A Melbourne-based singer-songwriter and musician, it was in late 2019 that P@trick began dedicating himself seriously to a career in music.
A scientist by day, P@trick became enamoured with the weekly songwriting group I Heart Songwriting Club, a collaborative online setting that inspired him to write more than 30 songs.One such song is 'Fall Off The Edge Of The World', which began life when P@trick was at a loose end; he began to juxtapose everyday items he wanted with his new creative phase in mind.
"The song speaks of all the things I was yearning for at the time; a sense of place, connection, and the ocean.
"Drawing these emotional threads together and weaving them into poetry resulted in this song, a metaphor for allowing yourself to be completely immersed in the moment."
Who is... P@trick is a constantly curious musician, creating intimate and immersive music, challenging listeners with work that evokes complex feelings and vivid imagery.
Working from his Melbourne apartment and recording on equipment such as amplifiers, microphones and effects pedals, which he designed and built from scratch, the two singles represent influences as diverse as Crowded House and Chvrches. Upbeat melodies are intermingled with lyrics simultaneously capturing the juxtaposition of sadness and hope, loss and joy.
A multi-instrumentalist, P@trick trained as a classical guitarist for a year at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts before diverting into the sciences. He is an accomplished vocalist, singing with both the Sydney and Melbourne Philharmonia Choir.
I sound like... Gang Of Youths, Band Of Horses, The Shins.
My first gig was... A classical guitar gig way back. I've been playing classical guitar since primary school; I wanted to play the electric guitar initially, as almost everyone does, but fell in love with the classical guitar once I started. I still write pieces for it.
When did you settle on your artistic name, and was it a unanimous decision... I was originally using my own first name, but realised I'd disappear in a sea of similar artist names.
It's hard enough carving out your own niche with all of the music out there every day – everyone's unique, we just need to be able to prove it sometimes.
In the studio I usually... Take a few different approaches. Sometimes I'll start with just a keyword and write anything, just to 'force' the inspiration (shout out to the fantastic I Heart Songwriting Club for the mentoring).
Sometimes I'll come to the studio with a fragment of a melody and build it from there, other times I'll noodle and get lost in a sound to come up with the kernel of a song.
If I could tour with anyone... Red Hot Chili Peppers and Foo Fighters for the amazing stories and the way they approach their craft with gratitude and passion. Prince – he seemed like such an intense person, but a real creative force.
Social media is... Not something I gel with, to be honest, and full of contradictions. Genuine connection is so much more special than 'likes', but with social media you can often reach people you otherwise wouldn't have been able to share with.
My favourite app at the moment is... Duolingo. I'm learning Mandarin at the moment and it makes my brain hurt. Also the Emergency Plus app; I'm going to be a Dad soon so I'm making sure I'm prepared with the first aid and safety things.
To date, my most embarrassing moment was the time... In primary school when I thought I could sneak out a silent little puff of gas. It echoed off the chair right as the teacher had stopped talking, and everyone's head just swivelled in my direction.
Life on the road can be... Entertaining, challenging, dull, tiring, unexpected, surprising.
If you'll have me on your bill, all I ask is that the rider contains... Some good quality dark chocolate, and a lime and soda.
The most scary scenario I've found myself in, was... I got stuck up a mountain in NZ once. I walked up late afternoon to get some photos of the sunset over the snowy peaks, not realising that it meant I'd be walking down in the rapidly fading dusk. I got screamed at by keas, which was a bit scary, and I was travelling on my own so no one knew where I'd gone in case of an accident.
What celebrity/ famous person would you love to be your spokesperson... Keanau Reeves. He's a model, all-round good human, kinda quiet, but well spoken and also a muso.
If you had to live in a city abroad, where would you choose and why? I've lived in a few; I'd love to try Seoul or Berlin, for the mixture of cultures, bright lights, and travel in the countries nearby.
Three people you'd like to invite around for a dinner party... Hedy Lamarr – the conversations spanning everything from acting to inventing would be absolutely fascinating.
Brian May, to talk astrophysics, guitar building, and composing with harmony and delay. David Gulpilil – he led such a rich and interesting life, through some of the most turbulent events in modern Australian history.
If we were coming over to your place, what would you cook us? What would you like? I love to cook, it's another creative outlet. I'd probably start with a baked camembert with cranberry sauce (unless you're vegan, in which case it's a platter of assorted nuts, dried fruit, hummus, and that great Bio vegan feta).
Then I do a mean mushroom stroganoff so it'd be that on pasta with pan-fried broccolini on the side. Dessert would be strawberries baked in balsamic and sugar, with some ice cream if there's room. Drinks? I'm not much of a mixologist for cocktails, so it's your choice there.
When it comes to pets are you a lover or hater of our furry friends? Love them; in a previous life the pets came along on every overseas move (four in the space of five years at one point, with four pets in tow!).
I've had birds, dogs, cats, horses, and tadpoles before. I've got one cat at the moment, rescued from a horse barn in Wagga. She's an absolute sweetie, and a complete Daddy's girl.
No matter the expense, send me a case of... I read a book about Stalin's wine cellar recently, with hundreds of bottles from some of the greatest French wine chateaux, some of them over 120 years old. I'll have a mixed case of those, please.
The last time I saw the inside of a gym was... About six years ago. I can't stand the gym, I love getting out into nature and especially in the water, but exercise for me has to be outside or learning something (like martial arts, surfing, kayaking etc.).
What's the one chore you dislike the most? I dislike cleaning/ scrubbing the most, but dislike most chores fairly equally. My place is clean enough to be healthy, but messy enough to be happy.
Do you have any phobias... Nope, no phobias as such; the feeling of too much to do or trying to live up to someone's high standards (usually mine) set off a hefty stress response, though.
Would you ever partake in a reality show? No, not at all.
If you could prank any of your friends, who's your target, and how are you bringing them down? Oooh, I've already got a pretty good one here. At the end of uni, I had auditioned for the Sydney Conservatorium and gotten an interview. A friend was an accomplished folk musician (violin) and a couple of friends and I decided to play a prank on him.
I scanned the letter and copied the header onto a new letter, and wrote a few paragraphs about how someone had passed a live recording of him to their violin teachers, and they were so impressed they wanted to invite him to audition for the course.
I printed out a new address sticker with his name and address on, and put it on the original envelope (so the postmark looked authentic), sealed up the letter, and a friend dropped it in his mailbox at night.
The prank worked a little too well, though; he was so proud he showed his Dad, who immediately started telling all of his friends about it. We were pretty sheepish when we had to break the news to him that it was all just a gag.
Also, once the same friend and I put another friend's car up on bricks and took all the wheels off while he was in class.
Best local takeaway joint for a midnight feed that will leave you with a food coma? If I'm in Sydney, it's got to be Mr Crackles on Oxford St. Great big banh mi on a thick baguette, you'll feel full until about midday the next day.
I had a risky experience once after a late night and Mr Crackles before going home; I had to wake up suddenly in the morning to expel the evil spirits, and then fell back asleep. When I woke up finally my nose felt really stuffy – I sneezed and some Mr Crackles came out! It was probably lodged up behind my soft palate; if it had dislodged I could have choked on it.
Which fictional character best describes your personality? Hmm, I'm not sure, really. I sometimes wonder whether I'm a figment of my own imagination, so I guess the answer is 'me'.
Last show you binge-watched (and what kept you glued to the screen)? Bron/Broen ('The Bridge') was the last one that really kept me glued to the screen. I watched all of GoT, but the final couple of seasons I was just watching it to finish it, really.
