Bundaberg singer Peter Knight has released his seventh album Guitar Strings Pen Paper that gives a glimpse into the songwriter and his muse.
Peter moved to the Bundaberg Region more than 15 years ago and his songs show the influence of his life here. He owns Ozland Studio and says there is more to music then just sound.
“I moved here in 2004 and fell in love with the area,” Peter said.
“I have been influenced hugely by our wonderful region; I named one of my albums, Black Snow, after the cane trash that falls.
“I even have a band that plays locally, called The Black Snow Band – I just loved the term.
“I also had a song called Three shots of Bundaberg Rum on the same album.”
Although Peter has been playing and recording music for more than three decades, he didn’t pick up his first guitar until he was 21, but says the “music bug” then became a fixation and he was hooked.
He said at first, all he wanted to do was play guitar on stage and the singing came later after the positive response from people and he found he had a knack for it.
“When I was 23 years old, I was living in Victoria. I went to a local jam session at a hotel in Geelong,” he said.
“I got up with the house band and played Honky Tonk Woman by the Rolling Stones.
“Most importantly, the guys in the band were super encouraging, and made me feel safe and welcome.
“It can be a terrifying experience getting up on stage, and those guys made me feel like I belonged.
“That stuck with me – that generosity. I have made sure to be that kind of welcoming musician ever since.”
Peter said he felt it was his job as a musician was to then pass on that welcoming feeling to the next generation of singers.
“I have been involved with running many jam sessions at pubs here in Bundaberg and (I) have taken much delight in seeing people of all ages have their chance to perform on stage.
“The most satisfying is the young kids who come, and you watch them blossom, some going on to be professional musicians themselves.”
Peter's new album has artistic honesty
Peter seventh album Guitar Strings Pen Paper is written about his experiences and “artistic honesty”.
“By that I mean, it’s not 100 per cent autobiographical, but has true artistic intent, Peter said.
“My music is very much in the singer/songwriter/Americana genre.”
He has recorded and mixed songs and albums for many well-known Bundaberg artists, as well as doing hundreds of sessions for international artists at his studio and he says there is always one memory that will stick with him for life.
“I had a person come up to me at a gig, throw their arms around me and tell me my music had saved their life,” Peter said.
“They had been very depressed and said that my music had gotten them through their darkest part of their life.
“That is the most amazing thing to happen. You hope as an artist that the thing you creates touches someone, what happened there is more important than any financial reward I have ever gotten.”
Peter’s album Guitar Strings Pen Paper is available now at Bout Time Music in Targo Street for $20 or purchase online here.
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