You’re a busy man at the moment, about to embark on a national tour. What aspect of the upcoming Tales for the Barman tour are you most excited about?
I’m originally from New Zealand, and although I’ve been based in Melbourne for a couple of years now I still haven’t really seen any of this country at all.
You’ve recently returned from touring in New Zealand. What were some of the highlights?
The biggest highlight from that tour for me was really just being home. My sister’s got an awesome little one-year-old now, so the highlight for me was hanging out with him and seeing my sister as a mum – it still trips me out. But the shows were awesome as well!
Being a solo performer, you incorporate a hell of a lot of instrumentation into your performances. Were you always this musically talented growing up?
I’ve been playing guitar for as long as I can remember. I think I was about six when I first took it up, and I was always completely immersed in music at home. My dad was a big blues fan and he and I would often sit up late at night taking turns with the headphones on a particular song while my brother and sister slept.
Your debut EP, Tales for the Barman, was well received by audiences. What’s next on the creativity cards for Sean Kirkwood?
I’m really excited to start the next project when I get back from this tour. I’m definitely going full band for the next album. I’ve got so many amazing musicians around so I can’t wait to go big scale, spend a few weeks locked away in the studio and just pile a bunch of cats onto my tunes and see what we can come up with!
You have a slew of shows approaching in Victoria. What kind of nightcan gig-goers expect?
In one word: Intimacy. As a solo performer, intimacy is my driving force. There’s nothing more magical to me than a room full of people sitting in silence just listening. The Grace Darling is a perfect venue for this, and it’s one of my favourite venues to play solo. There’ll be new tunes, and a few duets with Jemma Nicole and Nicholas Paul S as well, who are supporting and both amazing artists themselves. I’m really looking forward to the Melbourne shows.
Catch SEAN KIRKWOOD and his amazing solo instrumentation at the Grace Darling on Thursday November 13 as part of his national Tales for the Barman tour.
