Tim Minchin happy he did not succeed in 20s

Tim Minchin’s latest album Time Machine is a collection of songs that the now successful 49-year-old wrote, but never recorded, back in his twenties, when he couldn’t get a record deal.

After gaining critical success as a comedian in 2005, the British-Australian Minchin went on to write the music and lyrics for hit West End musical Matilda the Musical and signed with record label BMG in 2020.

In an interview with Reuters, Minchin looked back on his new record as well as his songwriting and views on social media.

Below are excerpts edited for length and brevity.

Q: Your album is out, how does that make you feel?

“I feel really reflective. But also I’ve reached a point in my career … where I just feel like … here’s my offer … and because I don’t read social media anymore and I won’t read reviews, it’s just out in the world… And hopefully people listen to it.”

Q: How would you describe your music?

“I think the way I use words is slightly different from a lot of singer/songwriters… Most pop songs, they’re broad, you can hear in them what you want … whereas mine are like – ‘oh no, this is what the song’s about’.”

Q: Is there a difference between writing music for yourself or characters such as Matilda?

“I always feel like, in a way, I’m placing myself in someone else’s shoes… some of my songs are really personal and they’re really about me. But it is a craft – songwriting – and that can mean placing yourself in a particular emotional state.”

Q: Do you wish you had released this album in your twenties?

“The greatest thing that ever happened to me is not getting success (then) … it’s terrible for people… I’m very happy that I’m just gently putting these songs out into the world (now).”