Mandy Nolan –
Mullumbimby used to be the sleepy, slightly pigeon-toed cousin of Byron Bay, and yeah, it was never all sun-kissed and smooth in an eeny-weenie bikini, but country cousin has had some pretty interesting things to offer. Why, this week Kevin Welch touches down from his log cabin in the woods outside Austin, Texas, to play the Court House in Mullumbimby, joined by Australia’s country music icon Bill Chambers.
Kevin had a brief chat with Seven about what makes him tick.
What is the essence of good songwriting for you?
If you’re gonna ask for my undivided attention for four minutes, I want you to give me something I didn’t have before. And I’ll try to do the same for you.
What’s your creative process. How do you construct a song?
One word leads to the next. Sometimes I’m just following the idea to see where it leads. Oftentimes it takes me somewhere I never would have gone on my own.
Is it hard to be objective about a song once you’ve written it? Can you know if it’s going to translate well to performance or album?
Usually I know if a thing is gonna function, but sometimes I’m not really sure until I show it to a live audience. There have been new songs of mine that died a public death, and I don’t mind admitting it.
Who are the songwriters that you have been most influenced by?
I’ve been influenced by the usual host of famous writers: Guthrie, Hank, Simon, Waits, Newman, Hoagy, Prine, Guy, Cohen, etc. Also all the guys I spent years down in the trenches with: Kieran Kane, John Hadley, Olney, Harlan Howard… too many to list really. In some ways I’d have to say I’m more influenced by the songs than the songwriter
Who are the players that you have the most simpatico with?
I had the extreme good fortune to come up around some of the best players on the planet. I was always the worst guy on stage or in the studio. That’s what you want.
What makes a powerful live show?
Connection between the performer and the audience.
What should we expect for your Mullumbimby show?
I’m gonna sit down in a chair with my guitar and have a conversation about life with the people of Mullumbimby. Hopefully, I’ll be doing almost all the talking.
Don’t bet on that, Mr Welch, them Mullum folk are mighty chatty! Catch Kevin Welch and Bill Chambers at the Court House in Mullumbimby on Thursday at 7.30pm.
Tix just $20 at the door.