Donovan Webb

IN the final instalment of our indie musician series is multi-instrumentalist and singer Donovan Webb, who said he plans to keep playing music and enjoy it… until he can’t!

What motivated you to become a musician?

My dad was a muso and I was always around bands rehearsing.

It was inevitable that I’d end up picking up an instrument at some point.

My mum and myself learnt music together with my dad’s influence.

We’ve now done countless gigs as a family unit.

How would you describe your style?

I don’t feel like I have a style that I’ve consciously developed, I enjoy playing many different (types) of music.

I don’t get too hung up on technical proficiency and lean more into the emotive content and context.

My primary background has been in the blues/rock territory and I guess you can hear that influence in my playing style.

Which other musicians inspire you?

I get inspired by seeing people loving playing music.

It can be an experienced pro guitarist with eyes closed, leaning into some awesome expressive solo, or some young kid on a drum kit with a grin from ear to ear loving what they are doing.

It gets especially inspiring when you notice how much that young kid has improved since the last gig you saw a few months ago.

Having spent my musical life bouncing around playing guitar, bass, drums and vocals in various bands, my inspirations definitely draw from many, many places.

Have you had any mentors over your career?

I have certainly had some golden advice passed to me over the years, the souls that have done the miles are well worth listening to.

They can tell you stories that can inspire you and scare you all at once!

What are some highlights you have from your time so far?

Many of them (are) probably not suitable for general publication, but road trips are always fun – you get to spend quality time with some of your best mates.

Playing shows with lots of other bands is also great fun, some shows get an awesome big muso family vibe happening, I love that stuff!

How can people check out your work online?

Two of my currently active bands (The Trip Hazard and Colonel Vipers Whipstick Band) have a small social media presence happening.

Where do you see yourself as a musician in a couple of years? What about in ten years?

The only thing I intend to do is to keep playing music and enjoy it.

My goal is to do it until I can’t.

I’d like to think that I’ll be still playing gigs in ten years time – hopefully being in my 60s is not an issue.

What would you say to young regional aspiring musicians who are thinking of making a go of the creative life?

Always love the music, let that be your primary reward.

It can be so hard for the younger generations, seeing all the content that’s pushed out there from creators, to not compare themselves to these curated images of what someone’s or some band’s life is, and think that these are real life goals.

Content creators only show the world what they want the world to see, it’s not real and it’s not truth.

Don’t let the struggles of trying to market your music and get traction in the industry take away how the music itself makes you feel.

The industry doesn’t own that, that’s yours to keep.