On The Record with Bofolk Ballico

1. The First Record I Bought

I remember it coming in the mail. Though this is before eBay, so I’m not sure how it was purchased. But it was an Elvis Presley ‘greatest hits’ CD. I’m not sure why my parents bought it, neither of them being massive fans. But Mr. Presley’s been with me in one way or another since I was about six years old. No matter how far I go, I can always return to an Elvis CD, even a movie.

2. The Last Record I Bought

I actually think it was The Hedonists’ debut album, Terrible Things. They launched their album last month and I grabbed myself a copy after the gig. I know the guys in the band and their music is tops.

3. The First Thing I Recorded

I started playing guitar when I was about 14. I learned about ten chords and then stopped. I’ve mastered those chords but I haven’t learned anything new. I figured out how to write songs without anything else. I’m pretty sentimental. So recordings, photos, anything with memories attached, I usually hold onto. My first recordings are very hard for me to listen to. Which they should be, I guess. I wouldn’t want to listen to myself at age 17 and think that nothing’s changed.

4. The Last Thing I Recorded

My most recent recording is my upcoming EP release, Top Five Songs. It’s a collection of five original songs with an acoustic accompaniment. Two guitars, a bass, a bucket, a tambourine and a harmonica. The bucket sounds better than you’d think. We rehearsed for over a month and then recorded the songs live at Impromptu Music in Newcastle. All the songs were recorded live, with no room for error. So when you hear a mistake, it’s intentional, for charm. How do I show sarcasm in print?

5. The Record That Changed My Life

Frank Turner, Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan and Garth Brooks helped me find my voice. I hope those guys are never in the same room together. But my all-time favourite record is In The Aeroplane Over The Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel. My friend Spencer showed me the album when I was 16. It grew on me. And I think it may have been my first exposure to music that wasn’t ‘pretty’, an acquired taste. It was mind-blowing to me that someone could sing like Jeff Mangum and it worked! I spent free periods in high school laying on picnic tables listening to the album on repeat.

Get unlimited access to the coverage that shapes our culture.

Subscribe to Rolling Stone magazine

Subscribe to Rolling Stone magazine