What is your genre of music?
Folk with orchestral influence
Give us a little bio about you.
I’m an Australian singer-songwriter from a small fishing town in South Australian called Port Lincoln. I grew up with a winding musical path with early influences in musicals, jazz trumpet and piano. This eventually moved into punk rock then quietened down to folk music when I turned 21 but the orchestral influence has always stayed with me. At the moment i’m based in Berlin. I’m currently writing new music and touring about 100 shows a year.
What made you go into music?
Music has always been with me in some way or another. After I finished school I went into live and studio sound, working with other acts on their music. It was just after I got home from my first European adventure when I was 21 that I realised that I should be working on my own music. It took a few years of planning but I eventually left Australia to pursue full-time music in 2016.
Your set to release new single ‘A Million Miles From Love’, tell us more about the single.
The song in the first single from my upcoming debut album “I Know Where Silence Lives”. It’s one of my favourites mainly due to the brass and string sections.
What is the meaning behind the single?
The theme behind the single was being very close to home but very far away at the same time. This is exactly how I felt in the moment that the song was written. With half of my life existing in Germany and half in Port Lincoln at the time the song was written, I felt very disconnected from both. I was constantly travelling back to Australia for family reasons and was never in one place long enough to get comfortable. I felt exactly how the rabbit is described in the song; a few steps from home but a million miles away.
Describe the track in two words.
Intimate, beautiful
What was the writing process like?
The song was written in about 2 hours while I was sitting in my caravan on the farm. I usually take a bit longer but this one spilled out very quickly and naturally. On my way up to the caravan I walked through the remains of a dead rabbit that my dog had unfortunately killed on the lawn. The rabbit was right next to it’s home but of course, completely disconnected from the world. The whole scene just started rolling around in my head and “A Million Miles From Love” came out.
What was the recording process like?
The recording happened at The Sitting Room in Christchurch, New Zealand. I was in the same room as the drummer and double bass player and we got the whole thing down in one take. Overdubs were put in later with me playing trumpet and baritone guitar, and other players on bass clarinet, trombone and viola. The cello line in the chorus was played by my friend Luisa after I got back to Berlin and thought of a final piece that I wanted to add.
Who did you work with on the single?
I had a lot of the local music scene in Lyttelton (New Zealand) come down and play on the track as well as Luisa Babarro in Berlin. Ben Edwards helped produce and mix, Chris Chetland handled mastering.
Listen here:
Will we see an EP or album?
If so what can we expect? Yes! My debut album “I Know Where Silence Lives” is out on December 6th.
Do you have any shows coming up?
Lots of shows! Nothing I can release at the moment though unfortunately. I’ll be touring the album extensively at the start of 2020 but i’ll also have some final 2019 shows to announce in the coming months.
If so where will you be heading?
Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Italy, Australia + lots more to be confirmed soon. SA’
What else can we expect in 2019?
There will be a few more shows prior to the album tour, lots of travelling, live sessions and photos to be taken. Winter is a great time to work on music in Berlin so chances are i’ll be back in the studio to put some new songs together as well.
Do you have any collaborations coming up with any up coming artists?
I’m currently talking to a few Berlin based composers about scoring for some new songs.
Would you be up for collaborations if other musicians wanted one with you? and who would they have to contact?
I’m always interested in trying new things and pushing myself. Anyone interested in working together could get in touch directly on my socials or send me an email.
Do you play any instruments?
Trumpet, guitar, piano
Who are your influences?
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Gregory Alan Isakov, Aldous Harding, Haruki Murakami
How do you get inspiration to write songs?
My songs are all personal experience. I get inspiration through living. My songs are my way of telling the parts of my life that I sometimes struggle / don’t want to express through direct communication.
Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years?
I’d like to be living by the sea. I’ll have moved my studio to the house to work on my music here. I’ll still be touring a lot and hopefully adding a few more continents to the list.
When you’re not doing music, what do you do?
I’m out in nature and trying to get to the ocean as much as I can. Hiking, writing, riding my bike, skateboarding, swimming, spending time with my family. Berlin is like a drop in centre for all my Australian friends coming to Europe so I also spend a lot of time showing people around the city.
What was the song you listened to most that influenced you to go more in to the music scene?
I always come back to “Little Girls Pointing And Laughing” by Alexisonfire. This is a throwback to when I was still listening to a lot of heavy music and playing in a punk band. The rawness in the song really resonated with me and planted a seed in my head that the importance of music lies in the emotion, regardless of recording quality, genre, anything. Dallas Green went on from writing for this band to make his own folk project “City and Colour” which really inspired me to progress onto something new and take music a bit more seriously.
What’s the best advice you have ever been given?
Always strip a song back down to an acoustic guitar / piano with vocals to see if it’s something. If it doesn’t hold up without production, it won’t be able to hide behind it later.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians not about the industry and just as an artist?
Always keep your past projects. Looking back on where you’ve come in 5 years time is incredibly interesting, fun, hilarious and helpful.
What quote or saying do you always stick by?
Don’t get too comfortable.
Where in your hometown is a must go to visit?
Coffins Bay. It’s a tiny fishing bay with amazing seafood, swimming and lots of quiet places.
Your coming off tour;
1/ Where do you go first? To my apartment
2/ Who do you see first? My girlfriend
3/What do you eat first? Miso soup
When you are at a gig, what are 5 things you cannot forget?
– My guest book
– Spare strings
– An emergency DI (ground lift has saved my life a few times with a buzzing guitar)
– Water bottle
– Capo + spare capo
Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?
Certainly!
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