A guitarist who'd been a member of a number of underground rock bands, it was a few years back that Shaun Baxter decided to add vocals to his bow and strike out on his own as a solo artist.
Shaun has added a swathe of cover tracks to his repertoire as well as developing his own catalogue of guitar instrumentals in the ensuring years as he taught himself to sing.He released his debut EP titled 'Time Has No Place Here' of remastered originals (recorded between 2021-2022) at the start of 2023.
"Hi, I'm Shaun Baxter, a singer-songwriter from Wollongong. I've been playing guitar for many years and taught myself how to sing at the age of 32 in 2015.
"From there I began developing and writing my own songs, and expressing myself through voice."
Shaun's next sonic chapter is titled 'Morning Sun', the lead single from his next EP – a rootsy celebration of journeying and self-discovery. "The song was originally written as a guitar instrumental yet I could hear a vocal melody," shares Baxter.
"In a nutshell the song is subconsciously about my journey of voice, learning to sing and opening up my throat chakra for expression and pushing through obstacles along the way."
I sound like... Gregory Alan Isakov, Ray LaMontagne and Ryan Adams.
My first gig was... I played at the Illawarra Leagues Club hosted by the Illawarra Music Foundry who support and promote local bands in the area.
When did you settle on your artistic name, and was it a unanimous decision... Well, it was Jimmy Toorak for a while – inspired by a nickname and street name I was living on. But then I decided to go back to Shaun Baxter as it's my actual real name and felt authentic and right.
In the studio I usually... Have a run-through of the song just by myself playing and singing it on the acoustic guitar, then we discuss which direction we can go and start recording the framework acoustic guitar, drums and bass and keep adding instruments until it feels solid.
If I could tour with anyone... Jack Johnson, Teskey Brothers, Ray LaMontagne.
Social media... Can be a useful tool to share my creative expression in music and self; also, in general, it's just a good way to connect and spread good vibes.
My favourite app at the moment is... Pinterest as I'm creating a picture board for my dream tiny container home.
To date, my most embarrassing moment was... The time I forgot the words to my own song as I was super nervous about it being my first gig.
Life on the road... Can be exciting – seeing parts of the country I've never seen before and meeting many interesting people along the way is really awesome.
If you'll have me on your bill, all I ask is that the rider... Contains fruit, water and beer. I'm also a bit of a health freak, so I figure if I balance the two out I should be right, lol.
The most scary scenario I've found myself in, was... Probably being born on planet earth at the age of 0 and forgetting everything that came before.
What celebrity/ famous person would you love to be your spokesperson? Ray LaMontagne. He is one of my favourite songwriters.
If you had to live in a city abroad, where would you choose and why? I'm not a city person, but if it's near the beach I'd pick Honolulu, Hawaii.
Three people you'd like to invite around for a dinner party... Robert Smith, John Frusciante and my mum just so we can all sit there awkwardly in silence. Nah, it'll probably be really nice actually.
If we were coming over to your place, what would you cook us? I worked at an Indian restaurant as a kitchen hand a few years ago and fell in love with the food – definitely a curry.
When it comes to pets are you a lover or hater of our furry friends? I am a lover of all animals and have a black cat named Biddy and a Jack Russell named Freddy.
No matter the expense, send me... A case of Fender Stratocasters.
The last time I saw the inside of a gym was... Over ten years ago, but I do like to keep fit through swimming and surfing, and by eating healthy.
What's the one chore you dislike the most? I hate organising my car rego every year: pink slip, green slips, blue slips, and entering passwords. . . it's a massive chore for me, haha.
Do you have any phobias... Not really, but maybe getting stuck in a room full of white bright led lights; my eyes and brain can't seem to ever adjust to them.
Would you ever partake in a reality show? Probably not, but if it was a show about learning how to build a motorcycle or having the chance to play music with John Frusciante I might consider it.
If you could prank any of your friends, who's your target, and how are you bringing them down? My mate Mirko, he owns the local rehearsal studio in town. I would remove all the instruments and furniture, and nail it all to the ceiling and when he walks in and looks up and goes wtf I would press the 'degravitisor button' and suddenly we would be dancing on the ceiling, then to bring him down I would turn it off.
Best local takeaway joint for a midnight feed that will leave you with a food coma? Indian Home Diner on Kiera St Wollongong; best samosas in town.
Which fictional character best describes your personality? Jim Wollabee because he's a lover of nature, music and can talk to animals.
Last show you binge-watched? It was a YouTube playlist on the latest Harley Davidson models. I can get obsessed with these sorts of things and it's truly taking up too much of my time haha.
