Country flavour arrives in town

Shaun Blackwell's first musical love was heavy metal but he ended up as frontman of one of Wellington's most popular country bands.

Blackwell is lead vocalist and guitarist of country/folk four-piece John The Baptist, which has played in many a Wellington musical hotspot and done several national tours.

This week, the band will be supporting Kiwi country heavyweights The Waratahs at their gig at Masterton's King Street Live.

Blackwell said he was introduced to country music through school friend and John The Baptist banjo player Michael Keane and, although country/folk marked a drastic change for the teenage metalhead, it was a change he welcomed.

"I was really into metal and punk, while Michael was raised on Bob Dylan and Neil Young," he said.

"When I first discovered country and folk, I loved the expressiveness of the music. You can sing about anything, and express any kind of emotion."

By that stage, for Blackwell, the heavier music had run its course.

"That was the real attraction of country for me - one of the only emotions you can express in metal is anger.

"That kind of got boring. It was pretty much all about the same kind of thing."

And Blackwell isn't the only young New Zealander drawn to country music with Wellington music aficionados turning up in droves to hear their foot-stomping, yet emotionally charged blend of alt-country, folk rock and blues.

"People seem to really dig it," said Blackwell, who also plays in country band Big River Chain.

John The Baptist was conceived in 2009, when Hawke's Bay lads Blackwell and Keane moved to Wellington, and met up with old school chums David Beacham and Thomas Friggens, also fans of country/folk.

"We started hanging out and we just said one day, 'we should be in a band'," said Blackwell.

Since then, the band has not only become a fixture in Wellington, but has also done several NZ tours, playing gigs in Auckland, Wanganui, Napier, Carterton, Nelson and Christchurch.

The band has released three EPs, the latest of which, Bag O'Nails, is a more mature project, says Blackwell, as it deals with heavier, grittier subject matter.

"A lot of the songs on the EP are about being a 20-something-year-old person living in the city, and dealing with all the emotions that come up."

Blackwell, who works at Wellington venue Mighty Mighty, says he was stoked to hear John The Baptist would be supporting The Waratahs in Masterton.

In particular, Blackwell is looking forward to hitting the stage at King Street Live. where he played last month with Big River Chain.

"It's so cool - such a sweet venue. It's got a great sound, and good people.

"In Wairarapa, when there's a show, people savour it. It's not like in Wellington, where you're spoilt for choice."

John The Baptist, in duo form, will be supporting The Waratahs, along with Bear Bailey, at King Street Live on Friday, July 19.

Tickets are available at $25 from www.dashtickets.co.nz.

Doors open at 7.30pm.