Julian Nation

Some secrets are just too big to keep and Julian Nation's 18-minute masterpiece is one such treasure. Inspired by some of modern music's most exciting albums, We Are All Writers is the debut effort from Melbourne's next pop genius.

Conceived and crafted in secret, Julian Nation's songs are as intimate and inviting as the surrounds they were created in.

"I first started making up songs when I was 16, on the way home from a Lucksmiths show," Julian says. "After school some nights, I'd record them onto my brother's old tape-deck. For some reason, I did this in secret.

"All the songs on We Are All Writers were written and recorded when I was 19, using the four-track recorder I bought the day after seeing The Unicorns play at Trades Hall. For the most part, I did this in secret too."

The Lucksmiths are a perfect reference point for Nation's endearing and uplifting songs. The legendary Australian group's influence is unmistakable, particularly in Nation's masterful lyrics.

"For our three-page relationship, well, we both had our weaknesses: mine was broken promises, yours was broken English," Nation sings in 'Lost Swedish Penpals'.

Elsewhere, he channels the crooning charm of Jens Lekman, the narrative heartbreak of Belle & Sebastian's Stuart Murdoch, Architecture In Helsinki's playfulness, and punk rock's do-it-yourself ethos.

"I only had a guitar, a glockenspiel, a borrowed microphone, a Casiotone, and my friend's bass guitar to use, and was completely naïve as to how to record anything… that ended up being as integral to the recording's aesthetic as anything else."

But what first appears simplistic is, on closer inspection, pop music of deliberate and delicate intricacy. Indeed, We Are All Writers is perhaps most remarkable for what it lacks. It's the rarest of musical feats, but Nation has managed to deliver a truly memorable and catchy album despite the absence of pop's most essential ingredient: the chorus.

"I was never interested in writing choruses or solos, so the songs just ended sooner," he says. "It's okay though."

It's more than okay. A grand statement on a small scale, We Are All Writers is nothing short of spectacular.

And while its secrets may not spread far beyond Melbourne's leafy suburbs, Julian Nation has already fulfilled a dream.

"My sister and I made a pact," he reveals, "about how she's going to become a famous actor and I'm going to get a record stocked in Polyester by the year 2011."

Mission accomplished.

We Are All Writers is available from Book Club Records and selected independent retailers.

Audio: Press Gang Kids

Link: Julian Nation