Phil Jamieson

Phil Jamieson’s artistry has always prided itself on lyrical honesty and emotional power charging through the DNA of the music.

With his long-awaited sophomore album 10CHARLIE, the beloved Australian songwriter pulls from chapters of life that course moments of grief, loss, acceptance and love. The title, a reference to “an aisle seat on a 737”, captures the energy of the album: departing on personal journeys unknown, embracing change, different places and all the levels of turbulence that can come with it until finally, reaching your destination.

With Jamieson as the pilot, the listener is invited to strap in and take flight with him.

Reuniting with producer Oscar Dawson and featuring collaborations with artists including Davey Lane, Rob Muinos, Ben Edgar and Soph Ozard, the album is at times both meditative and furious; as Jamieson presents stories of reflection fueled by moments of introspection and an overall commitment to pouring into one’s own elevation and fulfilment.

10CHARLIE weaves its way through melody and nuance with ease, matching Jamieson’s signature charisma and frenetic energy as a rock vocalist and musician. Though the project is one he is intensely proud of, 10CHARLIE is one that was a necessity for Jamieson as much as it was a new offering to his audience.

With the majority of the material coming together across the last two years, Jamieson found himself having to work his way through many of the themes that found themselves presented in ideas and lyrical seeds planted prior.

In the textured builds on songs like ‘Blue As The Sunlight’, through to the boldness of ‘Get It’ and ‘Eager Beaver’, and the pensive whirls of album closer ‘The Soft Return’, Jamieson approaches storytelling with a precise blend of charm and tenderness.

Lead single ‘Weekends’, inspired by a drive through a coastal town, is a perfect example of the way 10CHARLIE utilises memories in creating music that has a tangible feeling throughout. Capturing the sensation of restlessness, the song refers to a destination, rather than a fixed point in time.

““Weekends”, in my mind, is a place,” Jamieson explains. “You can go to Weekends on a Monday. In my world, it’s like a Twin Peaks bar, a destination where you go and it’s a bit surreal.”

As he explains, the music took on new layers of meaning that ultimately helped his own process of healing and acceptance: whether it was grieving the loss of a friend or figuring out new relationship dynamics of all kinds.

“This album is much more personal than the first record. In times of intense turbulence, I’ve written what I’ve needed to hear,” he says. “It’s a balm for my soul, especially songs that were written after my friend passed away (‘Blue As The Sunlight’, ‘Reading Keats’ and ‘Eager Beaver’).

What Phil Jamieson Where Bellingen Brewing Co. When 18 July | 8pm | Ticketed