Though not his first solo record, The Man I Never Was is the most significant project Andrew Ewing has ever undertaken. A Perth based vocalist/guitarist and respected songwriter on the WA scene for 10 years with the band Thumb, embarking on a solo career, much in the mould of his influences—such as Tom Waits, Mark Lanagen, Neil Young and Elliott Smith—but with his own unique and emotionally charged take on confessional blues/folk.

Born in Scotland but spending close to twenty years of his life in Hong Kong, he emigrated to Perth, Australia in 1993 and quickly set about forming a band with his brother Brendan, and renowned Perth drummer Charles Chase. Combining ‘60’s blues and ‘70’s rock influences with a contemporary grunge immediacy, Thumb’s brooding sound was captured on two highly acclaimed albums. “Nitros City” was their rock beast, while “Strange Kept Plain” saw a move towards a more diverse sound, drawing further back to Beatlesque art-pop and blues-tinged acoustic folk. This more stripped back style revealed what those close to the band had known some time - behind the bombastic delivery, there were seriously good songwriters at work.

Riff-doctor for The Devil Rides Out and Thumb, Andrew Ewing is already known to the public for his abilities on a six-string. As his latest solo EP The Man I Never Was shows, Ewing is nothing short of an amazing all-rounder. Ewing, along with a cast of Perth’s finest musicians, launched the EP on Saturday, April 28, at the Hyde Park Hotel. MIKE WAFER reports.

Even when you take away the fact that The Man I Never Was contains the skills of the likes of Ben Franz, Tristen Parr, Greg Hosking and John Clark… even when you take analysis right back down to one man’s voice, his guitar and his poetry… the record is breathtaking.

“I’m just lucky I have so many talented friends,” Ewing blushes modestly at the compliment, resisting the interviewer’s constant prods to accept praise. Graciously and endearingly, Ewing simply says ‘thank you’ and deflects the attention away from himself.

It’s upon seeing this reaction that it becomes obvious just how special a record The Man I Never Was is, because it is a true artist inviting the world into the depths of his soul. To do such a thing has been a huge leap of faith for Ewing, but it has allowed the world to see the beauty and darkness that exists within a unique man, echoing truths within all of us.

In a world where so much music means nothing, and serves no purpose but to distract, having such an honest and vulnerable glimpse into another human being is a rare and beautiful privilege. And although he doesn’t yet know it, by inviting the world to peer through the looking glass, Andrew Ewing has become the man he thought he never was.