Guy Walton

'Streets of Paris' is built around memory and reflection. Can you talk about the experiences and emotions that inspired the song, and how those memories evolved into music?

I visited Paris for the first time in 2017, and the city made a very strong impression on me. It is stunning, beautiful and refined. I experienced a moment whilst staying there that was deeply moving and filled with great affection, truly memorable. We had many more memorable moments during our stay, and the song Streets of Paris was written to give those memories a voice.

Singing in French is a bold artistic choice for an Australian songwriter. What drew you to the language, and what was the process of recording and refining the vocals to achieve the pronunciation and feeling you were aiming for?

I only sing a very short line in French, the phrase "Quai Saint-Michel, toujours." Quai Saint-Michel is a street in the centre of Paris that runs alongside the Seine, and it is where I experienced the moment that will remain with me. Toujours is French for "forever."

The process of recording the vocal was lots of fun, with multiple takes to find the expression and pronunciation I felt happy with. So much so that even after I released the song on my album Crowded Moments, I decided to record the whole vocal again and release the song as a single. We also added some special effects to create more ambience.

Throughout your career you've balanced a love of storytelling with a deep appreciation for history, particularly through works such as 'The Soldier' and 'A Muddy Waltz'. Do you see 'Streets of Paris' as connected to that same fascination with place, memory and human experience?

This is a great question — yes, definitely yes. Place, memory and human experience... I love it. Well said.

You've spent more than two decades performing for audiences in a wide range of settings, from concert halls to commemorative events. How has that experience shaped your songwriting and your understanding of what resonates with listeners?

To be honest, I don't really know how or if my performance experience has shaped my writing. It probably has in some ways, but I couldn't tell you exactly how. I am no expert at what resonates with listeners, but I think generally an audience wants clarity.

The release arrived on Bastille Day and also acknowledges the long-standing connection between France, Australia and the ANZAC story. Why was it important for you to honour that relationship through this release?

It is always important to me to honour a relationship. But with Streets of Paris, I did not have it in my mind to honour the sacred connection between France, Australia and the ANZAC story. I chose Bastille Day because I thought it was a good day to let my song go live with its French reverberations.

With the release of your new album Crowded Moments, where do you feel you are creatively at this stage of your career, and what continues to inspire you to write, perform and share new music?

At this stage of my career, I guess you could say I have found ways to do the things I want to do, to follow my inspiration and create a small body of work. That is very satisfying. It has taken a fair bit of discipline and hard work, and I'll just keep going with that.

The inspiration to write comes from feeling moved by someone or something, often those close to me. I share the music to see if anyone out there wants to hear it. They are well-written songs, so I think they're worth a listen.