It would be a fair assumption that even the most dedicated fan of Australian music would be mistaken if asked when the first record from Andrew Farriss was released. After all, following more than 40 years as a household name thanks to his work with INXS, it would almost be expected that Farriss would’ve released numerous records under his name. However, the logical mind can often be wrong, and all good things come to those who wait.
In fact, it was just back in 2019 that Farriss revealed his first solo single, with “Come Midnight” preceding “Good Momma Bad” in 2020. Last year also saw Farriss unveil his Love Makes the World EP, which intended to bridge the gap between the release of singles and his solo album, which had been delayed due to COVID.
However, with more than 200 songs under his belt by the time he first decided to create a body of work close to a decade, it took years for Farriss to realise that his end goal wasn’t to make a record, but rather create a collection of songs that sound as good as possible.
Now, these songs have been released by way of Farriss’ self-titled debut album, which is arguably one of the most accomplished (and most anticipated) records to be released this year.
A bluesy, countrified album at its heart, the Nashville-recorded collection sees Farriss bringing stories of “outlaws, freedom, cowboys and love” to life, with his slick performance style complementing his masterful skills as a country singer.
“One of the reasons many people have warmed to country music, is that it isn’t just happy songs,” Farriss explained in a statement. “It is the sad songs; it is the gritty subjects that some of genres of music won’t go near. That is something that attracts me as a songwriter. I don’t want to chase what train everyone else is on,
“I want to stay true to what I do as a songwriter, and keep a frontier sense of freedom. When I was putting the album together, I steered away from cliches, plus I wanted to put my own personality in it. If my album doesn’t sound like anyone else, then that is good.”
Truly, his debut sounds completely unique and serves as a perfect starter for anyone who has held apprehensive thoughts towards the country music genre. Though it remains to be seen whether or not more solo albums will arrive in the future (or if many years in between will precede their creation), Farriss has created a stunning collection of work with this album, and has shown that the wait was more than worthwhile.
Andrew Farriss’ debut self-titled album is out now.
