It’s about 7:30 on a cold, rainy Tuesday, and I’m one of only a few patrons at the UniBar’s open mic night. However, I’m also one of the lucky ones, as those of us who did brave the storm to come out tonight are witnessing a truly special performance from upcoming alternative pop singer-songwriter Xavier Do. Onstage, Xavier is bathed in soft red and blue lights as he covers James Taylor’s ‘Fire and Rain’, emotion in his voice as he sways slightly to the music.
When I accost him at the bar for a quick chat after the show, Xavier is genial and engaged. He describes ‘Fire and Rain’ as a song that “felt really nice to sing tonight”, and is quick to name James Taylor as an artist he loves. Indeed, Taylor’s line in ‘Fire and Rain’ that he “walked out this morning, and wrote down this song” could almost have been written for Xavier. The images it conjures – of songs written truthfully, and the simple poetry of everyday life transcribed into song – capture perfectly the straightforward authenticity of Xavier’s original songs. His originals are candid reflections on his own personal experiences, and are the songs that he considers by far the most meaningful of the ones he performs. Music, Xavier suggests, doesn’t feel real if he himself hasn’t experienced what the song describes.
This desire for realness and honesty is key to Xavier’s songwriting, and it’s no wonder that he cites Dean Lewis and Vance Joy as the most formative influences on his original songs. Like Lewis and Joy, Xavier has a knack for crafting sincere, emotionally resonant pop songs that explore themes such as love and longing. One of the originals he performs tonight, “Dream A Different Way”, is an acoustic ballad that would be right at home in Dean Lewis’ back catalogue, as Xavier reflects on a failed relationship and tries to understand what led to it falling apart.
“Dream A Different Way” is the song Xavier identifies as the most meaningful to him from his setlist tonight, primarily because of its personal subject matter. “There’s a hundred different roads”, he sings, “that will lead you to success some day, but I can’t follow in your footsteps ‘cause we dream a different way”. Xavier’s lyrics are arresting and poetic, and the inspiration he draws from other artists ought not to be taken as indicative of any lack of originality. His focus is the everyday, and the charm of the mundane – a coastline in a small town, a girl’s blue eyes, “coffee cans and supermarket stores”.
Crafted around intimate details such as these, the song is heartfelt and bittersweet. As with Xavier’s other originals, it establishes him as a promising singer-songwriter, and proves that his performance at open mic night was well and truly worth facing the rain for.
You can find Xavier Do here!
Image provided by: Illawarra Music Foundry