WHEN Irish born singer-songwriter ANDY WHITE relocated to Australia in 2002, he fittingly, and unknowingly, arrived on Australia Day.
``When I arrived, I didn't know about Australia Day and I went into the city and everything was closed,'' White recalled.
``I had no idea what was going on until I found out that it was Australia Day.'' Incidentally, White released his new album Boy 40 on Australia Day this year.
He performed all of the instruments on the album and produced a stripped-back mix of songs with lyrics that touch on some of the experiences he had in Belfast and in Melbourne.
``The first line on the album is `I've got sunshine in my hair' and I kind of took it from there,'' White said.
``I'm really proud of this album because it's my first release since I moved from Ireland.
``I think of it as my Australian album.'' Before relocating, White had already established himself as one of Ireland's most promising independent artists.
He received the Irish Songwriter of the Year award a few years ago beating the likes of U2's BONO and VAN MORRISON and performed in the trio ALT along with TIM FINN. It was after an Australian tour with ALT in 1995 and after CHRISTINE ANU recorded his song Coz I'm Free that White decided to pack his bags and head for a country he loved.
''I just loved it here and I had written the song for Christine Anu, so it all went together. But mainly I just loved the country,'' he said. Boy 40 was recorded in Melbourne and discusses his experiences in Ireland and Australia.
``You can hear it on Twelfth of July ,'' he said.
``We had really violent marches through Belfast when I was younger and although it seemed like fun at the time because we had a day off school and got to wave little flags and things, I realise now that they were actually really violent.
Another song is called Everything You've Got, which he wrote after the Bali bombings.
After his Australia tour, which lands at the NORTHERN STAR HOTEL on Friday night, White will head to the UK to support the album.
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