Ron Sexsmith at Kings Arms

By RUSSELL BAILLIE

Ron Sexsmith has always had his champions from on high.

Over the years the Canadian troubadour - who many see as a sort of songwriter's songwriter - has had the acclaim of Elvis Costello, Paul McCartney and even Rod Stewart who recorded a cover of his Secret Heart a few years back.

His latest set of famous fans are Coldplay. Not only did the sensitive giants of Britrock insist on having Sexsmith and band as their support on their just-finished American tour, singer Chris Martin appeared on Sexsmith's new album Cobblestone Runway.

The connection came, says the quietly spoken Sexsmith from Sydney where he's touring before heading to Auckland, from Martin seeing him play on the Later with Jools Holland show in Britain.

Fast forward to his last time in Australia, where coincidentally Coldplay were also touring, and the invite came to open for them that night.

Next thing he knew, Sexsmith and band were regulars for the British band's American forays. That's progressed from clubs and theatres to braving the stage of New York's Madison Square Garden - as well as the celebrity sideshow backstage (Hey there, Gwyneth).

"I've always had a lot of support from people who are doing much better than I am doing, who are always wondering 'why aren't you playing Madison Square Garden yourself?' I never know what to say except it's maybe just not on the cards and obviously I'm not as good-looking as some of those people."

He's made some slightly less famous mates from around these parts, too - having shared stages with the Muttonbirds, Sexsmith was a guest on last year's Marshmallow solo album by the band's former bassist Allan Gregg. And he's made friends with Dave Dobbyn and Neil Finn as their paths have crossed over the years.

However, Sexsmith, 39, and his deceptively simple songs sung in his hushed voice haven't yet reached beyond his small, loyal and often-famous fan base.

For that he blames the gatekeepers of the airwaves.

"The biggest problem is in radio. If they would play my music then people would hear it and they could decide for themselves if they like it.

"Every night of the Coldplay tour I would go out and sign autographs and people would be saying 'Who are you? Where did you come from?' 'Well, I've got six records out ... ' 'How come I haven't heard of you?' 'I don't know why you haven't heard of me?' I just felt like running away."

Not that Sexsmith sounds bitter when he talks about the frustrations of his career. And he agrees that the combination of his singing style - he's a crooner and cites Bing Crosby as his favourite vocalist - and the melancholy streak of his songs do make him a quiet man in a high-volume business.

Just an observation, but Sexsmith does comes across as just a little down in the dumps. He begs to differ.

"I think my stuff is a lot more hopeful than other people's stuff. Especially this new record. There is dark stuff but there are people who go way darker than I do.

"In general, there's a melancholy streak that's just an extension of my nature I guess.

"I don't really know where it comes from. It's been there all my life. People would come up to me as a kid and go 'What's wrong?' There's nothing wrong, it's just my facial expression or something and that's still the case."

So, Ron, reasons to be cheerful?

"Well, this is my sixth album. I keep writing and touring and things keep happening where people keep finding out about me. It's steady. Whenever I make a record people seem to talk about it. It would be a drag if I started making records and people stopped talking about it."

His Auckland show will just be him, accompanying himself on guitar and piano as it's too expensive to bring his usual backing band this far, but he does like playing by himself.

"Some of my favourite shows have been solo, there's kind of a freedom to it. It's more work for sure but ultimately more satisfying when you have a really great show - you think, 'Hey I did that all by myself'."

A feeling which maybe lets Sexsmith smile a little.

* At Kings Arms, Newton, Saturday night.