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ON THE COUCH WITH: Xavier Rudd

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ARTIST INTERVIEW

Access All Areas.net.au: Firstly glad to see you back after your recent throat infection, being a musical person and in a career in music it must have been a very frustrating time for you?
Xavier Rudd: Yeah not so much frustrated but a little bit shocked, one minute I was going on tour and all of a sudden I was in the hospital connected to a drip… it was all meant to be and it wasn’t too bad, the tour got moved to April and most shows were able to be moved so it worked out ok.

Access All Areas.net.au: You’ve release five albums in Australia, how do you feel each album differs from the last?
Xavier Rudd: They’re all examples of space and time and my journey. The last album is a reflection of the last two years since I recorded the last album so a lot of travel and connections with new places and new people and spirit… a reflection of a new chapter in my journey.

Access All Areas.net.au: In your music, you have special interest in the use of didgeridoo which is a rare find in music these days, why the use of didgeridoo?
Xavier Rudd: I’ve always played since I was a kid and no real reason for it, it just feels right… it felt right to me, it’s not something I’ve thought too much about actually it just happened.

Access All Areas.net.au: So what other instruments can you play and what instruments would you still like to learn?
Xavier Rudd: I’ve never learnt any really, I’ve taught myself so I don’t know if I’m any good at anything but usually instruments come to me. I’m actually interested to have a fiddle with the African cora and apparently there is one up in Byron Bay so a guy is going to get it for me and we’ll see what that brings.

Access All Areas.net.au: You’ve achieved a large amount of success in the commercial market, what do you think has been the key to the success?
Xavier Rudd: Support of people I think brother! I’ve always been a live artist, I’ve been lucky to have the recent success with the albums but I think essentially it’s people coming out to see me play and everything follow from there… I just put it back to the support of people!

Access All Areas.net.au: How do you describe your style of music?
Xavier Rudd: Its pretty unique in the way I play. I play a bunch of instruments at once and I blend a lot of indigenous eclectic instruments in to it. I guess I write folk songs. It’s hard to explain.

Access All Areas.net.au: You're about to head out on tour throughout Australia in April, when a fan goes to one of your shows what can they expect?
Xavier Rudd: Just unique sort of blend of different instruments and folk songs, I play everything myself.

Access All Areas.net.au: You've achieved a large amount of success in other markets, how have things been going internationally for you?
Xavier Rudd: Yeah great! It’s going well in Europe and Japan and Canada and the States… its been a blast and just the whole world has opened up for me - its incredible!

Access All Areas.net.au: So what are the plans for Xavier Rudd after the Australian tour?
Xavier Rudd: After the Aussie tour, just going steady. I’m going to go to Canada in May, the US in June, Europe in July and August for festivals then back to Canada and the States September/October and then back to Australia for a tour in November so going very steady.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Xavier sits there, bare foot and honest with a grin spread across his face. He is happy, because the crowd is happy. It is a sincerity and frankness that is reflected in his music and his performances.
Sat amongst his instruments, arranged on his specially constructed stand, Xavier is a man in his element. He is comfortable in this world, a place where he can evoke all the emotion and energy he needs to deliver his message. As he begins you’re immediately drawn into the warmth of his sound, his bare feet work the rhythm on the stomp box, as he effortlessly glides his Weissenborn guitar though fluid melodies with perfect clarity. The candidness of his vocals teamed with the depth and mysticism of the didgeridoo all provide for a performance that is totally captivating, and completely unforgettable. Which is probably the reason for the strength of his supporters.

Hailing from Torquay on the Southern Victorian coast in Australia, Xavier has a strong affinity for the beauty and naturalness of his surrounds. An influence that lends itself well to Xavier’s interpretation on life, and indeed his music. His album To Let encompasses this passion and energy. “…(his) sound is very accessible with a driving, toe tapping beat full of sweet harmonies and delicious melodies... His didgeridoo playing is stellar and fresh, and he sings powerful songs.” Ken McKnight. The end result is an album that is a masterful showcase; a deep and evocative blend of undeniable talent.

Performances include a set on the main stage at the Philadelphia Folk Festival and the exclusive Moonshine benefit gig in Laguna Beach, California, with Jack Johnson and G.Love. At the Street Scene Festival in San Diego, Xavier finished up with an impromptu and completely spontaneous jam with human beatbox, Radio Active – of Spearhead fame. In fact his rhythmic and rootsy sounds have been met everywhere with genuine enthusiasm and interest.

Even further afield, Xavier’s unique and Australian sounds traveled across the Atlantic. Xavier performed at the Quicksilver Pro WCT surfing event on October 5, hosted by Hossegor, France.

Much like the days of old his new studio album SOLACE is set for release March 28. Every track on this album is a live performance recorded in the studio, allowing Solace to capture the emotion and energy of Xavier’s live performances. Solace features 14 tracks including singles Let Me Be and Shelter which are already receiving solid radio support nationwide.

Xavier Rudd is a multi-instrumentalist delivering a unique and harmonious combination of lyrics, vocals, instruments and energy that is warm, powerful and emotive. His performances are captivating and his talent unmistakable, which goes some way to explaining the huge level of support that he attracts where ever he tours. Xavier is joined by special guest Mia Dyson. Mia is blessed with an extraordinary voice that is deep with passion and offers a soulful blend of country and blues.

www.xavierrudd.com

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MY FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE

Children Collide
I was very young - very very young – and I tried something for the first time and it was at Big Day Out and Sound Garden were playing and it was meant to be the last Big Day Out ever and I was lying down on the grass watching Sound Garden and feeling [ahh] pretty good. laughs

Ideal Lineup?
Wow this could take me days to go through – The Birthday Party, Scientists, The Drones, The Stabs who are a Melbourne band, Hungary Ghosts… I could go on for ever!

Fave artist you've seen at a Music Festival?
Oh, when I was really really young, too young to be at a festival I got snuck in to Summersault Festival and saw Sonic You play… that was amazing!

Tips for attending a Music Festival?
Stay out of the sun definitely! I’m a very very white man and at Big Day Out I got burnt just walking from our band tent to the stage… 30 seconds in the sun – so definitely slip slop slap!