Just a few months on from his most recent release, critically-acclaimed Melbourne alt-country singer/songwriter Rich Webb has returned with another stellar single, sharing the summery “I Don’t Mind At All”. The latest taste from his forthcoming album, “RIGHT!” – “I Don’t Mind At All” shimmers with the visceral, welcoming warmth of the summer months, evoking imagery of hazy, sun-kissed days spent with a sense of clear-eyed freedom and warmth.
Powered along by lyrics that reside within the inner recesses of our memories, and instrumentation as dreamy and carefree as the subject matter itself, “I Don’t Mind At All” focuses on the little things that make up our mighty memories. Working with his talented band (including Matt Dixon, and Oh Mercy’s Rohan Sforcina, to name a few), and with Sforcina and Wakeman joining Rich on production duties, the resulting track transports the listener back to “a certain place and a certain time”. Inspired by the likes of Khruangbin, Dirty Projectors, Rickie Lee Jones, and Jack Johnson, Rich channels the effortless abilities of these artists to succinctly capture emotion and feeling through song, taking the listener back to the seemingly inconsequential moments which resonate forever. As Rich explains, “It tries to capture that feeling of the sun and the freedom that can come in summer and with summer holidays. About those times where you leave everything behind and live in the moment – these moments can feel like they last forever. It’s about that feeling of freedom, connection, and fun you get on holidays with people you love.”
As heartfelt as it is emotive, “I Don’t Mind At All” is bathed in the youthful sheen of early nostalgia, where those formative memories are first planted, and remain to this very day. As its subtitle – Bring On Summer – indicates, the majority of its focus is on the summer months, which traditionally hold a sense of comfort and youthful peace. As Rich recalls, the idyllic nature of these summer months have followed him around the world and throughout his life, informing his outlook all the while, “When I was a kid, that used to be three weeks or so in an orange family tent with my Mum and Dad and two brothers, often beside a beach in Wales. Here, it’s been heading out in an old column shift Ford Falcon down the Great Ocean Road for a few weeks when my brother and best mate came over, or the other way with my family to Marlo or Mallacoota. Just lovely, dreamy times where you forget about work and the things that bug you or get in the way, and spend time together, just living for the moment and having fun.”
The accompanying video for “I Don’t Mind At All” sees Rich collaborating with photographer and videographer extraordinaire Wilk (The xx, Gotye, Hiatus Kaiyote) to contextualise the track, attempting to visualise the “crazily sun-splashed feeling of freedom and floating”. After working out the concept at a Smith Street bar, the video shoot itself took place on a particularly blustery day on St Kilda Beach. As Rich recalls, “The sky was insane, and the wind kept everyone away, so that worked in our favour – we had the place to ourselves, except for a few game tourists who watched us from a seat nearby and posted photos of two mad Aussies with a guitar and camera braving the weather. Everyone else was inside, probably grabbing a beer and watching the sun go down at the Espy. It’s always been pretty special for me down there, sat in the Espy bay window watching the world move slowly. It was one of the first places I went to when I moved to Melbourne where I started to think, ‘I’m not going anywhere else for a long while - I love it here.’”
A staple of the Australian music scene for more than two-and-a-half decades, Rich Webb has curated a career as a truly mesmerising artist whose reputation precedes him. With numerous albums to his name, Rich’s inimitable command of music and lyrics has seen him attract global attention throughout his storied career, with 2019 even bringing with awards for Alt-Country Album Of The Year and Alt-Country Single Of The Year at the Independent Music Awards in New York. Now, four years on from the release of his last album, “Le Rayon Vert”, Rich is set to unveil his next record, “RIGHT!”, later in the year. Preceded by February’s “Love Someone”, 2022 is unfolding as a banner year in the career of one of the country’s most revered artists.