Music
Press
He records under the name Van Larkins, but either way, Australian guitarist Owen Van Larkins is bound to turn heads around with his 2012 Candyrat CD Wandering Hands. Kind of reminiscent of Lasse Englund’s trendsetting 1986 Anchor CD and or Ralph Towner's ECM style guitar impressions, the Van Larkins guitar approach is both hypnotic and melodic. On Wandering Hands Owen’s guitar craft gets some smooth backup from bassist / slide guitarist Ross McDermott along with scenic sounding touchups on cello and harmonica. Also cited here as an influence turns out to be current guitar hero Kaki King. With its rolling New Age guitar soundscapes, the sound of Wandering Hands is deep and meditative and like Englund, Owen is also rhythmic in his approach. But the spotlight here is clearly on Van Larkins, who fits in well on the Wisconsin based Candyrat—a label doing great things in the CD music world with their multi-tasking roster of top acoustic guitarists. - MWE3.com CD Reviews
“Owen represents what this degree is all about;
it provides the perfect learning opportunity for
creative and talented people to express and explore
their musical ambitions.”
- Charlie Macneil – Music Teacher, Creative Music
“Owen Van Larkins doesn’t just play guitar…
he creates a beautiful musical soundscape. His
application of musical cascades and original
compositions shed new light to the term ‘ear candy’.”
- Phil Emmanuel – Recording Artist
“Owen Van Larkins is one of the best young up-andcoming
songwriters I know. His music immediately
draws you in and won’t let you go until the end of
each song.”
- Rob Poland - Candyrat Records
“To listen to Owen Van Larkins play guitar is to
watch some magic of nature that both amazes and
calms the spirit. The listener is drawn into his world,
a world where his seductive melodies tell tales of
adventure and of love and weave a path through a
land that is new and exciting yet somehow familiar.”
- Andrew White – Recording Artist
Discography
2007 - The Express - self titled (LP)
2010 - Hunter VanLarkins - 'Myriad' (LP)
2011 - Owen Van Larkins - self titled (EP)
2012 - Owen Van Larkins - 'Wandering Hands' (LP)
Photos
Bio
It was the hurricane season, in Blackwater 1994 when Owen Van Larkins, a ten year old Australian discovering his gift for music, began what was to be a journey of musical exploration and discovery. Owen’s father, an artist and musician, introduced his son to the guitar, which was to become Owen’s instrument of choice and access to share his music with friends, family and soon after, a world-wide audience of music connoisseurs.
Owen’s qualifications from Western Australia and Queensland include a Certificate III in Contemporary Music, for which he won an award for contribution to the student group, Certificate IV in Music Performance and Diploma’s in both Music Performance and Music Technology. Owen was featured on Channel 7’s six o’clock news for his effort in this area, he also continues to work closely with the music department co-ordinators, performing and holding workshops to encourage young musicians to begin a career in music.
He played in a duo with Ross Hunter as “The Express” from 2002 to 2010 when he was studying Music Performance at Southbank College in Brisbane. The two developed their own unique blend of sounds that incorporated Celtic, Folk and Spanish genres.
The duo were signed by CandyRat Records in the US and their second album “Myriad” was produced by internationally-renowned guitarist and Candyrat legend Andrew White, and was released in December of 2010. Described as, “Nothing short of an acoustic explosion of sparkle and clarity that effuses sonic enchantment…this CD had my auditory senses piqued within the first 90 seconds of the title track which sets a sonic hook in a way that makes it impossible to turn away”, it was clear that an new and extraordinary acoustic talent was emerging on the Australian music scene. “To find a guitar duo that seems to push and pull each other in directions that sound effortless and spontaneous is a rare thing and, perhaps, that is what makes this recording so infused with energy and solar flare like acoustically.”
Over the period of almost a decade the duet “Hunter Van Larkins” has opened shows for “The Black Sorrows” and “Phil Emmanuel” as well as playing sets at the ‘Woodford Folk Festival’, Brisbane’s ‘Greenfest’, and many corporate shows around Brisbane and surrounding areas.
In 2011 the duo amicably parted ways and for the past couple of years Owen has been playing solo as Van Larkins and now plays a modern fusion of traditional styles with a “one man band” approach incorporating bass, rhythm, melody and harmony.
Owen’s music has transitioned from Metallica to finger-style acoustic guitar, playing transpositions of 400-year-old harp songs.
He is now signed as a solo artist with CandyRat Records and completed his first solo album in May this year, again convincing Andrew White to produce it while touring in New Zealand for the second time. Owen also was lucky enough to opened three of the shows for the ‘Acoustic Masters Series’ held in Hamilton showcasing Andrew White, Gillian Boucher and Nigel Gavin.
He has also toured America and Canada in 2011 and performed at the prestigious Canadian Guitar Festival in Kingston, Ontario.
Currently, Owen is touring North America with fellow CandyRat record label artists and after playing as a soloist at the Montreal Guitar show on the 30th of June, has a one month tour
of Canada consisting of over twenty shows stretching from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Toronto, Ontario. Owen will be filming several videos in Milwaukee shortly prior to this tour, at the home of Record Label owner, Rob Poland. Owen plans to return to Australia in November 2012 to begin pre-production for his second solo album.
He is enrolled in CQ University’s new Bachelor of Music Creative Music Technologies) degree at Sunshine Coast Tafe in Noosa. His music teacher Mr Robert Brock who is assisting with
delivering the program asked guitar legend and TAFE Masterclass teacher Phil Emmanuel “What do you do with a man as brilliant as Owen? Phil replied “The only thing you can do is send him to
America to work with one of the most respected guitarists in the world, his brother Tommy Emmanuel.”
Whilst his current studies are on hold and he has an exemption due to his commitments, Owen has completed two music diplomas through Sunshine Coast TAFE. His inspiration and love of nature keeps him connected to his roots. “I have always lived in or near the bush, and have been heavily involved in bush regeneration. My music is definitely grounded, balanced and earthy. It is a modern fusion of traditional styles and very
progressive.”
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