Charlie’s concert Wilde and raw

THE Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute will host indie-folk musician Charlie Wilde as he marks the release of his latest EP Allihies.

Performing tracks from his fourth release, Wilde will be backed by special guest support act Benjamin Trillado at the gig on Saturday, 22 January from 7.30pm.

Wilde said there are some themes that “permeate” throughout Allihies, which he will perform on the BMI’s historic piano in the “stunning and intimate” Humffray Room.

“I have this bookend of the Allihies titular track – two songs almost butting heads in one, erratic at times, sincere, multi-faceted, and raw – and the bookend of Buckleys Rd,” he said.

The EP also explores masculinity, Wilde’s anxiety, the burden of separation, familial heritage, and his relationship with his grandfather.

He said the latter theme is its own “vessel” to unpack some of these other issues.

“Musically, there’s ‘spaghetti western’ elements. I particularly loved building those sounds, as my grandfather loved old Clint Eastwood films with the rousing Ennio Morricone tracks,” he said.

As well as these bold moments, Wilde said through the EP, every now and then, there’s a “rawness and beauty” that he expects the audience will enjoy.

“With the jazz trio, and the string quartet, we’ve created Charlie Wilde tracks with a cinematic feel,” he said.

The performance will be part of a regional tour, but Wilde said he’s most excited about the BMI concert.

“I’m planning to change a few songs to accommodate that historic piano, so I’ll be spending more time on there than I would for a traditional set.

“Ben Trillado is an incredible support act. I am a big fan of his absolutely beautiful music,” Wilde said.

Wilde was a violinist for 10 years, before he developed his contemporary song writing skills more deeply on the piano, and studied music at university. Visit bit.ly/3f4V75J for tickets.