Nik Hamby

This April update is late - cos I've been on annual leave, holidaying at home and having a great time!  So.  April was a time of learning new technology.  I had another gig at Banshee's and bought a tablet beforehand, to run an app as a memory prompt for my songs.  Sounds easy enough but as with anything new, it took a while to get everything functioning smoothly before the show.   As much as there was new technology, I was also working on something older - a 20-year-old bargain guitar that I picked up recently.   It was an acoustic with a solid spruce top and solid (not ply) mahogany back and sides.  Cort's brand which retails at around $1,000.00 new, though doesn't usually have great re-sale value.   I cleaned it, fixed a dent, installed a new nut and saddle, removed the pins and refinished everything.  It looked great when I was done.   I sold it for $200.00 cash - and another guitar.  The bonus guitar is a sm...

March is rushing along!  After prepping for Cyclone Alfred and possible flooding, I holed up in my studio for a couple of days to produce "Till It's Gone" - which released on 26 March.   I'm pleased with how it turned out.  It's another breakup song but also a breakthrough one.  How is it different? This is my first released song where I've written directly about me, rather than me writing about someone else.   Have a listen at the link below.  And praps check out some of my other releases - now 46 in total.  My other focus this month has been prepping for my Live and Local gig at Banshee's on 13 April.  Check the posters in the sidebar and on the Live tab for all the details! "Till It's Gone" prompted the theme of my setlist - songs about relationships not going well, for various reasons.  I've had a few of those. 

February was another busy month, which kicked off with a studio photo shoot down in Lake Macquarie.  Awesome images created while having so much fun - thanks, Naomi! Music for World Peace released "What am I Worth".  I performed guitar and vocals, then Taylor Sappe produced the track. It's a song about the refugee experience from an Australian perspective.  Check it out via the Spotify link above. I did a half hour performance for Giving Gigs, which was scheduled for a Friday night slot (in USA and Canada's time zone).  The recording has close to 400 views, so far.  How good is that?! What else happened?  I was up at Banshee's for two open mic nights this month.  Always a great enviroment to be part of and nice to catch up with nice people. Stevie T continues to play my songs on his Monday night Songwriters Showcase.  Tune in to 101FM Radio Logan between 10.15 and 10.45 pm (AEST) for a listen. Thanks, Steve! COMING UP! Highlight your calendars!...

What a great start to the New Year!  "Beat of the Clock" was released on 2 January, by Music for World Peace Records - and they'll release "What am I Worth?" in early February.  Pretty good, eh?! I've been up at Banshee's twice testing a new vocal processor, which was a Christmas gift.  There's also been some talk of me doing a Live and Local performance later this year.  Stay tuned! I happened to be in Guyra at the time of their Lamb and Potato Festival, so played a few songs as part of a songwriters showcase.  All impromptu but great fun.   On the 27th, Stevie T played "Drifting on the Window Seat" during his Monday night Songwriters Showcase on 101FM Radio Logan. Thanks, Steve! The month finished in Newcastle.  I was down visiting friends and got to play a few songs at The Rogue Scholar's open mic, hosted by Eddy Rockefeller.  It was an entertaining night. A different format to others I've attended but still community, with inclu...

Hi All ...  It's 2025 tomorrow and I thought a catch-up would be nice. 2024 has been so busy with so many things.  I'm still working full time. Thank goodness.  I've been playing live consistently right through the year. I've done a couple of full shows and an online show.  I've written more songs - probably about 20, and I've released a few songs through 2024. There's been radio play, standard streaming and social media stuff.  I'm still focussed on the songs rather than the promotional aspects. Looking back I can see how much I have grown as an artist and a songwriter. My production skills have stagnated but I have a producer in the US, Taylor, who has been helping me out in this regard.  Looking forward into 2025, I am encouraged. I have a song release on 2 January and another in the pipeline. Both have been produced by Taylor and will be released on the Music for World Peace Label under contract.  I have another dozen or more songs I want to relea...

I was road-tripping all of September and most of October.  11,561 kilometres in 56 days.  Eight weeks of awesome!   There were many, many highlights but when I checked my emails at Mount Surprise, I'd received three from the Australian Songwriting Association - and each of those indicated I had been shortlisted in a category of the current Songwriting Competition!  The categories were specified but not the songs.  However, I know my songs as I only entered three:- Got No Place To Go (Folk) She Calls Me Back (Ballad) You Draw Blood (Rock/Indie) The next stage of judging is to choose the Top 30 Finalists, and these will be published on the ASA website before the end of October. The Top 10 Finalists are to be announced at the National Songwriting Awards, which will be held in Sydney on Thursday 28 November.