My guest on this episode is guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer Tim Henwood.
I got to know Tim while working with him in musicals like Kinky Boots and Mamma Mia, but most of the world knows him from his hit songs and string of successful Australian bands. He’s been a key player in The Superjesus, The Androids, Rogue Traders and is now the front man of Palace of The King.
In this episode we discuss:
- Tim’s beginnings as a classical guitarist
- Playing Kiss songs in the garage with his cousin Kevin
- His first gigs at the age of 12
- How Tim left school at 16 and began an apprenticeship as a carpenter where he was “a little kid in a grown up world”
- “I learnt if you work hard, that not only is the end result better, but essentially you get rewarded better.”
- How a crazy Spaniard taught Tim how to diffuse tense situations
- The early days when he was “the junior” and earning less than everyone else on the gig
- The asset of being the young guy in the band and the value you can bring
- “I don’t want to have a life that’s based on making money.”
- “If you’re a good person, people are more inclined to want to help you.”
- “My 16 year old self would have had a heart attack and said ‘you’re kidding me! You mean I’m going to do all that?!’”
- Facing the idea of being a heritage act
- About putting music to the side — “I’ll go down in flames before that happens.”
- How Palace of the King started when Tim was invited by three younger guys to become the singer of their band
- A year of Tuesday night residencies, and touring the country playing over 100 shows a year
- Drawing against his home loan to fund his belief in the band before it had started paying its own way
- How the paradigm of the music industry has changed over the past five years
- You have to play anywhere and everywhere and prove yourself
- "People will help you if you help yourself."
- Having to weigh up opportunities and decide whether to go with what you know or try something new.
- It’s good to be a loud, powerful rock band. But if you’re too loud on stage it’s going to sound like crap out the front.
- The experiences become songs.
- I was basically trying to fast-track the 10,000 hour rule for the (younger) guys.
- "We run ourselves like a 70s band that exists in 2018."
- Great riff-y, blues-y rock music.
- "The reality is we’re punching above our weight (for an indie band), but my ambitious, creative side makes me want to stay in the game and I ask myself 'what can I do?' to make the next record more successful."
- "A lot of older people bitch and moan about the music industry, and they’re wrong!"
- Finite and Infinite Games - James P. Carse | Amazon | .pdf
- "I’ve been in the situation where I’ve had the quick success in the past, but it actually didn’t help me long term."
- Building a relationship with [Palace of the King] fans. "I want them to trust we’re going to make a great record, they trust we’re going to play a great gig. They know we’re in it for the right reasons and they genuinely love the band."
- You have to build a fan base, a legitimate, real fan base, who will always be there for you. Otherwise you’re really wasting your time.
- "I love doing everything I do. 16 year old me would be rapt at doing a theatre show."
- Bob Lefsetz - Star/Journeyman
- "I did it. I did what I set out to do. If it’s now, it’s now...and there’s no regrets."
Discover: Palace of the King Spotify website facebook
Follow: Tim Henwood instagram twitter
