Brisbane fingerstyle virtuoso, Van Larkins, has achieved the ultimate dream: touring with his music idol, Andrew White.
Describing Andrew as his “guitar guru,” Van Larkins first discovered the icon’s music when he was just 17 years old, struggling to afford his next guitar. He later reached out to Andrew with some demos, but never expected him to travel from New Zealand to produce his debut album. The pair have since become an unstoppable force, and are now reuniting to tour Australia.
“Working with Andrew has given me access to a lifetime of lessons and experience in my field. You can’t put a price on that,” said Van Larkins.
Described as the “Gordan Ramsay of the recording studio,” Andrew mentored Van Larkins, encouraging him to continue perfecting his craft.
Van Larkins doesn’t sing, he doesn’t play other instruments, and he doesn’t use a loop pedal. Armed with only his guitar, his fingerstyle skills have earnt him world-wide praise as a leading artist in his field.
“When Van Larkins came to me, I was the master and he was the disciple,” said White, “but what I see him do now makes me feel like the grasshopper with master Po.”
Recently, Van Larkins released his fourth album, Cinder Moon, inspired by artists who take unique approaches to guitar and bend the rules. Written over a five-year period, the album is stripped back, with light production and a heavy focus on the acoustics.
“My vision was to create a modern fingerstyle album, with a whole swag of different tunes blending flavours of funk, EDM and rock.”
Now, the duo is reuniting for an East Coast tour of their albums Beautiful Trouble (Andrew White) and Cinder Moon (Van Larkins).
“Andrew and I have been working together for years. Fans heading out to the show will witness the joy of old friends playing new songs.”
Full of colourful history and refreshing sounds, the Acoustic Masters Tour kicks off in Brisbane this Sunday, 17 September, followed by a Sunshine Coast show on Saturday, 23 September, before heading further afield to other cities throughout the East Coast.
ACOUSTIC MASTERS TOUR DATES
