Featured Artist: The Rise and Rise of Hamish Anderson
(C) Kylie Carns Photography Hamish Anderson @ The Forum Melbourne
It is not very often that someone commands your attention like Melbourne musician, Hamish Anderson. The accomplished blues guitarist and vocalist was recently back on home soil supporting Gary Clark Jnr’s tour; gaining more fans along the way. At such a young age, Anderson’s biography already reads like a seasoned professional. At 28, Anderson has supported huge acts such as the blues legend BB King, Vintage Trouble, The Rides and recently Gary Clark Jnr. A huge accomplishment for any musician, but for someone so young, only solidify’s Anderson’s talent and ability. The truly inspirational aspect is that Anderson has still remained so humble.
“I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to support some really amazing artists that are inspirations to me. I just try and learn as much as I can from watching them live and seeing how they command and hold an audience. It’s very inspiring for me and makes me aspire to have a career that has longevity and integrity like all those artists that you mentioned above”
At the beginning of May, Anderson celebrated the release of his second album “Out of My Head” proving that his songwriting and talent are a cut above the rest. With second albums being notoriously hard to write, Anderson produced an album that flows and does not seem contrived.
“I really waited on writing my second album and didn’t want to force it. I had a very big year of touring in 2017 and had been writing a little bit but not a huge amount. Suddenly when it was Christmas time and I was back in Australia not doing much over the holiday season, the floodgates opened and I just started writing heaps every day. Songs started coming and I just had to try and keep up. I had a lot of obstacles making my first album but I’m happy to say with the making of this album none really spring to mind, I was working with a group of people I really trust and we were all really excited about the material and wanted to make it the best we could. It was truly a great experience making this album. Writing for me is always different which is what keeps it interesting and inspiring. Sometimes a riff will just pop into my head, other times maybe a rhythmic thing or lyric..it’s always different. You just have to be open to inspiration and really give it your full attention when it comes to you.”
With so much going on with Anderson’s busy schedule, it would be easy to say that his life is certainly a rollercoaster right now and he is along for the ride. But what is next for Anderson?
“We played Beale Street Music Festival in Memphis and then going to do some shows/festivals in USA and Canada and a month in Europe in the Fall, so it’s shaping up to be a great year!’
So whilst Anderson is getting ahead with guns blazing, touring and releasing albums, life as a musician is a hard slog. So what advice would he give himself when he just started out?
“I would probably tell him to not get lost in insecurities and doubting yourself. Everyone does it and I definitely still do but I try and control it. I really try and make a conscious effort now to be confident in what I do and my abilities. As Neil Young would say “The more you think, the more you stink”.
(C) Kylie Carns Photography
Clearly, Anderson has listened to his own voice with many accomplishments under his belt and some major milestones that he can tick off.
“Getting to open for B.B. King was a real milestone for me. I’ve gotten to play festivals where the headliners were my idols like The Rolling Stones and Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers so being able to have my name in little writing down the bottom on a poster with them is pretty cool for me. And more recently definitely getting to play with Gary Clark Jr and his band every night on their encore was a real milestone achievement! Dream gigs would be supporting heroes like The Rolling Stones, Neil Young or Eric Clapton..that would be pretty amazing.”
Whilst laying down roots in the USA with LA being his base right now and touring extensively, it’s nice to learn that Anderson still calls Melbourne home.
Playing a variety of instruments (in an extraordinarily mediocre way), I discovered that my talent for photography and writing were better than my playing ability. Combining my two passions was a better creation than some of the songs I have written. Lover of music and anything I can bang my drumsticks to! Available for band tours, gigs and everything in between.
