William Crighton
ARIA-award winning songwriter and wordsmith William Crighton was once described by Henry Wagons like this: “Crighton looks like a bushranger and sings like a sage”.
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William Crighton
With music best described as “bush psych”, William Crighton has made a name for himself as one of the country’s most exciting and innovative musicians and story tellers.
In 2022, Crighton won the ARIA Award for Best Blues and Roots Release with his album “Water and Dust”.
Crighton grew up in small towns around the Riverina, NSW (Wiradjuri). A fusion of traditional music and unexpected experimentation, his songs explore vivid stories across colourful themes and musical expressions, from tales of murder and suicide to love and euphoric conversations with ants.
A child in awe of nature, Crighton is a passionate environmentalist working against environmental destruction both on the ground and through his music.
“Life to me is about relationships,” Crighton says. “Not just with people. We’re all family one way or another. Navigating these relationships and staying afloat on the great emotional torrent is obviously not always easy but it certainly means that stories are everywhere. I like to find them and explore them.”
The majority of Crighton’s three albums – William Crighton (self-titled) in 2016, Empire in 2018 and Water & Dust in 2022 – were written by him and his wife and collaborator Julieanne.
2022 saw Crighton snare the support spot for legendary Australian rock band Midnight Oil on their farewell Resist tour throughout Europe and Australia as well as a European and UK tour with Canadian band The Dead South.
His unique musical approach combined with raw and honest lyrics are winning him a devoted following of fans world wide.
His live performances have been described as “electric” and are not to be missed.
Don’t miss William Crighton when he appears at this year’s special Words and Music event at Newcastle’s Conservatorium of Music.