Michael Buining
Michael Buining spent twenty years working in financial markets in Australia, Asia, the US, Latin America and Europe eventually returning home to Sydney in 2011 to pursue his music.
When at school, he learnt the violin but after picking up a friends guitar during a break in a performance– he gave his violin teacher the good news and the bad news: The good news was he’d been practicing; The bad news (for the violin teacher at least) was that he’d been practicing the guitar….not the violin. So that was it for the violin.
Although he’d been playing guitar since the age of 16, he had never written any complete (respectable) songs or composed anything beyond a few guitar licks, when he finished working the songs started to come out. His first album– “Pennies for Tomorrow”– was recorded whilst still in Miami, Florida and reflects the unexpected release of the songwriting/ composing genie. The songs range from jazz, ambience, blues and rock instrumentals to swing, folk and country. This was followed in late 2011 with his second album– “Delicacy”– which steered towards folk/ country songs and had largely moved away from instrumentals as Michael had started to work on his singing for the first time since the primary school choir. However, it was still a pretty diverse collection of material not unlike Pennies for Tomorrow.
Michael’s next album– “Third”– was released in 2014 and represented a major development in his songwriting, singing and style. Although there was still a reasonable degree of diversity to the songs– rock, blues, country, folk, ballads– the quality of the composition was a marked improvement and the lyric themes to be found in his upcoming album began to emerge. The album featured the single “Even though Paul Kelly” and had two songs chosen in the ABC702 Exhumed Grand Final competition which featured 10 finalists from around Sydney and NSW.
During this time Michael launched “Swamp Dawkins” as a live vehicle with two purposes in mind: a three piece outfit to perform original material in pubs and clubs; and a themed band for corporate/ wedding/ party entertainment. Swamp Dawkins continues to perform regularly at the local each month and has also notched up an extensive gig sheet playing hoedowns, barn dances and bush dances for corporates, weddings, 30th/ 40th/ 50th birthday parties and various festivals and other events.
in 2016/2017, Michael has been hit the studio once more with a new collection of songs that seeded next musical project: The Roadhouse Regulars with the album “Redemption” released in 2017.
The Roadhouse Regulars project has a collection of songs that achieves the coherence and consistency– in both style and theme– that Michael has been working towards since his first album. Musically- the songs are firmly in the “Australian Rock and Roots” basket with a feel that’s influenced by his many trips in rural and outback Australia. The songs are direct, strong, emotive and thematically cover many of the darker and menacing themes of life– rebellion, risk, wild abandon, addiction and the downward spiral to redemption and restoration once all is past.
The resulting style he defines as “Alternate | Acoustic | Heavy | Roots”.
The instrumentation is all acoustic: Dual acoustic guitars, Drums, and Harmonica are the defining sounds of the album giving the songs a rawness and human voice. Some piano and pedal steel come in to play on just a couple of tracks whilst the absence of bass adds to raw feel of the songs– allowing the drums to be heard undressed and the deeper tones of the acoustic guitars to stand out.
The songs are strong in rhythm following Michael’s belief that all music must start with a rhythm as the basis for evoking the listener. There are no wailing electric guitar solos– just harmonica and some pedal steel instead– to give the songs an authentic voicing reflecting the lyrical strength of the songs. The album takes the listener from the verandah of the house to the menacing dark hours of the night and then to the reflective fields of youth.
The album is available on iTunes.
For more information on visit The Roadhouse Regulars website , Facebook page, YouTube Channel or Soundcloud playlist.
Also check out Swamp Dawkins who continue to play all over Sydney and are available for Hoedowns, Bush and Barn Dances with a unique twist aswell as regular outings at the local watering hole.
The previous album Third is also available on iTunes!
Please also head to Michael’s Facebook page for photos and a few video clips.