It?s raw and stripped back, like a view into his soul, but far from being self-indulgent, ?Welcome Home? symbolises the personal journey that continues for us all as seen through the eyes of Graham Rix.
It?s been a turbulent decade for Graham, a decade that has seen him churn out some amazing songs and make some amazing journeys, both physical and emotional. It?s the story of every aspirant musician that picks up a guitar, with an added talent, drive and sheer strength of character that has seen Graham move from one level to the next.
From the soaring ballad ?Welcome Home?, to the driving rock of ?Outside In?, the EP is an epic production with some of the most driving melodies and enchanting lyrics you?ll hear....Without the epic production! By stripping the songs down to a live studio recording, showcasing the duo of Rix and his guitar, it further accents the strength of a good song.
Graham dropped out of university in 1994 to follow his dream to make it as a professional musician. With guitar and saxophone in his repertoire, he began playing in a jazz funk outfit, Black Sapote, and metal band RF Brahm. He honed his chops playing around the Brisbane scene until 1996, when he was inspired by the late Jeff Buckley, and focused his attention to his singing, songwriting and solo career.
He made his first trip to Sydney in 1996, buying a road case for his guitar and an open-ended bus ticket. The next three years were lived out of a suitcase playing at night and exploring new music scenes by day. In spite of expenses -three times as much as he was earning - Rix constantly toured, making enough money from his performances to buy another bus ticket to keep heading south for Sydney and Melbourne where he visited regularly, building up a solid fan base and exploring his creative side.
In 1999, Rix signed with Brisbane based label Arctic Records, recording his ?Welcome Home? EP between tours. With his EP release imminent, Rix came to a crossroads. His incessant touring had begun to take its toll, and just as his career began to take flight, he began a period of introspection, taking stock of his life and taking a step back from the unforgiving music industry to really discover his true identity.
Through this challenging period, Rix discovered a depth to not only his person, but to his commitment and love of his music and songwriting. As those who have heard his new live shows will attest to, Rix discovered his soul, and as he re-emerged in 2002, he found a reinvigorated energy and drive that has carried his career back into the hearts and minds of many appreciators.
As a final nod to the past, Rix decided in 2003 to release his ?Welcome Home? EP. Despite the time lapsed between its recording and release, the EP now takes on a whole new life, not only displaying his immense talent, but also functioning as a prophetic beacon as Rix once again reaffirms his newfound passion for a stage, his guitar, his microphone....his home.
Rix is now preparing for a fresh onslaught of creativity, gearing up for a new recording endeavour to follow-up from the release of "Welcome Home".? The latter months of this year will see him venture outside of his island-continent homeland, with a tour of Canada and the U.S. currently in planning.
