On the eve of his solo debut launch at “the most significant gathering of guitarheads in the Southern Hemisphere”, we chat to a local guitar legend about his musical journey, SA’s music scene and why Adelaide Guitar Festival rocks.
Growing up in Adelaide’s music scene was “fantastic” for Dusty Lee Stephensen. “When I was in high school, I formed a band with my friends that we actually got to tour and be on TV and radio. From year eight to year 12, we got to do big things, supported by some government grants. It was wild.”
After finding his feet post-high school, Dusty formed Wanderers in his early 20s. Over the past decade, the award-winning band’s genre-defying vintage sound has wowed crowds in Australia, the US, UK and Europe. As well as fronting Wanderers, Dusty is part of Adelaide Fringe’s favourite supergroup, 27 Club, which pays homage to famous musicians who never saw the age of 28.
This month, the multi-talented singer-songwriter, producer and guitarist will debut his solo project, Dustyn, at the Adelaide Festival Centre’s Adelaide Guitar Festival on 15 September at Dunstan Playhouse, showcasing an expansive new musical venture to a live audience for the first time.
“Life, love, fatherhood”: Dusty’s solo evolution
Born from late-night inspiration during the quiet hours of COVID lockdowns, Dustyn (the name on Dusty’s birth certificate) is set to showcase a different side of the acclaimed musician – with more personal music that contemplates “life, love, fatherhood and the universe in general”.
“A lot of these songs I would write at two o’clock in the morning while my daughter slept in the next room,” Dusty says. This intimate setting influenced not just the writing process, but the very sound of the music.
“I’d be playing off a nylon string acoustic guitar, because it’s a bit softer and it’s going to be less invasive to her sleep, and I had these grand visions of having these string arrangements go through the songs.”
Reimagined rhythms: A new spin on old faves
“But as much as this project has been born out of a new body of work, I’ve also decided to look back through my whole body of work and put all of that in this context,” he says. “People that are fans of Wanderers and have been fans of my work over the years get to hear a bunch of songs they might know, but in a whole new context with a whole new colour palette.”
Dusty has collaborated with Ross Irwin (The Cat Empire) to bring those grand 2am orchestral visions to life, so audiences can look forward to classic MGM Cinema era style strings weaving throughout the arrangements, together with detailed backing vocal arrangements. “It’s very melodic, with lots of harmony,” he says.
Adelaide Guitar Festival: A celebration of strings
Launched in 2007 and led by Artistic Director Slava Grigoryan, Adelaide Guitar Festival is the most significant festival of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.
From 12-29 September, festival goers can experience world-class guitarists coming together to deliver an awesome, eclectic and electrifying program of performances at the Adelaide Festival Centre and across South Australia. Adelaide Guitar Festival also features a dynamic lineup of free regional roadshows (On the Road), accessible workshops, masterclasses, artist talks and panel discussions.
For Dusty, Adelaide Guitar Festival stands out in Adelaide’s crowded events calendar for its dedication to its mission. “Yes, you can hear a guitar band play generic pop at any festival, but Guitar Festival is different because it really makes an effort to celebrate the aspects and elements of guitar – it means you’re going to really get a cultural experience, an education,” he says.
“It could be a solo flamenco guitarist from Spain you’ve never heard of, and then on the same lineup, you might see a local band from Melbourne, and a lap steel guitar virtuoso. Just selling tickets is clearly not their focus. Their focus is who’s going to create the experience that the audience of Guitar Fest deserves.”
The festival has also provided Dusty with the opportunity to launch Dustyn on a scale he “couldn’t have dreamed” of otherwise.
Program highlights
Dusty’s particularly excited for performances by Jeff Lang with William Crighton this year, as well as Paco Peña’s Requiem for the Earth – a premiere featuring the legendary flamenco guitarist in a monumental musical odyssey addressing environmental concerns.
Other program highlights include:
- Rolling Stones Revue, celebrating 60 years of The Rolling Stones with Australian rock royalty Adalita, Sarah McLeod, Tex Perkins and Steve Kilbey.
- Travel Guide: A Global Gathering, featuring international virtuosos Xuefei Yang, Chrystian Dozza and the Grigoryan Brothers.
- The Princess Bride in Concert, a screening of the beloved film with live orchestral accompaniment, featuring Slava Grigoryan performing Mark Knopfler’s score.
- Blak Country, a celebration of the resonance First Nations people have found in country music, curated by Barkindji songwoman Nancy Bates and featuring Jess Hitchcock, Nancy Bates, Glenn Skuthorpe, Scott Rathman Jr and Yawuri Penny Bonney.
Guitars in Bars
Adelaide Guitar Fest showcases the city’s vibrant live music scene through its Guitars in Bars program, which includes fixtures of the live music scene. These include Dusty Lee’s Blues Jam at Memphis Slim’s House of Blues on Thursdays. For Dusty, it’s a chance to pay it forward by helping younger performers cut their teeth live, much like he did at Billy Bob’s BBQ Jam as a youngster.
Speaking of which, the iconic BBQ Jam – another Guitars in Bars highlight – still delivers live music and sausages every Monday at the Grace Emily.
Adelaide’s thriving live scene
For Dusty, these two jams are proof that Adelaide’s live music scene is in a good place. “It’s in a better place than it’s been for a long time now, especially coming out of COVID,” he says. “I feel like there’s a larger appreciation for the creativity side of things now, and lots of people are flourishing in lots of different ways. There are lots of people getting the support they need. That’s what I see.
“We have a thriving music scene that’s independent and doing its own thing. We have the support of the state government via (not-for-profit) MusicSA and the Music Development Office. It’s great. You just need to go out there and find it.”
Look out for emerging talent like Lucas Day (performing at Adelaide Guitar Festival), Carla Lippis and Druid Fluids (“who are going to take over the world”). As for venues, “you can go to the Cranker, go to the Wheaty and now they’ve got Velvet Underground on King William St. So there’s new venues popping up and there’s no excuses to not get involved in the local music scene.”
Check out the 2024 Adelaide Guitar Festival program and book tickets here.
Dustyn’s first single, Right Where You Are, is out this month. Look out for the album, Midnight Movements, dropping in early 2025.
Find out why foot-drumming phenomenon and Adelaide Guitar Festival performer Lucas Day reckons Adelaide is the ideal place for musicians to live and work.
