Packwood

From the beginning the odds were against Bayden (performing under his middle name, ‘Packwood’) - what he wanted to achieve as an independent stay-at-home-banjo-man was the sort of endeavour not usually attempted for a debut release. Filled with the lushness of a 50 piece orchestra, coupled with intricately plucked banjo and a bracing yet sincere voice, Packwood has created an expansive and wholly unforgettable sound. Born in regional NSW, he was given a choice at the age of four: to learn guitar or piano. With no real idea of what either were, he chose guitar. 20 years on, and after many years spent dabbling in a wide range of musical genres (North Indian classical music and melodic death metal included), his music came to resemble a sound that he describes as a ‘folk explosion’ - although he’s not entirely sure yet. “I’m hoping that as more people hear my music, the better I’ll be able to describe my sound, both through their interpretations as well as my own.” Inspired by musical visionaries such as Sufjan Stevens and Joanna Newsom, Packwood also draws creatively from a longing to describe his universe. “On long drives to Sydney from the sticks, my Dad would fill my head with incredible stories of the vastness of space, the diversity of prehistoric life - things that seem almost magical in their distance from the world that I live in now. Despite being sometimes overwhelming, I still like to dream about things like that whenever I can.” Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.