The New South Wales Central Coast is, rather unexpectedly, shaping up to be our own version of 1920s Paris. The music and art that has started to emerge from our northern neighbours has struck a chord not just within Sydney – where the gregarious folk duo Winterbourne can often be found busking around Pitt Street – but across Australia. There’s clearly something in the surf up there granting them preternatural talent. Or, you know, perhaps it’s just a more inspiring way of life.
“I’m not sure why it’s taking off like it is,” muses Winterbourne’s James Draper. “There’s plenty of great music happening here now. I’d say it’s definitely something to do with the lifestyle, though it wouldn’t be on the same chilled-out level as somewhere like Byron. I think that’s probably a good thing though, sitting somewhere in the middle. We’re relaxed but not too relaxed. We don’t want to start putting anyone to sleep.”
Since Winterbourne’s intrepid beginnings as the band Everything After (“We stole the name from Counting Crows”), it’s become increasingly unlikely they’ll lull audiences to sleep. Not only has their performance ethos seen them support a variety of other artists – Patrick James and Little May among them – but it has also led the duo, completed by Jordan Brady, to develop a firm affection for busking. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the skills developed by needing to capture the attention of total strangers can come quite in handy for an emerging band.
“Busking is such a strange thing,” says Draper. “We haven’t done it for a couple of months, though we used to do it all the time. I think when we were first starting out, that’s what gave us confidence. We realised that all these random people are really enjoying what we’re doing, which is probably a good sign that we should keep doing it. And once we did have that confidence, we were able to convert that to the stage. I think a lot of times when we perform we still feel that need to really grab everyone’s attention. When you’re playing in, say, Pitt Street Mall and you’re trying to get everyone to listen, it’s a very different thing to finding yourself with people having paid to see you. But we keep coming back to it because it’s really so much fun. To set up on a Saturday afternoon and all of a sudden there’s a hundred people in a circle watching your music – obviously sometimes it’s going to be a terrible experience; it might be freezing or you won’t sell anything. But that’s busking, I guess. Usually it’s a pretty nice feeling.”
The potential to make new fans is certainly one of the great benefits of public performance, but the stagecraft Draper and Brady have found themselves adopting translates almost directly into the style of show they hope to provide to crowds they have already won over. After all, there’s nothing worse than catching a gig from one of your favourite bands, only to walk away unenthused.
“Busking encourages you to really connect with the audience. When I see a show, I love that feeling of coming away knowing I’ve really engaged with that performer, they’ve made me laugh or I’ve been really moved by the songs. I don’t want to just go see a band play through a set that sounds exactly like their record and then you’re out of there. So we try really hard to make sure we bring a good show and keep the audience involved. That’s important.”
Promoting All But The Sun will see Winterbourne strike out across the country on their first headlining gigs. Although they have been honing their craft for years now, this release marks their first EP – a kind of ‘best of, so far’. The timeframe for an album release, though, is still uncertain.
“We’re really not sure!” Draper laughs. “We have this conversation all the time. We’ve always wanted to build up to an album, but we’ve wanted to make sure that when we do, there should be enough momentum that it’s going to go out in a style that we like. So until we’re confident that can happen, then we’ll probably keep trying to build our fan base and make sure our writing is at the stage we want it to be.
“We don’t want to just make an album and throw it out there and then wish we’d waited for the right time. Our dream has always been to do it though, so I don’t think it’s too far away.”
Before we release Draper back into the wild, conversation turns to the origins of the band’s name. The word ‘winterbourne’ means a river that only flows after wet weather, which seems odd inspiration. As it turns out, the original roots are more familial.
“Winterbourne is actually my aunty’s surname. I had to ring them up and ask them if we could use it for the band. My little cousin back in England, he told his mum the other day that he’s having trouble at school because he told all his friends that he knew this band. Not that we’re very big over there in the UK, but still, nobody believed him. So he’s now requested a signed CD with a little personalised message proving he’s my cousin.” He laughs. “So I guess that means we’re famous now, right?”
All But The Sun out now through Island/Universal. Winterbourne playNewtown Social Club onSaturday March 21 andThe Lair, Metro Theatre on Sunday March 22,withGordi in support. They’re alsoappearing at Moonshine, Manly on Thursday March 19 and Lizotte’s Newcastle on Thursday March 26.
