Guy Blackman - Out Of Sight

Melbourne, Australia’s Guy Blackman is a songwriter’s songwriter. His deftly constructed songs deal frankly with issues of love, sexuality and commitment. If Serge Gainsbourg, Tim Hardin or Kevin Ayers wrote songs set in gay saunas or on adult camming websites, you might get close to an idea of Guy’s approach.

Out Of Sight is a gentle, plaintive record that hides barbs of humour and hurt beneath its intricate arrangements and breezy soft rock. It features a languorous duet with French performer Julien Gasc of Aquaserge and Stereolab, and backing vocals from Australian songwriting icon Laura Jean. The album was recorded in three sessions across 2022-2024, first in Melbourne with Liam Parsons and Stefan Blair from Good Morning, then in London with Liam Parsons in 2023, and back in Melbourne with Liam Halliwell (Snowy Band) in 2024. The lovely strings arrangements are by Grand Salvo’s Paddy Mann. As a solo artist, Guy has shared stages with Joanna Newsom, Bill Callahan, Vashti Bunyan, Stereolab, John Grant, Beach Fossils, Owen Pallett, Jens Lekman and others. In his previous bands Sleepy Township, Minimum Chips and Montero, he has played with Elliot Smith, Cat Power, Pavement, War On Drugs, Kurt Vile and more. Guy has toured the US, UK, Europe and Japan, playing with Mt Eerie, Tenniscoats, Dear Nora, Julien Gasc and others.

His debut solo album Adult Baby was reissued on vinyl by French label Pop Superette in 2024. The album includes a steamy duet with Swedish pop star Jens Lekman, plus appearances from members of the Dirty Three, Eddy Current Suppression Ring and many more. Guy is also a driving force behind Chapter Music, one of Australia’s longest-running and best-loved independent record labels, which he began in 1992 at the age of 17. Chapter won best label at the Australian Independent Record Label Awards in 2019 and 2023.