Meet up-and-coming singer-songwriter Jordan Ravi – a kid with pop-rock passion and his eye on big things.
How does a 19-year-old Darwin busker with a love for rock and pop, clearly channelling the spiritual swagger of Prince and Michael Jackson, end up in Melbourne on his own and about to launch his first single? Best to ask one such teenager – singer-songwriter Jordan Ravi has made the pilgrimage into the country’s music capital without friends or family to follow his dreams of being a musician.
Back in Darwin and armed with a little amp and acoustic guitar, Ravi says he marched on down to his local street market, settled himself atop a concrete slab, and started jamming out his own renditions of Maroon 5, Queen, and other big-name pop artists from across the generations. “I basically started as a busker,” Ravi says warmly. “I was a naive 14, 15-year-old kid with no connections in the industry. I wanted to be singing for more people.”
Even before that, Ravi’s love for music came when he was five years old, playing guitar after his father showed him an AC/DC live in concert video. “I was a huge guitar nerd,” says Ravi. “But playing live and being more serious and sharing it with people, that came with the busking.”
Ravi is another musician in a long line of emerging talent from the Northern Territory – a region strewn with untapped creativity and potential. “It was a great spot,” he gushes. “A lot of history there; very rustic, earthy, and when you combine it with the humidity it’s not the easiest of living conditions, but it keeps things real, keeps you grounded.”
The humidity and heat combined makes for a horrid climate for a guitar’s integrity nonetheless. Laughing in agreement, Ravi says, “Guitars go out of tune, you break strings because of the heat, the wood of the guitar literally shifts which gives you string tension problems. Ah, it’s a nightmare”. As well as being determined and persistent, it’s also important to be well equipped, “Well the key is to always bring a spare guitar. That’s what I learnt the hard way.”
Ravi has everything going for him – charming, witty, funny, and of course, an absolute whiz with a guitar in his hands. The kid has got the drive to make big things for himself, and he’s taking the first steps with his single launch at Stay Gold this month.
To be in Melbourne armed only with his guitar and a ruthless ambition, this launch means a lot to Ravi. “When you grow up in a place like Darwin, so small, then a place like Melbourne which is essentially the Australian equivalent of The Big Apple for us musicians, we see this as the gold mine where it’s all happening, artistically and culturally.
“I’ve been met with a lot of talent and amazing artistry that at times, it can be difficult – you come from a town thinking you had a lot of potential but then come here and realise quickly there’s a lot of people with the same skill and drive as you. At the same time, that’s also really inspirational.”
The energy Ravi has now immersed himself in is driving him to push himself harder, leaning on his simplistic performance techniques to stand out among those he feels may be overdoing it. “Vibrato, crazy high notes, crazy Mariah Carey runs – even though they’re amazing and an incredible skill, for me once I discovered John Mayer’s music, it was the first time I listened to something I really connected with.
“He’s got a low range, doesn’t overdo it on the guitar, and the music cut straight to my heart and I felt it. I really felt it. That’s the simplicity I take on with my music.
“It’s the simplicity of holding back a bit, keeping a sweet simple tone and meaningful lyrics. Music that cuts to the soul that you really feel and resonates with you.”
Jordan Ravi launches his new single ‘One More Time’ at Brunswick’s Stay Gold on Wednesday February 27. Head to Ravi’s Facebook page for more information.
