Brisbane act Boatkeeper achieved a top 3 placing (worldwide) on iTunes' singer/ songwriter chart just 48 hours after the release of debut EP, ‘Windward’.
Boyd Fuller – the main force behind the project – has a beautiful, soft tone and natural way of telling stories through his songs. The quick success of 'Windward' has not gone to Boyd’s head. As he humbly explains, he released the EP with no expectations. “[I'm] pretty stoked, I didn’t realise it was up there. I didn’t think about it either when releasing the EP. I just thought I’d put it out there and see what happens. Yeah, [the success] is amazing.”
With songwriting a clear strength of Boyd's, he does not restrict himself to one way of writing songs. “The process was different for each song. Some I had written ten years ago and some I have only written a few months ago. After I had a few, I took it to a producer who has a sick studio in his house, then we tracked it for a year and then got it out.”
The ability to tell stories that engages an audience is something that Boyd thinks comes naturally. “Yeah I guess it does come naturally. I’m not really into deep lyrics. I generally write about things that have happened in my life or around me. I really like Cat Stevens and Bob Dylan; they aren’t the best singers but they are great storytellers,” he says.
“You are the biggest challenge when it comes to songwriting. Writing a song, you can let in that doubt and get in your own way; having a good story, that helps [you] get past that.”
Boyd will be showcasing his new material with his band when he launches the EP at Lightspace next month. Being able to do things his own way is one aspect of performing at the Lightspace that Boyd is looking forward to. “This is different because we can do it our way. Sometimes venues will try and hold you down. This time we have no one telling us what to do. The owner of the venue is really cool and it just fits the band and the music, which is great.”
Another aspect of performing that Boyd loves is the audience’s reactions. “The biggest thing for me is seeing the audience's reactions, having them come up to you after and say they related to the song is great. I like to explain the meaning behind the song before I sing it so the audience can relate more and enjoy it.”
Once he has the EP launch completed, Boyd will turn to 2017. “I’m going to release the second EP next year and then just focus on and start to play festivals. I want to play Bigsound and things like that, so that’s what I’m looking forward too.”
Boatkeeper launch 'Windward' at Lightspace (Brisbane) 4 November. They also play The Foundry (Brisbane) 20 November.
