Blues and folk singer-songwriter Black Rabbit George is playing Blues On Broadbeach this weekend.
The name Black Rabbit George may not be familiar, but Paul George could be. Despite going solo recently, Paul is still one half of Australian indie-electronic band Tijuana Cartel, known for their energetic festival vibes and stage presence.
Though for a little change of musical pace, Black Rabbit George was born. “I’ve always had a bit of a love and fascination for a bit more darker, folk music and it’s just an opportunity to self-indulge in that,” the guitarist and singer-songwriter says.
“[Black Rabbit George’s music] is a lot more blues and folk based. Tijuana Cartel has a very electronic and Middle Eastern flavour to it, so they’re different in almost every way.”
Although as many band members find when they go solo, being alone on the road has its ups and downs. “I find the hardest bits are talking in between songs… When you’re sitting down in a room, looking at people, you have to wrack your brain for stories and anecdotes.
“It’s bad in some ways, because I have to take on all the stress. It’s nice to have someone to bounce off when you’re writing. When I’m by myself, I have to bounce songs off a few people that I can trust, because it is lonely writing songs by yourself.”
For those concerned about how his electronic writing will convert to folk music, rest assured that Paul’s talents for songwriting have transferred perfectly from the excitement of Tijuana Cartel to the smoother sounds of his new genre.
Ever since his youth, he’s been inspired by the plethora of famous songwriters and the music of Black Rabbit George showcases that. “I think we’re really affected by music we heard in our youth. It’s said that we spend our adult life trying to recreate our youth, and I do believe that a little bit,” Paul says.
“I’m very much influenced by what I listened to as a kid, anything from Judy Collins to Janis Joplin to Bob Dylan, into the late ‘60s, early ‘70s. That’s from my mother’s record collection.”
Named after the ‘grim reaper of the rabbit world’ from the ’70s psycho-thriller animation ‘Watership Down’, Black Rabbit George isn’t your typical blues and folk guitarist. Paul’s latest work embraces the dark side of his namesake, with far darker songwriting than blues fans might be used to. “[My music’s] a little darker than what I’ve seen around at the moment and I really think it sticks out lyrically.
“I touch on darker subjects that I’m hearing around on the Australian scene, lyrically and guitar approach.”
Though the future of Black Rabbit George lies in the hands of fate at the moment and with two acts on the go, Paul’s certainly a busy man. “At the moment, I’m moving house and setting up a studio, so I’m just writing as much material as possible and we’ll see from there.”
He’s bringing Black Rabbit George to the Blues On Broadbeach weekend, in between gigs with Tijuana Cartel on the duo’s national ‘Endlessly’ tour.
Though if you’re joining Paul for his two festival shows, expect something more mellow than Tijuana, but a little more upbeat for Black Rabbit. “For Blues On Broadbeach, we’ll be bringing a trumpet player, a drummer and a double bass player along as well.”
Black Rabbit George plays Blues On Broadbeach 19-22 May.
