Project Description

Interview with

ANGUS GILL

Interviewer – Dave Bruce

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Singer/songwriter Angus Gill is quickly establishing his place as one of Australia’s top rising country music artists, recently receiving a coveted Australian Independent Country Music Award. At 21 years of age, the authenticity in Gill’s distinctive vocals, warm stage presence and trademark brand of humour is evidence that he may have been on this planet before. From playing in a boxing ring at a Sonny Bill Williams fight, to appearing on Studio 10, The Daily Edition, The Ray Hadley Show and many more, the Wauchope born entertainer is earning his place on both national and international stages. Among his fans is Guy Sebastian, who mentioned, “Forget Duncan, I wanna have a beer with Angus.” Gill’s new album Welcome to my Heart is due for release September 2019 with ABC/Universal, featuring collaborations with Australian Country music legends Graeme Connors, James Blundell and Aussie-ex pat virtuoso guitarist Joe Robinson.

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Where did you develop your interest in performing music to an audience?
I never had many interests outside of school growing up, but one day I found myself in a guitar lesson at about 6 or 7 years of age. I thought wow, I love this and I’m actually alright at it. I must admit, the short lived years of running in the opposite direction of the soccer ball were not my finest hours. I played my first gig at 7, at my local Hastings Country Music Association concert and I felt that buzz and the adrenaline. I wanted more of it and still do!

What kind of music did you grow up on? Which artists inspired you?
I grew up listening to Beccy Cole, Sara Storer, Adam Harvey, Graeme Connors, Gina Jeffreys, and the King Slim Dusty. All Australian influences. I later discovered OS Country artists and started listening to George Jones, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, Alan Jackson etc.

What is unique about your performance. Describe for fans why you believe they would be attracted to your music?
I’m entertainer and a comedian, as well as a singer/songwriter. I believe one of my strengths is being able to appeal to and read a crowd. Because a live show is all about creating an experience for them. Show business – the business of putting on a show. That is what I strive to do. Make em laugh, cry and think, as Dolly Parton would say.

New single and video “Welcome To My Heart” is out now. Can you speak about its origin and evolution?
I was chatting with Lisa Loeb in Monterey in July last year, and we were having a conversation about the fact that there aren’t enough platonic (non-romantic) love songs that are being written today. Songs like Lean On Me, You’ve Got a Friend in Me etc…
I kept that kernel in the back of my mind and when I went to Nashville a week after, one of my co-writers Blue Foley threw out the title ‘Welcome to my Heart’. I thought, this is interesting. What does it mean to me? I instantly thought of my family, because I had been away from them for about 3 weeks at that point. We basically crafted the song around what a casual Sunday looks like at our place.

Videos are such a painstaking process. How did you arrive at a script for it, and did it turn out exactly as hoped? Did you modify your objectives throughout, or did everything go to plan?
The video was directed by the Golden Guitar winning Filmery. Those guys are brilliant to work with. I had a direction and a vision for the video, which I had been discussing with them, and that was to shoot it with all of my family at our place. We didn’t have a script or a storyboard as such, just a few concepts of what footage we were going to shoot and roughly an idea where it was going to go in the clip. I’ve been overwhelmed with the support for the clip and I think it’s come across as more genuine, because we allowed for things to play out naturally on the day. We actually didn’t tell the family that we were shooting the clip (lol), we said come over for lunch…and there just happened to be cameras. But as luck would have it, they were obliging.

How about the forthcoming album “Welcome To My Heart”? Can you describe what fans can look forward to, list some signature tracks, and maybe a favourite track and why?
I’m really proud of Welcome to my Heart and the process of putting it all together. I wrote a good majority of the songs over in Nashville last year, but I also had the privilege of collaborating with the legendary Graeme Connors and James Blundell, Americana singer/songwriter Brennen Leigh and Aussie ex-pat Joe Robinson. The album sonically is challenging the notions of the classic country sound. There’s a few folk, world music and celtic influences in the instrumentation. We had Dolly Parton’s tin whistle player John Mock play a 3 part tin whistle harmony on one of the songs, I played a greek bouzouki as a lead instrument on Welcome to my Heart and my mate Lawrie Minson played an Indian Mohan Veena on the track that I recorded with James Blundell. There is a strong theme of home and family that permeates throughout the album. There’s a song I wrote for my Mum, Cornerstone and one for my Dad called By We, I Mean You. My favourite track on the album is a song called In the Cards. It’s very close to my heart, as both my Nan and Grandma have been diagnosed with the early stages of Alzheimers in the last year. It’s been a rough time for my family, but writing this song has helped me try to come to terms with it all and connect with people who are going through the same thing with their loved ones.

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How is this album different from your first? Did you enjoy making it more? Did you feel more of a sense of achievement from this one or the first?
I’ve been more confident in my ability as a producer and an engineer this time round. I enjoyed making it more, I knew what to expect, so I wasn’t on edge. I was able to open up and let my creativity take over. It’s one thing to produce other artists and form a 3rd person perspective on the project, it’s another thing to produce yourself. When I produce my own projects, I’m almost like Mr Potato Head, taking my singer head off and putting my producer head on…forming different perspectives and keeping them all in the back of my mind. My direction was clearer, I was more realistic with my deadlines, my project management was stronger.

Does song writing come easily to you or is it a “right place, right time” process?
One of my strengths as a songwriter is being a lyricist and an ideas man. I spent a good part of 10 years studying songwriting and I look up to songwriters like Jimmy Webb, John Prine, Guy Clark, Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt etc… Songwriting can be tough, but it should be. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. Graeme Connors taught me that the song will lead you, and tell you where it needs to go. I think in a co-writing situation, you can be in the right room with the right person and it will click. But it’s usually a combination of putting the art and craft into practise. The art is to find the right idea, the right angle. The craft is making it into a song and refining. Ernest Hemingway once said the only kind of writing is rewriting.

What shows/tours do you have coming up?
Yes, I’m hitting the road pretty heavily over the next few months. Head over to my website angusgill.com.au  for the full list.

You have supported some really cool artists. Can you describe some that you have really enjoyed, and can you try and explain the feeling of meeting and sharing a stage with some really popular artists? Surely that makes you feel vulnerable?
One of my most memorable moments was when I opened for the Black Sorrows. I hadn’t met them before, but I was in the middle of a soundcheck, playing Copperhead Road. They all came quietly up onto the stage, plugged their instruments in and started playing with me. It was really cool, they’re great guys and legendary musicians.

If you could pick absolutely anyone to bring on tour with you, whom would you pick and why? (Dead or Alive)
Maggie Beer, because I can’t cook haha.

What are your major goals or milestones for the future?
Longevity is my greatest goal. To keep entertaining, keep writing, keep recording and keep pushing myself to new heights and into new territories. I love my job, but I do not take anything for granted.

Finally, a few questions for some quick answers –
FAVORITE:
Album – John Prine, John Prine
Artist – Jackson Browne
Movie – Get Smart
Place to visit – Uluru
Venue to play – Glasshouse Theatre, Port Macquarie
Food = Cheese
Drink – Champagne and black tea (quite the combo) 
Person – Kitty Flanagan
Tattoo – Fish

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Check out ANGUS GILL below
Website | Facebook  | Instagram  | Twitter 

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AMNPLIFY – DB