A Chat with Darren Middleton (13.02.23)
Originally a part of the Australian band Powderfinger, guitarist and singer-songwriter Darren Middleton has released a handful of hit albums and won countless ARIA Awards. Following the band’s split in 2012, Middleton continued working as a producer leading to a solo artist career. As a solo artist, he has performed on shows like The Today Show and A Day On The Green, as well as collaborating with Sahara Beck, Missy Higgens, and many more artists. We speak with Darren Middleton about his album HOME, what music means to him, his future plans, and being a musician in the 21st century.
OSR: What does music mean to you?
Middleton: A lot! It frames what we may find hard to say ourselves at times, it shares stories that allow us to realise that we are not alone in our struggles, and it is a universal language between all people.
OSR: What drew you to music and what pushes you to continue creating music?
Middleton: All of the things I mentioned basically, and finding out that I could be someone who is able to bridge stories and emotions between people…plus it is a lot of fun.
OSR: What do you believe makes you a unique artist?
Middleton: Just my firm belief in expressing myself, the way I feel things and not trying to satisfy what I ‘imagine’ people might want me to do/be. If you are trying to craft yourself to be what other people might want you to be you will always be chasing your tail and ultimately unsatisfied. Just be you in the music world.
OSR: What can you tell us about your album HOME?
Middleton: This was written and recorded at my home with contributing artists sending in parts from their homes. It is a bridging album for me as I step back towards more guitar-orientated songwriting like I used to do.
OSR: What do you hope people take from HOME and your music in general?
Middleton: Really just that if you look at yourself closely, you will find that we are not all that different. My songs are all fairly introspective and emotionally quite close to home and I find that when I’m being honest with the lyrics that is when they connect most with people.
OSR: What do you think is the most challenging aspect of being a musician in today’s society?
Middleton: Holding people’s attention. Actually, getting it in the first place. There is a lot of ‘noise’ out there, the sheer number of songs uploaded every day to digital streaming platforms is incredibly large and growing. You have to have a solid grasp of the many formats you need to interact with to have the best chance of people stopping to listen for a bit.
OSR: What do you think is the most exciting thing about being a musician in the digital era?
Middleton: The fact that you simply can make music and express yourself without needing a record label or a big budget. This is both a blessing and a curse because your competition is huge. However, quality is quality, and you have the chance to reach people if you put the work in.
OSR: Who is your favourite artist and which of their songs is your favourite?
Middleton: That is an impossible question and one that has a different answer every day. Today (and most days actually) it is The Beatles – ‘A Day In The Life’.
OSR: If you had one day to live, what would you do?
Middleton: Spend time with loved ones, remind them that they can be whoever they want to be, eat amazing food, the fanciest red wine I could find, but mostly just be around loved ones.
OSR: Do you have future plans as a musician?
Middleton: To keep my ear and heart open for that familiar ‘click’, the spark of a new song and to follow it towards another album or EP.
OSR: What advice do you have for our readers?
Middleton: If you truly are passionate about being a songwriter, then do it. Get as good as you can at your chosen instrument. Write a lot, and share it with friends for feedback- Don’t worry if your sound is not ‘cool’ right now, just do what you do. If it finds a time that it connects with people then you’re incredibly fortunate and if not, then you will still have many things to look back on with pride.
Many thanks to Darren Middleton for speaking with us. For more from Darren Middleton, check out his official Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
