David West

Throughout his extensive career, the Australian multi-instrumentalist David West has demonstrated an unwillingness to confine himself to a single musical outfit or genre. This Perth native has explored a wide array of styles, ranging from the frosty electronic cabaret of Liberation and the lighthearted indie pop of Rat Columns to the experimental indie rock sounds found in Total Control, while his solo work has encompassed everything from glam-tinged rock to unconventional synth pop. With Jolly in the Bush in 2022, he introduced tender ballads centered on acoustic guitar. His consistent success across these varied endeavors stems from an innate ability to craft memorable tunes, skillful production choices, and his characteristically understated vocal delivery.

In the mid-1990s, West began his musical journey in his Perth bedroom with lo-fi recordings. His initial prominent group was the hardcore outfit Burning Sensations. During a period in San Francisco toward the end of the 2000s, he joined the sharp post-punk band Rank/Xerox. Concurrently, he participated in Total Control, a noise rock ensemble alongside Mikey Young that produced the acclaimed Typical System. He also launched Rat Columns, releasing their album Leaf in 2013, and collaborated with Young in the electro-pop project Lace Curtains on Mexican Summer. Simultaneously, he compiled his own material into the 2013 cassette Drop Out of Collage, drawing from tracks spanning 1996 to 2014. Shifting styles once more, his Liberation endeavor drew from classic synth pop of early Mute releases and others, with Night School Records issuing the debut album in early 2016. Later that year, Tough Love Records put out Peace or Love, his initial proper solo effort characterized by straightforward pop sensibilities.

Following a brief pause in his prolific output, West issued Candle Power with Rat Columns via Upset the Rhythm in March 2017. Prior to its release, he had already completed his next solo album. Assembling a backing group called Teardrops that included Louis Hooper from Rat Columns, Raven Mahon of Grass Widow, drummer Griffin Harrison, Bob Jones of Eaters, and frequent partner Mikey Young, the recording took place swiftly and informally across his New York rehearsal space, a Glasgow room, and a Western Australia studio. West and Young handled the mixing for Cherry on Willow, which Tough Love issued toward the end of 2017. Additionally, he pursued instrumental synth explorations with Jones as Scythe, yielding Dun Werk in 2019 and Machines Werk in 2020. Over time, he also partnered with Daniel Newell in Dark Passage, resulting in the late 2020 release of their synth pop EP 2014-2019.

Returning his focus to solo material, West enlisted recurring collaborators Young, Hooper, and Jones along with newcomer Richard Ingham from Taco Leg to create tracks spanning jangly indie pop, chilly synth pop, and crunchy indie rock, while incorporating a couple of gentle acoustic guitar ballads for an unexpected twist. Tough Love released Jolly in the Bush in March 2022.