Australian singer/songwriter David Willersdorf is about to release his next album, ‘Outside the Inside’. Heading off on a tour of Australia’s east coast in support of the album – which includes the single ‘Outside Yourself’, the 46-year-old who’s based on the Sunshine Coast speaks with DAVID ADAMS about the journey he’s been on to embrace a more authentic sound…
Sunshine Coast singer/songwriter David Willersdorf is about to release his next album, Outside the Inside. Heading off on a tour of Australia’s east coast in support of the album – which includes the single Outside Yourself, the 46-year-old who’s based on the Sunshine Coast speaks with DAVID ADAMS about the journey he’s been on to embrace a more authentic sound…
Congratulations on the latest single, Outside Yourself. Can you tell us, what’s the single about and where did the inspiration for it come from?
“I guess the song is really about not getting caught up in our own internal dialogue, in our own problems…and, I guess, the concept of paying it forward and being kind to other people. I know I get so busy trying to survive this life and everything that gets thrown at you everyday, that sometimes it can get really overwhelming…and, if other people are like me, I kind of internalise a lot of things. I’ve realised that by focusing on other people and helping other people with their challenges – living with that kind of outward focus, the benefit of that to myself is that it gives you the perspective that you need on things that you face every day.”
Is there a faith aspect to that as well?
“Yes, I’m a Christian and I believe…that we’re not supposed to be doing life on our own; that even if we feel lonely, there’s a sense of divine love and interaction for us in life. I guess the very first time that it was ever shown was really God creating us to do life with Him, to be enjoyed by God, and to also find that perspective of enjoying God….[So], I’m always thinking ‘God, this life isn’t just for me to live, it’s for us to share, and for me to live with God, the designer’. And so kindness starts with God and the rest of us just keep paying it forward. So there’s definitely a faith aspect in there…”
David Willersdorf.
IN SHORT – DAVID WILLERSDORF
A person I admire?…”My Dad has always been someone who has lived what he says. He’s the most genuine person I think I’ve ever seen in my entire life.”
A song that’s impacted me?…”There’s so many. One of the songs I’ve been listening to over and over at the moment is Don’t You Remember by Adele. It’s just so soulful, it’s really honest, raw and vulnerable which I think is really ticking a few boxes for me at the moment.”
A verse from the Bible that’s speaking to me?…”There’s a verse in Romans 15:13 – it’s basically about God overflowing hope.”
I gather that the album, Outside the Inside, which is going to be released on 7th September, carries a similar sort of theme throughout?
“Yes, I think most of us have come through some tough times and it feels like a lot of people are just coming to terms with how to live life in this day and age where there’s a lot of financial struggles out there, there’s a lot of questions about who we are and our values and, I guess, how we can survive the world at large…
“I’ve definitely had some struggles the last couple of years that have become songs on the Outside the Inside album. I’m writing about my struggles as well as the struggles of the world at large and how you cope with those and how you find a way forward…And there’s a few quirky songs on there too which are also [express] my sense of the ridiculousness of life. Sometimes I find myself that the laughter and the joy of things are a way to get through…”
You’ve mentioned the personal struggles you’ve had over the past few year. Is there one you can tell us about and how it was resolved – or maybe it wasn’t resolved, but how you coped with it?
“I’ve been fortunate enough that I don’t suffer from clinical depression or anything but…I guess as a songwriter and a musician, you do see that music doesn’t seem to have the financial value that it once did. A lot of people want to stream music or borrow music or rent music and, as an independent musician, a lot of the pressure of where that hits the road eventually ends up with me just trying to survive. I guess sharing things which have immense value to me as a singer/songwriter and seeing that the world at large doesn’t necessarily value it as financially as it once did, eventually you do ask yourself the question, ‘Is this worth it, should I keep doing this?’ And, of course, I find that writing songs is not just about writing a commercial hit or anything like that – I think I’d always be writing songs even I wasn’t a professional musician…So that’s kind of been my main struggle – ‘Where do I fit in the world?’ And I think a lot of people ask themselves that question every day.”
You obviously have an idea of what the public might be looking for – how do you maintain your integrity in terms of the songs you write; that they’re authentically ‘you’, rather than something which might be a hit? Is that a temptation at all?
“I guess, over the years, you kind of work out that you can write a song that is a hit song by [following] certain formulas…But I think my biggest problem – and my biggest joy – is that I do write songs which are really authentic to me musically…The last two albums [Outside the Inside and Fire This Love] are really authentic to me musically…and it’s not necessarily going to be everyone’s cup of tea. But I do know that there’s a lot of people [with whom] it just really seems to be resonating.”
Where do you see yourself sitting genre-wise; how would you describe your sound?
“I always describe myself as a ‘vintage singer/songwriter. I grew up with the sounds of, in Christian music, Larry Norman, Keith Green, Second Chapter of Acts, and, in mainstream music, Elton John, Billy Joel, Carole King. So there’s the old-school kind of singer/songwriter [with] elements of the Gospel music I grew up with and crossing into the soul kind of genre – a ‘blue-eyed soul’ they used to call it. And then I really also have a little bit of blues and jazz in there as well. But I think it’s all summed up in that ‘vintage singer/songwriter’ [label]…”
Last time we spoke in 2015 you were about to head over to Nashville to collaborate with [award-winning Australian artist] Rick Price. Outside the Inside is now your second collaboration with him, so that’s obviously gone well?
“Well, Rick is just one of those wonderful people in life that you hope you’ll meet. He’s become such a good friend and he completely understands where I’m coming from as an artist and as a songwriter…I’ve worked with a lot of people in music and it’s rare that you come across someone who’s such a kindred spirit musically. And he’s also really able to assemble the right musicians to work with and then the right engineers to plumb the depths of the kind of music that I’m wanting to do.”
You also talked, last time we spoke, about releasing new projects under a new musical identity, ‘The Free’. What happened there?
“Rick and I – when I was recording the [first] album – we were talking about it and I realised that I kind of feel like I’m finding my authenticity as an artist now – I feel… like I’m finding my voice, not that the previous music wasn’t me, but I feel like I’m journeying in a really authentic way and it kind of made sense to keep my own name, to be authentic, I guess, to my journey. It was just a real sense of walking through that – ‘This is me, this is David Willesdorf, this is the music I’m about’.”
You’re about to head off on a tour of Australia’s east coast. How does touring compare with recording – do you have a preference or enjoy both?
“They’re vastly different things. Recording in Nashville is an interesting thing in that you’re meeting musicians for the first time and they’re literally spending a day playing their part on your songs. And then [there’s touring in Australia] using lots of different musicians who I’ve known most of my life…
“I still play a lot with the band in Australia but sometimes it can just be me on a stage…it’s all kind of different depending on where I’m at and what finances allow…But the thing I really enjoy about touring is the people, it’s the connections…That’s the main difference between recording and touring…”
What type of venues do you play typically?
“The more I’m playing, the more various my concerts are getting…Because I’m out there playing originals as an independent artist, you end up playing a lot of quirky venues – wherever people will appreciate original music. So that can be a blues or jazz club or a church hall or school or a coffee warehouse…or a village green, outdoor amphitheatres, farms, house concerts – like the back deck of someone’s house. And then there’s the kind of normal auditoriums and places.
“I guess, too, I’m celebrating my faith all the time as well, even though my concerts can sometimes be what I call ‘mainstream concerts’. A lot of the time I’ll join with churches to do something that’s bridge-building and celebrating my journey with God but sometimes I’ll be playing in a pub somewhere. I’ll always honour the platform I’m given, so I’m not going to be a Billy Graham in a pub, I’m just going to give people a really great time, playing some really great music, and we always endeavour to do that.”
You’re also doing some work with the homeless? What’s that about?
“Across my tour, I’m always looking for ways we can ‘pay it forward’ and do things which are not just a concert. So I have these ‘mercy projects’ where I’ll either do a concert that’s going raise funds for a local homeless mission – like we’re doing in Marrickville – and [then] I’m doing another concert down in North Hobart that’s going to be supporting an orphanage in Kenya. And then we’ve got what we call ’10 tins concerts’ where people can bring 10 tins of food instead of buying a ticket to the concert…and we donate that to the local community afterwards.
“I have a lot of fun doing some of these mercy initiatives through my tours. I always look for one or two things I can do with the concert that will benefit local people or international charities…I kind of really have a sense of responsibility to do something bigger than just playing music, as much as I love playing music…It’s really great to do something that has a longer term effect on a town.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
For tour dates, head to www.davidwillersdorf.com.
