Dubbed the Jimi Hendrix of the Hammond Organ, Australian Lachy Doley is the most renowned organ player in the world today. Utilizing the Hammond along with a clavinet, Lachy has put out some dynamic songs over the last 10 years.
Ken Wallis interviewed Lachy Doley for the radio show Blues Source International. Excerpts from the interview are below.
Ken Wallis
There's a new album out. It's Lachy Doley and the album is entitled Double Figures, and joining us is Lachy Doley. Lachy thanks for coming on.
Lachy Doley
Oh, man, thanks for having me.
Ken Wallis
Okay, so tell us the significance of the title Double Figures.
Lachy Doley
Well, it's basically a celebration of my last 10 years as Lachy Doley. I wanted to do something special cause I was coming up to 10 years, which I never expected it to be something I might still be doing in 10 years. When I first started doing the Lachy Doley Group it was ...I just had a bunch of songs and I was keen to try and do my own thing and a lot of the work, playing with big name artists in Australia was kind of coming to a bit of an end. So yeah, I started doing the Lachy Doley Group and then album after album after album. I've done five albums, five studio albums not including the live ones. And yeah, so I wanted to do something to celebrate the benchmark of 10 years so I decided to call it Double Figures in celebration for reaching that.
Ken Wallis
So what's on the album then? What can listeners look forward to?
Lachy Doley
There's a whole bunch of stuff from the last 10 years and a couple of new tracks as well. So I went and hand-picked some of my favourites and some of the fan favourites from the albums and some of the tunes that people resonate with the most. I just put together this real cool collection. It was really fun putting it together. And I also got them remastered as well for this album. Then I decided to do two covers as well. One in particular was a cover of a song that I had been playing pretty much since the very first gig. But I'd never done a studio recording of it. That song is Give Me Some Lovin'. And I did a great fun video clip to that too. I've managed to get all this footage from all around the world over the last 10 years and sort of half kind of sync it up to the studio version and made this really great collage of the last 10 years. So that was really fun. And then one other cover, which was a genre that people have been asking me to play for a long time ever since I got my clavinet. Back in 2012, people would often say, oh, it sounds so much like a guitar..it really reminds me of Hendrix. And the way you play kinda of reminds me of Hendrix. And so quite often, they'll come up and say you should do a cover of Voodoo Child. And I'd be like, Ah, it's ridiculous. That'd be silly. I can't do that. And eventually, I thought, well, stuff it. Let's go into the studio. And let's see how it goes. Let's do it. Why not?
Ken Wallis
How did you get onto the clavinet? It's not something that a lot of people play, it must have been a unique experience for you. How did you learn how to play it?
Lachy Doley
Well, that's pretty strange actually. When I started learning... when I started sort of playing keyboards professionally, one of the first keyboards I had was, wasn't the organ. Basically, it was a really small little electric keyboard and had a piano in it. That's what I've used for my piano sounds. And I have a few other sounds. And I had this thing called klev. It was like, and it was funky sort of sound like really a techie. And like, Oh, that's pretty cool. kind of feel like I've sort of heard that sound before. But it was just called klev. And then from there I got people asking what is this sound on this keyboard? Is it a sound that this keyboard made up? Or is it a trying to emulate something old?
Eventually, I found out it was Yeah, this fully stringed keyboard from the 70s, the same one that Stevie Wonder would play on Superstition. And this really funky, gnarly sound of the hammers hitting the strings. And yeah, so I was often talking about this clavinet, and I'd use that sound a lot on the keyboard. And a friend of mine said he was down at a secondhand shop. This is in Adelaide, where I grew up. And he saw one in there for 125 bucks. And I was like, sounds like a really good deal. I didn't even know what they looked like I hadn't even seen a photo of one. And, so basically, I just jumped straight in the car went down to this little pawnbroker secondhand shop. And there it was. I tried to play it, it was just [Makes Sound Effects] every time I hit a note, so it was totally stuffed. I had no idea why but I bought it at $125. And for me, that was a lot of money back then. But I just got it. And then yeah, I really got into it and worked out it was a fully mechanical machine with strings and, and slowly went about fixing it up. And finding stuff on the internet a bit later. And then it became a big part of my sound and then I got it modified.
Ken Wallis
I saw you at the Kitchener Blues Festival, that was a little while ago, and I keep saying that you remind me of a Jerry Lee Lewis on steroids. Is there anyone that you looked up to as a keyboard player when you first started?
Lachy Doley
Well, I guess initially it would be probably be my brother. I'd say my older brother. We both started playing keyboards. I guess him, a couple of years before me. So he was doing really well and getting into lots of Honky Tonk piano and all that. I guess as the younger brother. I was like, hey, I want to do that. I can do that, too. So yeah, I started sort of doing, trying to join in and keep up with where he was at. So yeah, I'd say that's probably my brother's a big inspiration. And then then from there, Jerry Lee Lewis is actually a huge inspiration as well. He was the most exciting keyboard player to me when I was growing up… just his antics and his energy. And then organ wise I would say Booker T. I think he's just amazing …such incredible feel and mastery of the Hammond organ was perfect kind of schooling for me. And then from there, later in life, people often I say I remind them of John Lord and stuff like that, but really, I didn't start listening to John Lord til my mid 20s. Only because people would say that I reminded them of him. But that was a whole other trip. When I got into that, that kind of sound like, Wow, this is amazing. And I started checking out all that stuff and getting into more of the heavier rock side of things with the organ as well.
Ken Wallis
And you've been pretty prolific online, lots of videos are out there. And you just did a little tribute to Spencer Davis.
Lachy Doley
Yeah, that's right. I just thought because, the world's in a bit of a strange place at the moment. So I've kind of had access to this rehearsal room that I've turned into a little bit of a studio and just been jamming there mainly by myself. And I thought, oh, it'd be great to try and do a little bit of a tribute to Spencer Davis. So I just went in there, and I recorded the drums and the bass and the organ just doing that all myself and a little singing over the top of it. And, yeah, it's really fun… certain good things can come out of this, this crazy time. And I feel like I've certainly managed to be creative and quite productive over the last six months. I’d like to get as much stuff out there. And keep working. I've always been a pretty hard worker so I've got this happening, whether it's touring or making videos or recording new albums or writing songs. I think I go a bit stir crazy. If I sit still too long. So it's been great having this little studio area for me to work out of.
Ken Wallis
Well, let's hope you can get out on the road again soon. Because I know a lot of people around here are looking forward to seeing you back in Canada again because you knocked it out of the park when you did that show.
Lachy Doley
That was great. Which year did you come to? Was it last year?
Ken Wallis
Yeah. Last year. It was great. And everybody was just raving about it. And I think it was your enthusiasm that just drew everybody to you. And they just went, this guy is not only a good musician, but he's a real performer. And he's loving every minute of what he's doing up on stage. And that that really came across to the audience.
Lachy Doley
Oh, fantastic. I'm so glad. Yeah, I love that. I love that concept. I love the idea of, you know, putting the energy out there on stage and, and it's sort of feeding towards the audience. And then basically, them turning it around again and feeding me it's like this crazy, chain reaction… everyone's just sort of vibing off each other, and it just builds the show up to something really great.
Ken Wallis
Well, it's a great album, again, it is called Double Figures. Where can folks get a hold of it?
Lachy Doley
Well, the easiest place is just my website, lachydoley.com. It's got all the links and all the info there. And the easiest way to get to that is just searching any dodgy spelling of Lachy Doley, like into Google doesn't matter. Anything that sounds remotely like Lachy Doley... just whack it into Google and you'll find my website straightaway.
Ken Wallis
Well, it's been great chatting with you. Thank you so much for your time and looking forward to seeing you live again, my friend. It's a great performance. Enjoy and keep safe.
Lachy Doley
Yes, you too. And same to everyone out there and I hope to get back to Canada real soon. I'm real bummed I couldn't make it this year.
Website: www.lachydoley.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LachyDoley Instagram: www.instagram.com/lachydoley
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/LachyDoley