Band Bio: ROWSTER... Overdriven acoustic guitars and passionate emotional vocals are what Australian singer/songwriter Rowan Smy is all about...
Rowster is the sound of Acoustic rock, a little blues... and ballads with an alternative twist!
Performing since his early teens, Rowster is no stranger to entertaining a crowd. From solo shows to fronting full rock bands, he has done it all.
It seems that presenting his songs to an audience is just a normal part of life for Rowster.
In his hometown, Sydney, Australia, Rowster was part of many rock and guitar based acts until taking the songwriting in his own direction and breaking away from the band culture he grew up in. The new works proved a success, demonstrating not only an acute understanding of the songwriting process, but the ability to unleash a rare and emotional atmosphere with his music, entirely and unmistakably his own.
After 2 years in London, Rowster relocated to Germany, in 2006 where he participated in a variety of musical based projects including several live performances on cable TV, studio session recordings with other artists and composing music for TV and theatre based productions. (Recently playing guitar on "The Starrrs" release: World Turning, under the Indie record label, LeFreQ, Chicago, USA). Joining a rock group in 2007 Rowan toured Europe as an electric rock guitarist before settling back into his own ambitions as a singer/songwriter and performer.
With a more focused aim on his solo material, in 2008 Rowster took his own songs to the stage. The first of his performances were up to 2 hour long solo shows in the Berlin area using just a drummer or percussionist to accompany him. With the addition of a bass player, the rest of 2008 saw Rowster continue to play throughout Germany and across Europe including several shows back in his earlier base of London.
The themes in Rowster’s most recent material often revolve around this period of living in Europe, so far away from his immediate family. Songs in honor of brothers and friends sit amongst topics reflecting the harder side of life, love, family, relationships and death. There is sadness and anger, an overwhelming sense of tragedy at times, but the feeling of strength and survival that comes across with Rowster’s music is what makes his songs so deeply enthralling.
Rowster’s music is a collection of many influences, containing a mix of blues grooves, full-paced rock riffs, intense ballads and even a little folk. Powerful guitar riffs with a big aggressive voice to match, fluctuate with gentle finger-picking and intense falsetto vocals. With his musical foundation in the grunge and heavy metal scene of the 90’s (Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, Incubus, Tool, Metallica), Rowster blames his very evident softer side on a love of artists such as Counting Crows and Jeff Buckley. There is also an undeniable influence of Rowster’s Australian heritage from legends such as John Butler Trio, Silverchair and Powderfinger.
What is particularly special about Rowan’s music is that the Rowster songs bare a lot more grunt than the acoustic image initially presents. Rowan has developed a technique of belting out his hard, rock rhythms by having his guitar doubled with an overdriven or distorted tone. This adds a unique texture to the sound, capturing the growl of his rock riffs whilst simultaneously maintaining the full bodied, melodic chords of the acoustic instrument. The experimentation with capturing this sound not only comes through the use of alternate guitar tunings but the addition of many self built guitar effects pedals: A throwback from Rowan’s working life in Germany with a guitar effects company!
Rowan is currently in Germany, working on new recordings. As well as continuing to perform live throughout Europe in 2009, there are also future plans for a U.S and Australian Tour.
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