Tom goes west to the US, taking SA stories to sing
Adelaide folk artist sings up stories about the Adelaide Hills, Middleton and Victor Harbor, and will perform in a hometown gig at the Porchland Festival.
The beauty of the Adelaide Hills has really rubbed off on local Tom West.
It’s inspired a lot of his music, including his song Hush.
“I wrote that about where I grew up in Uraidla,” the folk artist says.
“More recently my mum was in Balhannah.
“So, I’m inspired by that place, the scenery and the location.”
He also sings about other Adelaide gems, including memories of holidays in Middleton and Victor Harbor.
Now, he’ll be performing a sentimental gig on his home turf.
Porchland Festival, at the Range, will have 15 artists across two stages.
It’s the annual festival of Porch Sessions, an intimate live music series which is hosted in regional towns and backyards.
West is no stranger to these “boutique” gigs that have a lot of “personal touches”.
“I like working on a smaller scale event that has community focus and it’s about building something from the grassroots up,” the 32-year-old says.
While much of his set is about South Australian stories and songs, and his place in the world, he’s also drawn inspiration from the States, where he’s been bouncing back and forth for about two years.
Over the past year, he’s tailored this set and new material and is proud to bring it to Adelaide.
“Lots of people know me to be a guy that sings with an acoustic guitar, so in that respect, it won’t be very unusual, that’s what I have done for a long time,” he says.
“But, I would like to think the totality of a performance, in terms of the way I’ve set it out, the songs, the lyrics and the way I like to deliver the songs, if people haven’t seen me play in this mode, I hope they find it new and hopefully improved.”
It’s the last gig West will perform in Adelaide for the indefinite future as he continues to work in the States and in Canada – all the while spreading the word of South Australia.
“Through an unexpected series of events and hard work, I did get the opportunity to go there to try my luck as a singer, songwriter and a performer,” he says.
“So, I’ve just been pounding the pavement and playing at gigs wherever I can find them, talking to people and telling many stories about this place.”
With an agent, he plans to release music there, however, he doesn’t plan to stray for long from home.
“I live here in Adelaide with my girlfriend of more than 10 years – it’s not really my plan to forever move to the US,” he says.
“But, I currently have a three year work visa, so it’s a matter of taking opportunities now while they’re available to me.
“I’m not sure if it would be an uplift my life and relocate forever situation, but I’ll be bouncing there a lot.”
He’ll be performing one more show while he’s in Adelaide – supporting Newton Faulkner on Saturday.
“They’re both very cool, different shows and different markets of people – I’m excited for that,” West says.
“As a person who plays solo, I like watching people perform at a level Newton Faulkner does.”
As a folk musician, he spends a lot of time listening to his lyrics, music and mixes, so also enjoys “cleansing the pallet” of the ears.
“So, a lot of the time I just want to listen to soundtracks or music in a foreign language,” he says.
SEE: Porchland Festival, The Range Hall, The Range, November 23
TICKETS: moshtix.com.au