Guy Webster launches his self-titled EP at The Zoo on Saturday night
The name Guy Webster is synonymous with the Brisbane live music community. His emotive, intimate performances have attracted a loyal following over the year, which makes it surprising to discover that his new self-titled EP is also his first official release.
“This is the first thing I’ve ever done, in terms of released music,” he says. “After all these years of playing and not having anything released, I finally went ‘This is fuckin’ stupid!’, I just had to get something out there. The amount of times over the years, I’ve been asked ‘Have you got something out?’ and I’ve been like ‘No, sorry’.”
This has been well and truly rectified with his debut recording, five songs that vary from the cruisy melodicism of Once In Your Life and the tinkling glockenspiel of Led Astray to the dark intense burst of End Of Bliss. It’s all kept cohesive and identifiably the work of its maker, thanks to Guy’s impassioned, distinctive vocals.
“It had to be relevant to me. So I chose a bunch of songs that were fairly current and not 10 years old,” he says of the EP. “I’ve got songs that I wrote in 1991 and they’re still very good songs. But these were a bunch of songs that I really needed to get out. Some of them are a couple of years old, but most of them were written last year or early this year.”
Guy is pleased with the spontaneous energy captured by the EP’s producer Jeff Lovejoy, as well as the musicians who appear on the recording, including drummer Duane Billing, bassist Chris Bosley and keyboardist Matt Murphy.
“Chris, Duane and Matt I play with in The Informants. They’re all musicians I’ve respected for years. I really wanted to play with these guys because we developed a real musical conversation, a real musical rapport. They’re also very experienced with heaps of different song styles.”
The EP is the work of a man who has been dedicated to singing and performing since a very young age.
“When I was young, from when I was about five, I knew I wanted to be an entertainer,” Guy recalls. “I remember making a decision about it back then. My dad used to sing in a covers band, so I used to go to sleep listening to his band practice downstairs in the garage. Underneath me, I’d hear ‘70s covers. All the classics. House Of The Rising Sun, Sorrow, April Sun In Cuba. Also, there was a friend from high school who introduced me to the idea of writing songs and playing guitar. I started playing guitar at 17, simply so I had a means to remember all these songs I’d been making up. Before that, every time I’d sing a song to myself down the beach or something, I’d be walking home thinking ‘That’s another one gone. I’ll never be able to remember that one again!’”
Fortunately for Guy, his new EP features songs not only captured for posterity, but also blessed with memorable energy, intensity and melodicism. His CD launch at The Zoo on Saturday night with Tylea and the Imaginary Music Score, Gorgeous and Nick Coppack will be the perfect opportunity to catch one of Brisbane’s most admired songwriters at the height of his powers.
