Interview by Bob Gordon
What’s the best thing about playing festivals?
It is a fantastic opportunity to perform to a large number of people from many different parts of the world all in the one place. It’s amazing to see people come together to escape reality and connect through a mutual love of music.
Do you have a Blues at Bridgetown experience that you’d like to share, either performing or as an audience member?
I am fortunate to have performed at Blues at Bridgetown on four separate occasions with my previous band The Swamp Stompers (in 2014, 2015, 2018 and 2022). I will never forget to the looks on people’s faces on the main street as The Swamp Stompers rolled into Bridgetown for the first time in 2014 as a bunch of fresh-faced university students in our brightly coloured Wicked Van that we hired in Perth; it featured some very ‘interesting’ jokes on the vehicle artwork. Some of my favourite memories on the road have been at Blues at Bridgetown, and I have been fortunate to make so many connections with like-minded people over the years through the festival.
Where do you feel you fit in musically along the blues and roots scale?
My music is an eclectic mix of blues, alt-country, rock, roots, pop and folk. My musical influences are very strongly grounded in blues and rock, and I find that my music is increasingly starting to head back in that direction, after having explored the alt-country genre the past few years. I grew up listening to artists such as AC/DC, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Johnny Winter, Muddy Waters, and Howlin’ Wolf, so there is plenty of blues influence in my guitar playing and singing.
What have been the highlights of your music career thus far?
Touring Europe for the first time in 2023 was a huge highlight for me. I was initially booked to tour Europe in 2020 but had to wait three years due to the pandemic. Another highlight early on in my solo career was having the legendary James Taylor share footage of me performing and then sharing the link to my debut album and filmclip, Driving Out Of Eden, across his social media pages in 2019.
What have you been mainly focussing on in 2024 and how is it coming along?
In 2024 I have been focusing on releasing a number of singles and film clips from my forthcoming fourth album, Moment In The Sun. I’m super excited to officially launch my album at Blues at Bridgetown on CD and vinyl! My album launch tour kicks off at Bridgetown, and then I’ll be performing in Perth, Margaret River, Cowaramup, Manjimup and East Fremantle.
What are your plans and hopes for 2025?
I have some big plans in the works for 2025, including the recording of my fifth solo album and touring overseas. I’m really looking forward to touring Europe for the second time, with solo shows across the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium. If all goes to plan, the first single off my fifth album will be out late next year.
What can folks expect from your performances at Blues at Bridgetown?
I will be bringing my trusty Cole Clark Angel 3 acoustic guitar with me on the plane from Sydney to play a number of original songs off my new album, and a handful of blues and rock covers. I’ll be in one-man-band mode, so I’ll be filling the sound out with my stomp box and foot tambourine. I like to use a loop pedal sparingly throughout the set, so that I have the opportunity to shred a few solos and keep people on their toes. Most of the songs off my new album are very upbeat and bluesy, so I’m looking forward to playing some high-energy shows at Bridgetown.
