Each week, Benjamin Law asks public figures to discuss the subjects we’re told to keep private by getting them to roll a die. The numbers they land on are the topics they’re given. This week, he talks with Phil Jamieson. The singer-songwriter, 49, is the frontman for rock band Grinspoon, with whom he has recorded eight albums, all of them reaching the ARIA top 10. His new album is 10Charlie.

POLITICS

Who do you tend to vote for and why? So I live in Cowper [in northern NSW], and was really invested in the teal candidate [Caz Heise]. I’m also loving what [ACT independent senator David] Pocock’s doing in Parliament right now: asking for transparency; advocating for human beings. He asks really good questions, Dave. But for me, Cowper is where it’s won and lost. There were lots of kitchen-table conversations and grassroots campaigning, but we lost. Not by much, but we lost.

So you’re passionate; you’re a known figure. Would you ever run for office? No. Kevin Mitchell [founding lead vocalist] of [Perth-based band] Jebediah, who’s the same age as me, is studying political science right now. He should run: he’s f---ing awesome!

What are the three big issues when you vote these days? People, the climate and kindness. I care about looking after people who can’t access education and health. Climate policy and renewable energy. Also, I’m jealous of the way New Zealand has reconciled with its Indigenous population, even though it’s not perfect. I mean, I woke up furious on Anzac Day …

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You mean, after the neo-Nazi booing of the Indigenous elders? [Nods] It made me so angry. That shit makes my blood boil. So also, reconciliation, whatever that looks like.

BODIES

You recently turned 49. How’s your body holding up? It’s funny: when I was young and actually able to do all this exercise, I was out partying. Now I’m a little bit older and really need to exercise, my body’s like, “Actually, you should have done that in your 20s, dude.” [Laughs] So I’m not great at exercise, even though I love it and what it gives me.

** Lead me through your regimen. **Yesterday, I played tennis. But I’m terrible at tennis and not competitive at all, so I do a thing called cardio tennis. It’s basically me and a bunch of housewives. They play bangers on a speaker, we run around a tennis court and then we do some drills and try to get the ball over the net. It’s silly fun. Then I do a Barry’s Bootcamp …

Oh, Barry’s is intense. So intense! But the reason I love it is it’s in the dark, so there’s no real judgment. They also play a single off my upcoming album as a cool-down track! They’re adorable.

Speaking of your body, how many tattoos do you have now? Oh, I’m so silly … [counts tattoos, laughing]. Sixteen, I think.

Which was the first one? I did a White Album tour with Josh Pyke, Tim Rogers and Chris Cheney in 2009, and we all got a blackbird together [shows tattoo]. It hurt so much! Then, 10 years later, we all got a walrus together.

What do you dislike about your body? I’m disliking this … [shows scalp]

What are you showing me? A little bit of baldness.

Oh, that’s just thinning. Well, I’m not liking it, personally! But I’m just going to go with it.

What do you like? I’ve got good legs. I don’t look in the mirror going, “How good are my legs?“, but they are good. They’re muscle.

Do you have a secret party trick? I can do the worm! But my best party trick is leaving.

DEATH

How do you feel about talking about death? I feel OK about it. It’s been around recently.

Has it? Yeah, during the recording and writing of this record, my best friend passed in Byron Bay at the age of 49. Matthew and I were very close; we’d gone through a lot together. And then, in 2024, Grinspoon was nominated for an ARIA Award and we were getting ready to walk to the Opera House and my daughter rang me to tell me that our family dog, Pablo, had died. I collapsed on the street and wept; I was howling. There was a lady on her way to work and, as she passed me, she said, “Are you OK?” and I said, “My dog’s died.” She’s like, “Do you need a hug?”

I don’t know a lot about the world or spirituality or whatever, but that moment told me there’s a little bit of hope. If you’d asked me about death before those two moments, I wouldn’t have had as much to say, but I feel as if I’m more informed now than I ever have been. This record’s dedicated to Matthew and Pablo, who I’ll never see again.

You’re more informed about death: is that the same thing as feeling more equipped to deal with it? I don’t know whether “equipped” is the right word, but I’m a bit more familiar with the cold face of death than I was.

You’ve been in the music industry for so long. How have you stayed alive? I was very lucky to find three musicians – Joe, Kris and Pat [Grinspoon’s Joe Hansen, Kris Hopes, and Pat Davern] – at the age of 17. They’ve been beside me through very good times and very bad times as collaborators and friends. I found people that I wanted to work with and they’ve stuck by me. I feel very, very grateful to those three guys. If you can find a Kris, Pat and Joe, hold on to them for dear life.

What music do you want played at your funeral? Bernard Fanning singing Billie Eilish’s Bad Guy because he’s the nicest guy in rock. Also, there’s a beautiful song [Yasminah] by Fred Again with the chorus, “I can’t wait to see your face again.” Some Talking Heads, Nina Simone, Lou Reed, Velvet Underground – and lots of AC/DC, just for fun.

Phil Jamieson’s latest single (from 10Charlie, out now) is Reading Keats in Byron Bay. At the time of going to press, injury had resulted in the cancellation of his national tour.

diceytopics@goodweekend.com.au

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