all at different levels of messed up.”
“Everyone was a musician. We would do healing activities in the morning, then we’d pair up in the afternoon, and start writing. Then in the evenings, we had this big yurt – so everyone would bring their instruments in there, and we’d blast out ideas!”
If we’re honest, it sounds heavenly – Jam Out To Help Out in the English countryside, with some of the world’s best musicians. What’s not to like?
“It became very therapeutic,” he smiles. “Therapy camp!”
These sessions formed the spine of ‘Innerstanding’, a record that is both rooted in a singular vision, and openly collaborative. “I love connecting with musicians,” he says. “Meeting them, playing with them, and connecting with them.”
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It’s a never-ending journey. Take his recent collaborative work (alongside Carmen Rizzo) with Tuvan throat singing ensemble Huun-Huur-Tu – a swerve, even by his standards, as Dhani admits. “Oh they’re literal wizards!” he says. “They have a shamanistic based religion. Before they do anything there’s rituals – they take this big ceremonial knife and symbolically scrape the bad spirits away. I was like, I need some of that!”
“It’s funny when I play it to people. The first thing that might happen is that you have a good cry… because people feel it so much. And then you’ll think ‘oh God!’ because it’s actually healing you.”
Words tumble out of Dhani Harrison. Each question seems to prompt a dozen answers, yet they’re all – somehow – inter-connected. It all reaches back to his innate faith in music and people, and how both can intertwine to create magic. At one point he waxes lyrical about supporting Graham Coxon during blur’s Wembley run – “honestly the best I’ve ever seen them!” – before darting into a broader overview of creativity’s essential role in our daily lives.
“Music and film – in my opinion – have gone so far away from having that deep connection. I look at most contemporary music now and I can’t – and this isn’t because I’m old… because I’m not that old! – but I can’t connect. It’s just a synth noise, on a frequency that’s designed to make you shop.”
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As he freely admits, this isn’t something he wants for his own output. “Look, I’m selfish about my music. I make music that I like, and I make music for my own self-improvement.”
“I remember this old David Bowie quote, that the second you’re making music that isn’t about exploring yourself… it’s pointless. So, it’s not about selling records, not about fitting in. It’s not about impressing people. It’s really about seeing where you’re going, spiritually or inwardly or creatively. If it’s not about self-discovery, it’s pointless. Well, I don’t think it’s pointless… but David Bowie does!” he laughs.
The laughter is irresistibly contagious. By now, we’re thoroughly of the opinion that Dhani Harrison is not only one of the nicest, most engaging people we’ve interviewed, but also one of the most positive people we’ve ever met. Take the story of our first encounter: Dhani was late, and apologised profusely. As it turns out, the doorman in the restaurant he was grabbing a bite in had been confronted by a cabbie, and loudly upbraided. The doorman was left visibly shaken, so Dhani immediately went over to comfort him, and chat to him. Not only that, but he also sought out the cabbie, to see if he, too, was OK.
“People are hanging by a thread,” he notes. “People are really breaking. And I just had to speak to them, as much for me to be able to connect with them. Because – look, cabbies rarely do that. In my experience. They’re usually a bit more responsible.”
“I remember when my Dad died,” he recalls, his voice taken on a more sombre tone. “I can’t tell you how many times I got out of a cab, and the guy would be like: no charge mate – you look just like your Dad! And that was it. No big deal, just compassion.”
“I honestly feel like people were just cracked open by the last few years. Now, when someone’s mean to you, it almost hurts more. That’s why I want to try and make connections again. Community is such an important thing – and that’s why music is so important.”
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‘Innerstanding’ is out now. Catch Dhani Harrison at EartH Theatre, London on October 21st.
Words: Robin Murray
Photo Credit: Josh Giroux
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