Harts
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Harts

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“To be honest, it does all feel like a normal life to me now,” Harts laughs. He has a colourful, approachable speaking voice, and seems genuinely happy to share his thoughts. “At the start it was really surreal, but because I’ve gotten used to it after two years straight of recording, releasing, doing press and shit like that, it’s all become more of a reality now. So I’ve been really happy with the support that I’ve been getting from everywhere, especially from overseas fans. But you know, I really hate that word, ‘fan’. I’ve been desperately trying to find another word instead, because it doesn’t feel like the right fit.”

Whatever label you give to them, Harts’ supporters have been rapidly multiplying over the past few years. A great deal of this is a result of his tireless work ethic and the strength of his live performances. But what really made the public sit up and pay attention was an unexpected phone call Harts received last year from legendary performer, Prince. The call led to Harts crossing the Pacific to spend time jamming in Prince’s Paisley Park recording complex.

“It was amazing, and a big confidence boost,” he says. “He basically said he wanted me to come out there, and was I available. He listened to stuff I was working on at the time and showed me some of his own songs. He really gave me a lot of confidence in what I was doing, made me think it was the right thing. From the start he was suggesting I go in a more bluesy direction, a more Hendrix sound. He really helped the direction of this EP, and really helped my career in both an exposure sense and personally.”

Harts’ own advice to aspiring musicians comes with something of a caveat. He is happy (almost ecstatic) to be an independent artist now, after wriggling out of a less than ideal record deal with the major label Universal Music. “There are all sorts of conflicts that come with these label deals,” he warns. “Things are generally a little bit slower.” He is also determined to keep exploring new musical genres in order to keep the vitality of his work alive. As such, he doesn’t believe he’s the greatest model for tricks of the trade.

“I’ve been around for a while, but I am still building, still honing my sound,” he says. “One thing I would like to tell musicians is to try and learn outside of your comfort zone. Try to learn as much as you can about other songs, other ways of playing, and what other attitudes there are towards playing music. I think a lot of people – especially guitarists – are so comfortable with what they’re doing that they don’t see a need to step outside the box in terms of playing and writing. I sometimes see people who are a little narrow-minded in what they want to create. They have a vision and they have a sound in mind, and that’s awesome, it’s great that they can achieve that. But once they’ve achieved that, where do they go? That’s something Prince told me as well. Learning what’s outside your box gives you more longevity in the game.”

BY ADAM NORRIS