Darren Middleton, of Powderfinger fame, will share his renewed passion for music when he performs in Katoomba in May as part of his national tour.
From being lead guitarist and a songwriter with one of Australia’s most successful bands, to releasing his first solo album Translations in late 2013, Middleton will continue his legacy of creating heartfelt, lyrically-poetic sound at the Clarendon Guesthouse.
“I describe my music as soul-bearing,” said the 42-year-old artist who will perform on May 9.
“I’m a big believer in the lyric and the story, as opposed to the production of the song. I hope these songs carry enough weight so that people can connect to them, or relate to them in some way.”
One Thing, the headlining song and name of the tour, exemplifies Middleton’s less-is-more approach. His clothing is minimal in the film-clip to symbolise “exposing” himself through music, however, he said his onstage performance would not be quite so revealing.
Powderfinger won 18 ARIAs and the band’s albums achieved platinum status 28 times. Being a crucial cog in this success has given Middleton “experience and confidence” when he needs it.
“I can now say to myself, ‘man, c’mon, what are you nervous about?’,” he said.
“It’s come full circle, going out on my own. I’ve fallen back in love with music. I’ve genuinely loved the solo gigs I’ve done so far. It’s as though I’m 18 again.
“I am going to play a couple of ‘Finger’ songs, so if there are any fans out there, it’ll be interesting for me to see [the response].”
Middleton will be accompanied onstage at the Clarendon by Kelly Lane from Melbourne band Skipping Girl Vinegar.
“It’s not often that voices complement each other so well,” Middleton said of his work with Lane. “I think she’s a really under-utilised element [of Australian music].”
Middleton’s supporting act will be Jac Stone, a Brisbane artist who was a finalist on the television singing competition The Voice in 2013. Stone supported Powderfinger on its farewell tour in 2010 and her first EP Leave Me Here was recorded with Middleton, reaching the iTunes charts.
The storytelling element of music is essential to Middleton and he pledges to give an “experience that you can’t download on YouTube”.
“Kelly will have her keyboard and violin so essentially it’s going to be an intimate acoustic affair, with textures and layers which I have a soft spot for.”
The One Thing acoustic tour arrives at the Clarendon Guesthouse at 8.30pm on Friday, May 9, with an optional dinner at 7pm. Contact the Clarendon for details and tickets on 4782 1322.
