Interview by Brooke Gibbs.

Following two stellar sets at Tamworth Country Music Festival, Futuremag Music caught up Australian alt-country artist Bud Rokesky about his new singles, Six Months, and Beer Number 5.

FMM: This is an exciting week for you because we're quickly approaching the release of your new singles, Six Months and Beer No.5. How are you feeling?

Bud: Yeah, very excited, actually. These are a little different from my previous stuff and a bit more fun, so I'm pretty excited to get the vibe out there and see what's happening.

FMM: Mentioning that these are a bit different to your previous work, tell us a bit about the inspiration behind these releases and what they mean to you personally.

Bud: Yeah, so I guess they're basically both songs about almost wishing you were somewhere else or maybe getting out of work. Funnily enough, I wrote them while at work driving the truck. Both of them I wrote in the trailers while I was unloading. On different days, obviously, but, yeah, talking with some people, just chatting with blokes at work and stuff. Then these songs just sort of came out of that and driving along gave me a lot of time to write and just flesh them out. They were both done in about a day each, to be honest.

FMM: That's incredible because the songs are really good, so to hear you've done them in about a day, that's very impressive.

Bud: Cool. Thank you.

FMM: I’d love to hear about your creative process because it sounds like these songs have been written on the road or while you're at work. Do you record them as you're going about your day or what's the creative process like to get them done in a day?

Bud: Yeah, so I'll say I start pretty early in the morning. I find that's the most creative time when I wake up really early. I don't know about other rock stars and stuff. They seem to always be late at night, that sort of thing. But I'm an early riser, maybe just conditioned from work. But, yeah, I'll get in the truck and then just start driving off. I decide whether or not I'm going to listen to music on the radio or on the speakers. If I choose not to, then usually the music in my head just keeps going around. I decide not to listen, so then I know I'm going to write, but then I'll just start listening. Pretty much from the time I leave to, by the time I get to where my first place is that I'm delivering to, I'll have just an idea come in. From that, while I'm unloading, I'll usually just go on more about the idea and try and find the melodic hook that goes with it. Once that's locked in, for the rest of the day, it's just a matter of writing the story and filling it out and getting my ideas clearer. By the end of the day, on the drive home, that's when it's usually all finished and just in the voice memos on my phone.

FMM: And mentioning the hooks, these releases, as well as your previous releases, they really resonate with people because they're relatable. How do you go about crafting the melodies to portray that songwriting?

Bud: Yeah, I remember when I was really young, my grandma said that each word has its own sound, almost like a melodic sound. I think if I have the lyrical hook, say in these songs, it's the six months or six-month vacation, two times a year. When you say that, or when you just start to sing it, it already has its own thing built into it. So, you just kind of follow along with that and find something that is original, I guess. In terms of the idea or theme, those things just come about because I am literally at work, and these are stories that have happened. It's basically just telling it like it is, so there's no real trickery in that part. It's just, what would I want? This is what it is. Okay, I'm going to write that down.

FMM: I think that's what makes your music very relatable as well. I'm sure there's many people in the same position, which brings us to a bit of a fun question. You've mentioned that Six Months is about wanting to get away and go on vacation, so where would you like to get away to?

Bud: It's a tough one. When I was at Tamworth Country Music Festival, I went around and asked a few people where they would want to go, and it was amazing. I think about 80, 90% of people said places in Australia, but I've never been to the States, and I know that if I went there, there'd be about 400 songs that I could write just from that experience. I'd love to go there for six months or longer. That'd be great.

FMM: Yes, there'll definitely be lots of inspiration there that you can get from it.

Bud: Yeah, for sure, and away from the truck would be good, too.

FMM: Definitely. So, Tamworth Country Music Festival. You recently performed there and did two really great sets. What are some of your favourite memories from that experience?

Bud: I think playing with the band. I had a really good group of guys come together and we didn't have any time to rehearse, so the shows were just hit the ground running and they were so good. The band were amazing. I've known them as well from previous things as well, but when you're up there, you're sort of a deer in headlights and you're thinking, how's this going to go? Then you hear behind you that they've got your back from the start and that everything's going to be okay, and then you get to just enjoy the magic of things happening in the moment and they're all going right for the rest of the show. I think that's really good. But also, I really love meeting people who come along and have come along to see me play and just know what their lives are like because you find the similarities. We all work full time and we all juggle everything around us, but they can see what my dreams are. What are their dreams? That's the stuff that I love finding out about, just to know more about them, I guess.

FMM: It sounds like you've got a really supportive band as well, which is the main thing when you perform, too.

Bud: Definitely, yeah.

FMM: So the Country Music Festival, it's well known for its atmosphere and sense of community. What does performing at an event like this mean for you as an artist?

Bud: So my first ever Tamworth was last year, and that was really eye opening. It was cool to see and just how fluid it is. Friends of mine have said that when you get down there, you just jump on people's sets and jump on songs, and nothing's really fully organised. Some things are, but some things aren't, and I've never really experienced that before in a musical setting. So, going down there last year was really eye opening and meeting so many people last year that when I went down again this year, I thought, oh, how's it going to be? Will it work out? But I just caught up with so many people that I knew, which I didn't realise. I knew so many people in the music industry and other artists and things as well that I've become really good friends with. So, it's just like a big catch up. I fully understood the vibe and the theme of Tamworth is everyone just goes down there and it's a big reunion, basically, just everyone in the one spot all the time. You can go and see everyone, see your friends, go and party afterwards, everything. It's a lot of fun.

FMM: Yeah, it sounds like a great experience, and I'd love to hear your thoughts about where the music industry in Australia is at today and where you think it might go in the next couple of years.

Bud: Yeah, when you listen to other artists being interviewed and they get asked this question and a lot of them say it's really exciting. And I think, well, I've never thought about that question before, but when you ask that, I genuinely am really excited for the Australian musicians and artists that are. It's almost like we've all, I guess with, say, globalisation, everything's getting smaller, so we all kind of feel like we're all in it all together anyway. It's not like Australia versus everyone else. We're all just here. It's a global market, I guess, if you want to look at it that way. But I know some of our stories and the things that we sing about will be specifically related to Australia. I'm kind of rambling here as opposed to the point that I was headed towards, but I'm excited because it feels like everyone's stepped it up. The only thing kind of holding everyone back is the fact that you have to juggle full time work and the cost of living and all that stuff with trying to create art, I guess. But in a way that kind of, if coal doesn't have pressure, you don't get diamonds, basically, something along those lines. I think it really forces people to step it up, I guess, and know what they want and really chase what they want, so then no one has time for just filler. It's just the best of everything they've got. I think that's what I'm really enjoying about the music that's coming out at the moment is that everyone's just putting it, laying everything on the line. This is it.

FMM: Yeah, it’s incredible to hear the music that is coming out, especially, as you mentioned, that most artists are balancing it with full-time work and other commitments as well.

Bud: Definitely, yeah.

FMM: How do you find that you balance it? Obviously you don't want to burn yourself out, but you've also got a factor in that you've got some live performances coming up soon as well.

Bud: Yeah, I do get a lot of comments from work colleagues and family just saying, how do you do it? How do you have the energy? Because I'm up at 3.30 in the morning and then get home at about 5 in the afternoon, and then I'm Dad and family and all that sort of stuff, get all that done, and then I try and go to bed early. So, I've got about half an hour to 45 minutes to write music or do the stuff that I've come up with during the day and then weekends and annual leave I use for shows and all those kinds of things as well. There's not a lot of downtime, but the thing that I would say is that music gives me so much energy. So even though I'm doing a lot in my downtime with music, it's actually the thing that is giving me energy. If I was just sitting on a couch somewhere reading a book, that's really cool and that is good downtime, but music just gives me so much energy. It's crazy.

FMM: Yeah, definitely. It sounds like you got a busy schedule, but it definitely helps that you’re passionate about what you do.

Bud: Definitely.

FMM: Speaking of live shows, soon you'll be touring with Brad Cox. What are some of the things that you're looking forward to and what can we expect from your performances?

Bud: I know Brad is like a really good guy, so I'm really keen to hang out with him face to face. The other one is because of who he is and his music. I know his fans are incredible people, so I'm really keen to just see them and meet them and watch how they are with his shows and stuff as well. Those are big ones. I have mostly only played the capital cities. I haven't really played too many regional shows, so I'm really excited to go out and play these smaller areas as well. I grew up in Imbal outside of Gimpy and it'll be cool to just basically feel like you're going home all the time or playing a home show all the time, except it's from Northern Queensland down to South Australia, so super excited.

FMM: We're definitely looking forward to seeing the shows and seeing your performances and what you've got in store.

Bud: Yeah, awesome.

FMM: Looking ahead at the rest of the year, so obviously this week you've got the releases, you've got some upcoming live shows. Is there any other projects you're working on that you want to share or any other comments that you want to add?

Bud: Yeah, I have kind of set myself a challenge, I guess, along the lines of laying everything out on the line is I've got a whole bunch of songs that I want to try and release this year. Amongst the work, family live shows, I'm also recording basically every weekend I can as well. Sometimes after work, I'll drive up the coast or something and get up to the studio. I'm recording a lot of music, and there's going to be a lot of music released this year, which I'm unbelievably excited about.