Tell us about your background, how did you get into music and join Voyager?
Music has always been a huge part of my life thanks to two musical parents, so it’s always surrounded me in some form, but my musical journey really started to take off when I gained a scholarship for classical guitar in Year 6. Once I picked up an electric guitar at 14, I never really looked back and started playing in bands around the local metal scene, which is where I met the other Voyager members sharing stages in our previous bands. I was approached to join Voyager and help record their second album uniVers at the end of 2005, and it only took about 30 seconds into our first rehearsal together for me to accept, that’s how right it felt.
When did you first hear about Eurovision and what has your journey been like with the contest? Have you always been a fan or is it a more recent discovery?
I first really heard about Eurovision when Danny took us to see Lordi in Germany when we were on a tour in 2006 I believe. I remember being surprised that a band like that could win what I had always thought was more of a pop contest. But I truly became more interested and gained more of an appreciation for it all through participating in 'Eurovision - Australia Decides' last year, so I’m a newbie just absorbing all the bombast that is Eurovision!
What are your passions outside of music? Tell us all about them!
I’m a bit of a nerd for anime, Star Wars, and cartoons in general. I really enjoy the Mythos behind a lot of the stories, particularly with anime. I think people automatically dismiss anything animated as “childish” or not real art, but they couldn’t be more wrong. I’ve watched more anime that has elicited an emotional response from me recently than any western show, so give it a chance I say!
If you could have a jam session with any three artists living or dead who would they be?
In terms of jamming, I would love to be able to have a guitar nerd out and jam with Gary Moore, who has been probably my biggest inspiration on guitar. I’d love to sit in a room and just observe Guthrie Govan in awe, because I’d be too frightened to jam on guitar with the greatest guitarist currently alive, and studio wise it would be incredible to work with and pick the brains of David Bowie, who has probably been the musician that’s impacted my life the most being my parents’ favourite artist.
Which Eurovision 2023 entries are some of your favourites?
Taya and Salena from Austria’s song 'Who The Hell is Edgar?' is definitely my favourite tune this year. Fun, humorous, catchy and extremely intelligent song writing. Big fan. Of course, we all loved Andrew Lambrou’s song 'Break a Broken Heart' so much, that we decided to make a metal cover of it! And Blanca Paloma’s 'EAEA' is both captivating and just vocally scary good. A beautiful and lovely human being who is just mpeccable in her performances. Legit goosebumps watching her every night at the pre parties.
Which three songs from Voyager's back catalogue do you think fans should check out?
If it’s our best songs for grabbing a listener's immediate attention, I’d say 'Ascension' from our sixth album Ghost Mile, 'Hyperventilating' from our fifth album V and probably 'Colours' from our last album Colours in the Sun. All three are tunes that have stayed in our set list since releasing, and not just because they are fan favourites, but some of our favourites to play live too and really encapsulate everything that makes a Voyager tune.
Do you have a top tip for someone visiting Western Australia? Something they must see or a hidden local gem?
You can really get a look into both worlds of WA by either travelling North or South of Perth. South Western Australia you have way more lush greens and amazing wine and produce in places like Margaret River and Albany. North Western Australia you can’t really miss places like Kalbarri (where we shot most of our 'Promise' video clip) for the gorges, Nature’s Window and Hutt Lagoon pink lake, but another one of my favourite places up North is Broome. Absolutely stunning beaches and scenery, camel rides on Cable Beach, and so much more. We went on a road trip all the way to the Northern Territory when we first migrated to Australia from Scotland in 1991, and even as a 6-7 year old child, I immediately fell in love with Broome.
Tell us a surprising fact or something we wouldn't know about another band member?
Alex is a bit of a voice over king with his ability to impersonate people and throw his voice in a manner that doesn’t even remotely sound like it’s him. He may or may not have featured on some Chicken Treat ads in the past ;)
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Follow and support Voyager at: https://ffm.bio/voyagerau
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