Gifted Melbourne guitarist and lyrical wordsmith, Hamish Anderson’s career is on an upward trajectory that seems impossible of stopping. He has recently released a new single, Burn from his forthcoming EP, Restless (out November 7) and is currently touring America, with some of those gigs supporting the great BB King no less. Recorded live in three days on the floor at Henson Studios (Joni Mitchell, Rolling Stones, Carole King) in LA with Krish Sharma (Rolling Stones, Counting Crowes) at the helm, the Restless EP features some world class musicians including Grammy Award Winner, Greg Leisz (Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen) on floor steel guitar and Matt Johnson (Jeff Buckley) on drums. Anderson returns to Australia for a national tour beginning on November 13 in Melbourne. In between American dates, Hamish took some time out for a quick Q&A with Australian Musician.
What was your first guitar?
I forget the exact model but it was an orange Ibanez.
What’s your main guitar now?
The main guitar I’ve been using recently is a ’52 Fender Telecaster.
Through what amp and why?
Fender twins are generally my go to for an amp, beautiful cleans, breaks up real nicely…can’t beat a Tele through a twin.
Which pedals are your standards?
I always find if I use more then 6 pedals on my rig something goes wrong, so I try and keep it simple. My main pedals are a T-Rex Mudhoney Distortion, Fulltone Octafuzz II OF-2, A Boss RV-5 Digital Reverb, A Keeley Katana Boost, and a Boss DD-7 Digital Delay.
What’s your latest recording and when will you be back in the studio?
My latest release is my second EP titled “Restless” and I’m heading back into the studio this week to start working on some demos for what will most likely end up being my first full length album release.
What gigs have you been playing lately?
I’ve been playing various dates around the US and just opened up for B.B. King on his most recent tour dates.
Most memorable gig?
Well, since we just touched on it, opening up for BB King was pretty legendary for me. I don’t think I will ever forget how that felt.
Worst stage nightmare?
There are endless things I could list here but generally technically difficulties (pedal problems, amp problems etc) are what freak me out the most.
Album that changed your life?
Definitely The Beatles “White Album”, it’s what made me want to be a musician.
What gigs are coming up in the next few months?
I’ve got some shows in Austin Texas, then the CMJ Music Marathon in NYC and after that I’m heading back to Australia for a string of shows to support the EP release.
A guitar tip for the kids?
Practice. Practice. Practice. And go deep on music when you find songs that move you.