Dustin Tebbutt

His dreamy indie/folk/pop tunes have us dreaming of travelling the world, and it’s no wonder as the young musician fancies a bit of exploration himself. We had a chat with Dustin about taking adventures, his time in Sweden and his love for Thom Yorke.
How are you and what are you up to at the moment?
I’m really good thanks! I’ve been writing a lot of music and today I’m tinkering away in the studio.. there’s some new sounds and space coming into the mix, which is fun. That and I’ve just started trying to surf!
Your clip for ‘Bones’ was in an incredible location but I saw you’ve been doing a bit more location scouting, is it for another music clip?  
Yeah, there’s always a few things at the back of my mind that I’m working on. I was in search of the right beach to do some test shots and see if this idea that I’ve had for a song would work. I think I found the spot!
Do you enjoy taking little adventures like that and discovering new places?
Absolutely, even just getting on the open road for a few hours. I grew up in the country and, although I love living in Sydney now, it’s always nice to get back to some space.
Sweden must have been a pretty incredible experience too, I imagine that time would have been full of adventures! 
Yeah that was a big one! It seems a world away now, but there were so many unbelievable moments from that time.. I met a lot of amazing people, and grew so much.
Do you think living there has really shaped your music? 
I really do, I met a few musicians over there that I learnt a lot from, and not just musically, but just new ways of seeing things. A lot of that was from subtle cultural differences. The landscape up there is amazing too, and I really fell in love with the natural environment, the dramatic seasons, I feel like a lot of that has changed the sounds and moods I use now.
I love that you share other artists’ music on your Facebook page too, do you think it’s important to share the love? 
I think sharing music is awesome. That’s the only way I find new stuff – other people putting me onto it – so when I find something that really connects it just seems right to let people know about it.
You seem to share a bit from Thom Yorke too, is he a favourite musician of yours? 
Yeah, definitely! Both Radiohead and Thom Yorke are big influences on me. They’ve managed to keep growing and pushing their creative boundaries over so many years.. I really respect that.
I understand that you used to make your music quite privately, does it feel good to be putting it out there and having people receive it so well? 
Yeah, it does! It takes it to a new level, both playing live more and getting feedback from the recorded stuff. I try not to ever think about how it’s going to be received when I’m making new stuff but once it’s done, that act of sharing it is really exciting.
Have you noticed much of a change in your performances in the past 12 months? 
Yeah, I’ve changed quite a lot actually – just getting more comfortable on stage really. It’s a bit of a process putting a show together, and every night it is a different beast. You test things out and sometimes they work other times they don’t. 12 months ago though I was doing a lot of solo shows now it’s more of a band vibe.
Well we look forward to seeing (and hearing) much more from you in 2015, and thanks for the chat! Is there anything you’d like to add before we finish up? 
No, that’s all, good! Oh, I did just come across this album by a band called Clogs. It’s one of the guys from The National collaborating with a bunch of people, including Sufjan Stevens. Definitely worth checking out! Looking forward to the show, and thanks for the chat!
When&Where: Karova Lounge, Ballarat – March 27