Iron and Wine

Overview

After folkify-ing Byron Bay this Easter at Bluesfest, Texan singer-songwriter Iron & Wine (formally known as Sam Beam) will be making a headline appearance at the Opera House on April 23. Since his last Australian tour, Iron & Wine has released two albums: the slick and poppy Kiss Each Other Clean (2011), which entered the US Billboard Chart at Number 2, and now, Ghost on Ghost. Representing yet another extension of Beam's creative repertoire, it combines '60s soul influences with dashes of '70s rock. Beam's idiosyncratic voice meets a punchy horn section, string flourishes and retro-style female harmonies.

"As an artist, I think you should be exploring all the time," he told American Songwriter recently. "It's a transition in the way you think about your work. If your work is more about the process of working, then you are still in pursuit of good results, but the result is not where you get your satisfaction. It's the process — the process of exploring and doing."

Photo by Craig Kief.