A well-known ‘gun for hire’ on the local music scene, Harry J Hart’s guitar skills are matched only by his songwriting skills, and his ability to capture love and loss. It’s little wonder he was a back-to-back finalist for ‘Musician of the Year’ at the 2021and 2022 Gold Coast Music Awards.
When did you first start making music? And how long have you been in the industry for?
I got my start with music in school choirs and bands, playing myriad instruments, but I settled on ukulele at 12. I was asked by a teacher later that year to play her wedding, which would be my first ‘gig’. I moved to guitar at 14 and have been a full-time gigging musician for nine years now!
What did you expect the Gold Coast music industry to be like before you became part of it? Has it met your expectations?
To be honest, being so young when I started, I had no real clue what to expect. I was just happy to play music and if people threw me money, that was a bonus. Having no expectations, the thing that impressed me the most was how helpful and willing to teach most people are in this scene.
What is your ultimate goal as a musician?
My ultimate, ultimate goal is to play Wembley, cos ya know, that’s sick. But my long-term goal is to love what I do and make enough to support it and myself.
What has been your biggest learning to date?
I never went to uni (or at least finished a degree…). Instead, I chose to do focussed study in the areas I needed tuition in and took myself overseas and studied at Berkelee College of music in Boston along with artist lead courses (I studied under Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine, Bibi McGill from P!nk and Beyonce, Steve Lukather from Toto and a heap of others). Other than that, learning the business side of running a music project has been the biggest learning curve for me.
What has been the biggest peak of your career so far? And how about the ‘pit’ (low point)?
The peak is still yet to come, haha! Some highlights would be playing guitar with Casey Barnes at the Gold Coast Music Awards when I was up for Musician of the Year, joining Tomi in the current Dracula’s show, or playing a sold out HOTA outdoor amphitheatre show with the Brothers Calling. Low points would have to be dealing with my mental health which lead to me folding my own project – but it was a blessing in disguise, as it’s given me the opportunity to start fresh and rediscover my love for music.
Do you think the Gold Coast is a good place for young or up and coming musicians?
As someone born and bred on the Gold Coast, I would say the Gold Coast is one of the best places for fresh faces to get a start! We have an abundance of venues, we have local busking, and we are so close to other entertainment hotspots like Brisbane and Byron, and it’s just great scene to start out in!
What would you change or improve about our local music scene?
I would love to see more all-ages shows. I found myself in a pickle when I started out – being too young to see shows, my stagecraft only improved once I was old enough to go and see shows. It was then that I could observe how people structure sets, move on stage and engage with the audience.
What kinds of opportunities are here for local musicians? Are there enough?
We have some awesome venues on the coast such as Mo’s Desert Club House, Vinnies Dive Bar, SOPO, HOTA, Sound Lounge, Den Divine – the list goes on. We also have some amazing grants going for professional development amongst other things. I think there are good opportunities, but there can always be more.
In your experience, what do you think it takes to ‘make it’?
I think as long as you love what you do and are able to get by, you’ve made it. But ‘making it’ looks different to everybody.
Any final thoughts?
I love what I do. I just wanna share music and happiness with as many people as I can – as lame as that sounds.
