Xavier Rudd

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Xavier Rudd

Xavier Rudd (2009) live in Geelong, Australia.
Background information
Born 1978
Origin Torquay, Victoria, Australia
Genres Folk, blues, indie folk, folk rock, reggae
Occupations Musician, singer-songwriter
Instruments Vocals, guitar, harmonica, yidaki, banjo, lap steel guitar, percusion
Years active 2000–present
Labels Universal Music Australia
SaltX/Universal/Fontana Records (US/Canada)
Website Official website
Notable instruments
Weissenborn slide guitars,
yidaki

Xavier Rudd is an Australian singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is well known on the music festival circuit for playing at musical festivals and concerts in Australia, North America and throughout Europe. His fan base is particularly strong in Australia and in Canada, where he has recorded several albums and performed live shows.

Biography

Xavier Rudd, born in 1978, grew up in Torquay, Victoria where he attended St. Joseph's College, Geelong. Rudd showed a keen interest in music growing up.[1] Before his solo career he began playing music as part of the band 'Xavier and the Hum'.[2] He drew inspiration from artists such as Leo Kottke, Ben Harper, Natalie Merchant and multi-instrumentalist David Lindley, as well as music from diverse sources, such as Hawaiian and Native American music.[3][4] Xavier has two sons, Joaquin and Finojet. [5] Rudd is a vegetarian,[6][7] and was nominated for PETA's annual "World's Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity" award in 2007.[8] Xavier has also received Paul Watson Sea Shepherds Rock the Boat award.

Music

Rudd is a one-man band who plays surrounded by instruments in a complicated array. Typically, he has three didgeridoos placed in front of him on a stand, a guitar on his lap, a stompbox by his habitually bare feet, and an assortment of drums, banjos, harmonicas, bells, and bass guitar near at hand, or near at foot as the case may be. Several of Rudd's songs incorporate socially conscious themes, such as spirituality, humanity, environmentalism and the rights of Aboriginal peoples. His songs include stories of the mistreatment of the indigenous people of his homeland.[9] Rudd has included both Australian and Canadian Aboriginal vocals in some of his songs. He tends to play the Didgeridoo in many of his songs.

Live performances

Rudd has become a known name at music festivals worldwide including the Bonnaroo Music Festival, the High Sierra (2004 & 2007) and the Wakarusa (2005), moe.down (2003), Summer Sonic, Lowlands, Rock Werchter among others. As his popularity continued to grow, he received many opportunities to perform on tour with artists such as Jack Johnson, Dave Matthews, Ben Harper, Good Old War, G. Love & Special Sauce, and Rodrigo y Gabriela.[10]

Instruments Xavier Plays

Discography

Studio albums

Year Title Chart positions
[11]
 Certifications
(sales threshold)
AUS NLD
2002 To Let - –
2004 Solace 13 –
2005 Food in the Belly 16 56
2007 White Moth 6 –
2008 Dark Shades of Blue 5 –
2010 Koonyum Sun (with Izintaba) 6 –
2012 Spirit Bird 2 –

Live albums

  • Live in Canada – Independent (2001)
  • Live at the Grid – Independent (2003)
  • Good Spirit – Independent (11 April 2005) (#29 ARIA Albums Chart)[11]
  • Live Bonnaroo 2005
  • Live Boneroo 2007

References

  1. ↑ "Xavier Rudd." LastFM. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2012. <http://www.last.fm/music/Xavier+Rudd/+wiki>.
  2. ↑ "Xavier Rudd." Lyrics Freak. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2012.<http://www.lyricsfreak.com/x/xavier+rudd/biography.html>.
  3. ↑ "Xavier Rudd Biography." N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2012.<http://www.sortmusic.com/_x/xavier-rudd-biography,len.html>.
  4. ↑ "Xavier Rudd." Lyrics Freak. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2012.<http://www.lyricsfreak.com/x/xavier+rudd/biography.html>.
  5. ↑ Harrison, Tom (1 June 2006). "Rudd found doing what he loves". The Province. Retrieved 2007-01-03. 
  6. ↑ "Xavier Rudd interview". Incendiary Magazine. 28 March 2006. 
  7. ↑ "Rocker Xavier Rudd Gets Real". PETA Asia Pacific. 
  8. ↑ "World's Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrities". PETA. Retrieved 29 June 2007. (link no longer active. See here for the archived version found inside the Internet Archive)
  9. ↑ "Xavier Rudd." LastFM. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2012. <http://www.last.fm/music/Xavier+Rudd/+wiki>.
  10. ↑ "Xavier Rudd Biography & Awards | Billboard." Billboard. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2012. <http://www.billboard.com/artist/277886/xavier+rudd/biography>.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1
  12. ↑ "ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2005 Albums." ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2005 Albums. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2012. <http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-accreditations-albums-2005.htm>.
  13. ↑ "ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2007 Albums." N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2012. <http://www.aria.com.au/pages/httpwww.aria.com.aupagesARIACharts-Accreditations-2007Albums.htm>.

External links

Authority control
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike; additional terms may apply for the media files.