It's been a year since Sean Tillerman AKA Har Mar has visited these shores, and that year has seen him record and release what is his most accomplished album to date. Dark Touches, his fourth full-length album, is a masterclass in pop. It goes a long way to explain why Tillerman is not only an artist himself, but also a go-to-guy for pop stars in need of a killer songwriter. In fact, only for her management’s choice to take "another direction", lead single 'Tallboy' was very nearly recorded by Britney Spears.

Granted, Har Mar has always been partial for some raunchy lyrics unbecoming of Britters, but one would be forgiven for thinking that ‘Tallboy’ ("Come on get inside of me...." "back door is open now...") isn't a million miles away from 'If You Seek Amy’.

No regrets for Har Mar, however ("We were still playing around with it, so I'm glad that I got to tackle that myself"), as the song seems set to become a dancefloor hit.

An incredibly well-received recent performance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon was evidence that the song has serious potential to crossover into chart success- a significant leap from Har Mar's previous core market of 'people with a sense of humour'.

But according to Tillerman, the thought of ‘markets’ and ‘targets’ have never held much concern for him: he just writes the songs he writes. Thinking about his audience just over-complicates things.

Fans may be allowed a fleeting moment of concern- does this new Har Mar, now a darling of the pop world, mean a departure from the Superstar of old? Apparently not. A quick listen to ‘Dark Touches’ will confirm that his trademark sense of humour, lo-fi beats (at one time his only live backing track, courtesy of his personal mini-disc player) and penchant for dick jokes are all very much still present.

When asked how he filled the five year gap between Dark Touches and his previous album, ‘The Handler’, Har Mar casually lists off an array of impressive musical collaborators- from Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, to Gruff Rhys and Boom Bip's hugely successful and 80s-tastic side-project Neon Neon. Having toured with Super Furry Animals, Rhys and Har Mar were already well acquainted, but an impromptu jam session at the latter's house saw Har Mar put down a vocal on what was to become 'Trick for Treat'. The song went on to become the first single from the album, meaning, Tillerman puts it: "They pretty much had to take me on tour".

While his sense of humour has earned him many fans in the music world, it's currently garnering recognition from even more diverse sources. Crammed in to his five year album hiatus was the beginnings of a career in comedy writing.

A burgeoning friendship with Juno's Ellen Page and Arrested Development's Alia Shawkat resulted in a series of short films released online, and consequentially a deal to produce the shorts into a series for HBO. According to Har Mar, the show, entitled 'Stitch 'N Bitch', follows two "painfully cool hipsters" as they move from Williamsburg (the current mecca of hipsters everywhere) to LA in the hope of making it as artists. It's still a work in progress ("We're currently signing all the contracts"), but the mere mention of the project is enough for Tillerman to become palpably excited at the prospect of adding another string to his bow.

In the meantime, he maintains that his main concern is doing current release ‘Dark Touches’ justice: "It's my most diverse record", he says of the album, even (after a reflective pause) going so far as to say: "I think it's my favourite".

Convincing the fans likewise will see Har Mar take ‘Dark Touches’ on tour as 2009 draws to a close. The tour arrives in Dublin on December 9th at the Academy 2.

With songs like ‘Tallboy’ in his repertoire, it might be the last chance Irish fans get to see the man perform in such a small venue. And who knows, you might end up sharing a beer with him in the wee hours, surrounded by indie superstars- with Har Mar Superstar, anything can happen.

Interview: Robert Maguire

www.myspace.com/harmarsuperstar

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