Independent Ocean Grove singer-songwriter Andrea Robertson has time on her hands. It’s About Time is her debut release, and one which dances from rocky, toe-tapping numbers to heart-warming ballads.
Hi Andrea, thanks for taking the time to chat with Forte. How are you and what are you up to at the moment?
Firstly, thanks to Forte for taking some time to chat with me. At the moment it really feels as though I am stepping into a whole new phase with my music. I’ve been singing/songwriting and playing music for a long time now but a few years ago I really had a sense that change was coming.
You’ve been playing music since you were a teenager. What first made you pick up an instrument and decide to be a performer?
I guess it all started for me with my parents wanting to give me (and my sisters) the opportunity to learn an instrument. We had an upright acoustic piano at home so that’s the instrument we learned – weekly lessons in classical piano were where it started for me. I’m sure financially it wasn’t always easy for mum and dad to put us through private music lessons, but they saw the value of it and definitely made sacrifices to ensure we had that opportunity.
I loved pretending I was the singer in a rock band singing along to records, making my own microphone out of a used toilet roll with some scrunched up aluminium foil in the end!
You also enjoy playing music with/to children. Why do you think it’s important for young people to get involved with music?
With children the impact music can have may be more noticeable purely because they aren’t inhibited like adults. It’s like when you go into a pre-school and start singing/playing the ‘Hokey Pokey’ or something and they just get into it right away – and wholeheartedly. I love being able to share music with people just because of the joy it brings them, but for children in particular, as it’s often a very new experience for them and they don’t let their inhibitions get in the way.
I also like the fact that it’s showing them an alternative to just staring at a device or screen.
What can listeners expect to hear in your debut release?
The songs I chose to record on this album are a bit of a blend of genres which would just flow on from what I choose to listen to myself. But I think what comes through most is a soulful-blues sound, with the songs themselves being a reflection of personal experiences; they probably give people a bit of a glimpse at what makes me tick at times and my love for my family and my life here in Ocean Grove.
You’ve got a show coming up at Saints & Sailors. What can punters look forward to in your set? Have you played that venue before?
No, I haven’t played at Saints & Sailors before and I’m very much looking forward to this gig. It’s a terrific venue that we have right here on the Bellarine in Portarlington.
I’ll have good friend and guitarist Ben Howlett joining me and drummer/husband David Robertson also playing. We’ll be doing songs off the CD, some new material I’ve written that audiences have responded well to and also the odd cover, just in case people want to be able to sing along with something at some point during the evening!
Thanks again for taking the time to chat with Forte. Is there anything you’d like to add before we finish up?
As you can see, I have trouble keeping things brief, so maybe I should just end it there! Thanks Forte – keep up the good work promoting local music with your magazine.
When&Where: Saints & Sailors, Portarlington – August 23; Café Maritana, Barwon Heads – August 28; and The Mall, Geelong – August 29