Perth Voice Interactive

HE’S shared a bottle of wine with Billy Ocean and got a lift home from Rick Astley, and now singer-songwriter Jason Ayres is getting the rock out for his next musical adventure.

Until recently, the Perth-based muso was best known for his solo acoustic gigs – he’s performed all across Australia and supported big acts including Dionne Warwick, Rick Astley, Anastacia, 10CC, Billy Ocean, Daryl Braithwaite and America.

But since covid, Ayres has been dabbling with other musicians and is now  embracing a “grittier” sound with drums, bass and electric guitar. And where better to start than on his new country-rock single Desire.

It’s unashamedly a driving song, written while Ayres was on a late night car ride between shows in Queensland and New South Wales.

“I churned through all the driving songs that I knew and just thought, ‘What would I want to listen to?’” he says.

“I had this desire to get into the city, to see someone, just to get there already, and the song just kind of started coming to me while I was there.  

“So it’s literally a driving song that was written on the road – upbeat country rock with lots of catchy pop elements which would lead to a place where I allowed myself to be a freewheeling guitar solo maniac.”

Bright and upbeat, the song is reminiscent of John Mayer with hints of Keith Urban. The vast distances in WA make it the home of the ‘road song’ and I could see truckers and holidaymakers nodding along to this breezy, driving number.

A full-time musician, Ayres says he spends a lot of time driving between gigs on “dark desert highways”, to quote a famous song.

“If you’re a musician, you have driven the miles across the whole country,” he laughs.

“It’s amazing, the more tours you do, the less playing you do and the more travelling you do. But it’s great; it’s all part of the adventure.”

Used to playing an acoustic guitar on his own, Ayres said it’s been exhilarating playing in a band format, but also quite nerve-racking.

“To be honest, it’s been a challenge to lean on a band, because you have to learn to completely trust other people on stage,” he says.

“When you’ve spent decades on stage alone, you have control over everything.

“But ultimately it’s been liberating and has reinvigorated me as an artist.”

Growing up Ayres was into classic singer-songwriters like Bob Dylan, before moving onto Ryan Adams and Keith Urban. Recently he’s been getting into more alternative fare like the Canadian band City and Colour, which inspired his new musical direction. 

Ayres says the country-tinged Desire is a transition between his acoustic stuff and the rockier sound he’s exploring. He’s planning to put out another two singles this year and a new album in 2026.

“My music is getting a bit grittier and a bit dirtier,” he says.

“Over the past couple of years, I’ve put a band together and have been exploring new textures and sounds.”

In classic tabloid fashion, we asked Ayres if he had any “colourful” stories about any of the big acts he supported?

“What goes on the road stays on the road, but let’s just say – the bigger the artist, the smaller the ego,” he says. “They have nothing left to prove.

“Billy Ocean was one of the friendliest – he invited me backstage and we shared a bottle of wine, and after my first big tour with Rick Astley, he helped me out and gave me a lift back to the hotel. 

“You learn a lot from these big shows, as you have to be on it every night.”

Jason Ayres and his band are doing a single launch for Desire at Lyrics Underground in Maylands on Saturday (March 29). Tix at lyricsunderground.oztix.com.au and to find out more about Ayres see jasonayres.com.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK