Gold Coast virtuoso guitarist Robbie Bostock presents his new EP 'Explorations', six tracks of instrumental, cinematic guitar music.
Drawn to the guitar via his heroes like Phil Emmanuel, Jeff Beck, Mark Knopfler and Hank Marvin, Robbie has been playing the instrument since he was seven years old, gaining his first live experience performing with his sibling band The Bostocks.The EP features blazin' blues and riffing, muscular rock & roll that gets the heart pumping with liberal lashings of polished, stylish, '80s-hued soundscapes as well as sprinklings of spaghetti western and surf rock showcasing Bostock's dexterity with the fretboard.
Opener 'Bostock Boogie' drops you smack-bang in the middle of a hoedown; just try telling your feet to stop fidgeting. 'Cryptic Love' is all velvety sass, slinking about like a panther before breaking loose to soar high above the clouds (with add violin provided by sister Rachel).
'The New Rivals' comes galloping at your with a shoulder-shimmery western jaunt that evokes a classic desert vista. While 'Seashells' presents a hazy, languid surf rock waltz.
'In Guitar We Trust' has all the hallmarks of an epic '80s rock & roll jam... sizzling fretwork that evokes a tone that could soundtrack a crime-fighting superhero.
Final track 'Fading' is another epic piece of music, bringing together subtle hints of cowboy western meets galactic themes that wash over the senses.
Ahead of the EP's release tomorrow (12 May), scenestr is thrilled to premiere 'Explorations' today. Enjoy.
Here, Robbie walks us through each track with extra background information and insights into the creative process.
BOSTOCK BOOGIE
I wanted to write a theme track as the EP opener and 'Bostock Boogie' was the one. You'll be able to hear my influences creep through in this one. I used my blue Levinson Blade guitar with EMG pickups on this track; that guitar has a lot of bite so it was perfect for the song.CRYPTIC LOVE
I had written the main riff for this years prior; it had a nice groove so I knew I definitely wanted to explore it further.I was toying with some vocal ideas over the top, it was originally going to have lyrics on it but as I started demoing the track all of the melody came from my fingers, it just felt right to keep it as a guitar instrumental. It's actually probably one the easiest songs of mine to play but it's got all the elements I like in a song: groove, harmonies and a strong melody.
THE NEW RIVALS
I've always been a fan of cowboy western movies so I was trying to write somewhat of a spaghetti western theme here. I love the melodies and clean guitar tones in those old spaghetti western themes.It took on a life of its own once I started recording this song; I ended up extending the solo at the end and I tried to give it a lot more 'fire' than a traditional western theme.
SEASHELLS
My mother grew up on the Gold Coast and told me when she was a kid she would roam the beaches at Burleigh collecting seashells. I was trying to encapsulate that essence and era in a song.I love surf instrumental music, it perfectly paints a picture of that era and felt fitting to go down that road for this one. I used an old Fender Deluxe with a tape echo to give me that vintage tone.
IN GUITAR WE TRUST
I wrote this song during COVID; we'd all been locked down and I was playing my guitar a lot. I wanted to write a heavy rock piece.I had been listening to a lot of early Gary Moore and Michael Schenker at the time so there is probably some of their influence in there. I used an old 100 watt Fender Twin and a Roland GP8 on this one to give me that '80s rock flavour I was looking for.
FADING
This is my favourite track on the EP. I co-wrote it with my brother Brendan a number of years ago and we used to play it in my sibling band The Bostocks.I remember we showed it to Phil Emmanuel one day and he absolutely loved it, he even gave me a few pointers on how to approach the solo which I definitely took on board. I'm glad I was able to still remember those ideas and get them recorded in the song.
Robbie returns once again to Blues On Broadbeach in his home town this month, with multiple performances across the festival locked in.
"My shows at Blues On Broadbeach will be half singing and half instrumental, I do like to sing as well," shares Robbie.
"I'll play my own stuff as well as some classics. "Ten years ago, I released a collaboration album at the festival with Phil Emmanuel, so I will also play some songs from that album in honour of Phil's legacy."
Robbie Bostock 2023 Tour Dates
Fri 19 May - The Lucky Squire @ Blues On Broadbeach (Gold Coast)Sat 20 May - Sage Restaurant @ Blues On Broadbeach (Gold Coast)
Sun 21 May - Sage Restaurant @ Blues On Broadbeach (Gold Coast)
