There is no doubt that artists and musicians are being hard hit by the nature of the COVID-19 lockdown we are currently experiencing.
I have written on Pistol Pete’s changes and The Blues Train but thought I should chat to a local performer about how things have changed for him.
Ethan Farmer is a guitarist I have been listening to since he was about 15 and started coming to Sleepy Hollow Blues Club and playing in the jam. Watching him develop and mature has been fascinating, and last year he was able to attend a summer school at the Berklee School of Music in New York.
We spoke by phone, but that is something which has not really changed for most writers, for us, face to face is less of an issue!
I suggested to Ethan that lockdown must be a pain – “actually it’s been good and bad” he responded. Performing online has changed from “playing for people, not in front of people. Getting a one-person handclap at the end of an item is odd though.”
Ethan’s happy to be at home practising and writing and live-streaming. “It’s a little frustrating, but there’s nothing we can do about it really.”
His brother Tom is back in Geelong, who was without work and alone in Melbourne. “It’s been nice because he plays bass and keys. It’s been a lot of fun. We have done one Instagram feed together a month or two ago and it went well, we’d like to do another one.”
Recently Ethan appeared in an online festival with his band. “We each recorded and filmed a part and I edited them together. So, there was a video and audio of us playing.”
I asked about income. “Income is variable, to be honest. People are extremely generous. The EP is up for sale and people often pay more than the specific price. People give what they can, it’s about everyone helping everyone out, [Pistol] Pete’s keeping the live music going, we’re making do.
“I guess you’d say, I’m pretty lucky. I don’t have to support a family with my income, there are people doing it a lot harder.”
Ethan was supposed to go back to Berklee in September when their autumn semester starts, but even if Australia opens up, America is still in a problem. “There’s nothing really we can do, just wait and see what happens, Australia is very lucky to be doing as well as it is compared to America”.
So, what’s next for Ethan?
“It really depends on how things happen, I am still planning eventually to get back to the US, some promo gigs, maybe a tour for the EP. It’s kind of tricky to plan stuff, not knowing when things will open up, we’re taking it pretty much ‘in the moment’. Now I’m at home and not gigging, I can put some time in making demos, it’s not been too bad.”
Ethan is also finishing a single to go out later this year.
Hopefully, things will open up enough for Ethan to get to Berkeley before too long. By the time he gets back, we’ll be ready for a top gig!
Check out Ethan’s EP below.
Written by Dr John Lamp
Photo by Kim Patrick Callow
