Family Ties

Benny Walker, the Echuca-born purveyor of soul, blues, reggae and folk, started his first band at age 12, which he says was “unoriginally called The Innocent Criminals”. He wielded a black 1972 Gibson Les Paul Custom guitar and he tells that his “sister was the bass player and the kid across the road was the drummer”. They played “old rock'n'roll and old surf music” and, somewhere, there's a video lying around of the only gig they ever did, “which was at the local picture theatre for a talent night”.

Now, however, with his second album release on the horizon, Walker's gigs have become less about play-for-a-handful-of-change-at-the-flicks. He's now more a speaking-of-the-strife-wonder-and-continual-profundity-of-life kinda guy. When asked how much of his own personal experience goes into his songwriting, Walker suggests, “For me, I take inspiration from situations I come across. There's a song on the new record called Enough Is Enough and it's about what's happening in the Kimberley at the moment. I was up there last year doing some gigs and the locals still had a big fight on their hands. The chorus says, 'enough is enough', you know, digging up all these beautiful parts of our country just to spin a dollar.”

The album-in-waiting, Sinners And Saints, was produced by Shane O'Mara, the man whose belt notches include Tim Rogers, Lisa Miller and The Audreys and, with Walker, his work is equally as sincere and unassuming. “We stayed away from using any editing tricks,” Walker says proudly. “Basically we'd go in and I'd do a couple of vocal takes and pick one. You know, Shane doesn't even have AutoTune on his computer. That was the whole thing: to make an organic and real sound, like a band playing live.”

Walker is quick to pay tribute to the musicality and influence his family provided, particularly his grandfathers and father, all of whom were accomplished musicians. “There was always an instrument lying around the house somewhere. My grandfather on my mother's side – who's passed now – was a jazz saxophonist but he was also a drummer back in his younger days, so he helped me out there. My grandfather on my dad's side is a country guitar and pedal steel player – I absolutely love the sound of that instrument. And my dad was the person that taught me to play guitar, so they've all definitely had an influence on my music and the direction it's gone in.”

Walker's also had the great pleasure and “amazing opportunity” of playing with notable artists Archie Roach and the Bull sisters, Vika and Linda. “I love the voices of the Bull sisters. I've been in their company a few times and every time I hear their voices it just blows me away – the harmonies and the soul they have. I did a support gig for those girls a couple of weeks ago, and Linda just got out of hospital that day [after] having an operation. She went on stage and still took the roof off the place. She was clearly in a lot of pain, but they sang a song Paul Kelly wrote for them. They're just amazing to watch live.”

Walker jokes about his ability to poach “good musicians from left, right and centre”, referring namely to the recent acquisition of Jacob Gellert, keyboard player from roots outfit Tom Richardson Project. His upcoming tour touches down in over 25 venues across our big brown land, all of which he looks forward to with equal anticipation. “I've been to a few of the venues before, but I love being on the road in general so I'm just looking forward to kicking off the tour. It's all gonna be really fun and the band's coming too, which will make it great.”

Benny Walker will be playing the following dates:

Saturday 12 January - Northcote Social Club, Northcote VIC
Wednesday 16 January - Wine & Pizza Club, Kyneton VIC
Friday 18 January - Barooga Sports Club, Barooga NSW
Saturday 19 January - Western Hotel, Ballarat VIC
Saturday 20 January - Old Hepburn Hotel, Hepburn Springs VIC
Friday 25 January - Newmarket Hotel, Bendigo VIC
Saturday 26 January - Monash City Council, Glen Waverley VIC
Saturday 26 January - Belgrave Survival Day, Australia Day Festival In The Park VIC
Sunday 27 January - The Loft, Warnambool VIC
Thursday 31 January - Wheatsheaf Hotel, Adelaide SA
Friday 1 February - Wilunga Hotel, Wilunga SA
Saturday 2 February - Hotel Elliot, Port Elliot SA
Sunday 3 February - Glenelg Surf Club, Glenelg SA
Thursday 7 February - Albion Hotel, Albury NSW
Friday 8 to Sunday 9 February - 2013 National Multicultural Festival, Canberra ACT
Sunday 10 February - Bottle Rocket Bar, Nowra NSW
Thursday 14 February - King St Brewhouse, Sydney NSW
Friday 15 February - No. 5 Church St, Bellingen NSW
Saturday 16 February - Courthouse Hotel, Mullumbimby, NSW
Sunday 17 February - The Old Museum, Bowen Hills QLD
Sunday 24 February - Moonee Valley Festival, Moonee Valley VIC
Saturday 9 March - Moomba Festival, Melbourne VIC
Saturday 16 March - Mordialloc By The Bay, Mordialloc VIC
Wednesday 27 March - Indie Bar, Scarborough WA
Thursday 28 March - Clancy's Fremantle WA
Saturday 30 March - Railway Express, Somerville Gardens Parap NT