Through the conscious and heartfelt songs composing Solace, the U.S. debut of Australian surf/roots artist Xavier Rudd, there’s stories of the mistreatment of the indigenous people of his homeland and songs about humanity, spirituality and the environment, compassionate songs encouraging understanding and looking to celebrate life. And running through those songs are all sorts of instruments: guitars, shakers, didgeridoos, Weissenborn slide guitars, Tongue drums, stomp boxes, djembes, harmonica, ankle bells, and slide banjo—and they’re all played by Rudd. Even more impressive, though, he recreates these songs live—playing the guitar, didgeridoo and various percussion parts simultaneously—using a unique stage set-up that finds him literally surrounded by his various instruments and singing from behind a stand holding three didgeridoos (of different keys). It’s a sight to behold for sure, one that’s drawn him a “one-man band†label from impressed critics, a tag that makes him grin: “I never really planned all the stuff I have around me. I never sat down one day and said, ‘I’m going to have all these things around me and I’m gonna try to use it all at once.’ It just sort of grew. I would just add things here or there. Sometimes I look at my setup now and I laugh.â€
Listen to our brief conversation here.
