BJ Humphrey
How did your creative journey begin?
It was a warm Summer’s night in 2008: the wind was gently blowing from the West and crickets were chirping… I jest! When I started high school I was encouraged by my folks to give everything a go, so I joined the band program and started learning trombone. I fell in love with music instantly and by the end of the year I started learning bass guitar too. That was 14 years ago and I've been hungry for more ever since: learning guitar, singing, drums, keyboard, mandolin, banjo - the list goes on. The performing arts department at Ballarat High School was monumental in fostering my passion and excitement for music early on and provided plenty of opportunity in my formative years to experiment and gain experience.
How would you describe your practice?
I am a singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, audio engineer and producer. My time is split evenly between writing music and recording it. I write a lot of music, both as a solo performer and as a member of countless bands, so I learnt to record and produce songs out of necessity to keep track of everything. I spend most of my time in front of a computer writing, arranging, recording, editing, starting over, rewriting, arranging, recording, starting over (again) and eventually having a tasty little nugget of sound to share with the world. Spending time in a recording studio is as much a part of my life as breathing or eating: I have to do it otherwise I’ll die!
What are you working on right now?
I started a recording studio called Collage in Bridge Mall with band mates Sarah, Tim, Kaine and Pat back in May. We all needed a place to rehearse, record and be creative with our bands and we happened across this beautiful old building at just the right time. It's been great having a creative space in the heart of Ballarat where we can collaborate, hang out and - most importantly - make loud, harmonious noises 'til the early morning.
I've released parts one and two of my solo album 'Wonderland' this year (available on all your favourite music platforms), with parts three and four due out by the end of the year. There will be 16 songs on the finished album, sharing stories of love, heartache, growth, escapism and more written over the last seven or so years. I wrote, recorded and produced almost everything on the record, with Griffin McGookin lending his drumming prowess and Paula Maki playing some sultry saxophone on part 4. It's been a fun project to stretch my legs musically, try some new things (there's plenty of open tunings and slide guitar playing all over the album) and see what I can do on my own!
Haven City is a new acoustic duo with Sarah Spaven. We've been writing songs together since the beginning of the year and have just done our first few gigs. We're aiming to start recording some songs in September and release some tunes soon!
Apex Bloom are up to wild shenanigans as usual. We've written a lot of new music during our stay at Collage and have a double single 'Living Without You/Convenient Store' out on September 21st.
What is your connection to Ballarat?
I was born in Ballarat and have lived here my whole life. I worked at Midwest Music for years keeping strings on the guitars of Ballarat’s fine musicians, I currently teach guitar and bass at three high schools here and I've been doing gigs around town for a decade now.
How would you describe the creative community in Ballarat?
The community here is so supportive! It feels like that small town vibe where everyone knows each other and it’s so easy to find other like-minded creatives when it comes time to collaborate on a project. As a band, you’re only one or two connections away from a photographer for photo shoots, visual artist for album artwork or cinematographer for film clips. Local bands are always looking out for each other: lending gear, time, expertise and opportunity whenever someone is in need.
Can you give us three words to sum up your inspiration?
Never stop learning.
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