Back then they didn’t know that cover would land them a spot on the Triple J Hottest 100 and would set the stage for their debut record, Moonfire, to sweep the charts and earn them legions of fans across the globe. While anyone with a passing interest in the current Australian music scene may be well familiar with this story by now, most wouldn’t know that this defining moment in Boy & Bear’s career also opened the door for percussionist Tim Hart’s burgeoning solo career. “I remember we were in the studio recording the Crowded House cover and I played the guys one of my songs. They basically said to me ‘You can’t not record this,’ and I knew they were probably right,” he begins.
As Hart attests, his solo excursion is by no means a departure from Boy & Bear, but rather a way to express his own musical ideas. “When we started Boy & Bear we sat down and decided that it was really important that it would be a forum for [frontman] Dave [Hosking]’s main ideas, so that’s the way we decided to go,” he says. “I never thought about using my own songs for a Boy & Bear album.”
That being said, the rest of his band did contribute to the creative process, with Hosking lending his voice to backing vocals, bassist Jake Tarasenko playing bass, flute and fife, guitarist Killian Gavin recording demos, and keys/mandolin player Jon Hart, who is also Tim’s brother, taking photos for the album art. “It wasn’t on purpose,” Hart says. “It was more the fact that they’re my mates and they were just hanging around when I was working on it. They are really passionate about it.”
Addressing themes of childhood, religion, family, love and heartbreak, Hart says he ultimately hopes Milling The Wind is remembered as “an honest” listen. “I’m really confident of the success of this project long term. This kind of singer/songwriter tradition of music is timeless,” he says, citing musicians like Bob Dylan, Don McLean and Neil Young as major influences on the album. “All these guys are known for telling stories in an honest way.”
Despite having a ready-made fan base waiting in the wings, Hart is adamant he doesn’t want to “ride on the coattails” of Boy & Bear. “I’m not really pushing it through Boy & Bear. If it means a thousand less people are disconnected but each person who listens to it does really connect with it then I’ll be just so happy,” he concludes. “I was it to be the kind of music project that grows on people. I don’t expect it to sell tens of thousands of albums. In fact, I almost don’t want it to.”
BY JENNIFER PETERSON-WARD
