INXS’ Andrew Farriss on his team-up with ANU’s School of Music

INXS linchpin Andrew Farriss will be bound to his home country through 2015 with the announcement he will teach and mentor students at The Australian National University (ANU) School of Music in Canberra.

Invited as part of ANU’s Visiting Fellow program, Farriss has been honoured as the H.C. Coombs Fellow for 2015, which supports creative artists in music, literature and visual art.

TMN spoke to Farriss over the phone this morning when he said the undertaking marks the first time he’s worked with students.

“When I was in primary school the ABC – one of the outback radio networks when I was a boy – they got me to read our school lessons for kids in the outback,” he laughed. “And I don’t know why they picked me. After all these years in the recording business it’s rather ironic to me that this seems to be the part that somehow I’m meant to do.”

Through Farriss’ involvement as the main composer for INXS, penning hits like Original Sin, What You Need and Need You Tonight with Michael Hutchence, and as producer for Australian artists like Youthu Yindi and Tania Kernaghan and international acts like Jenny Morris and Gun, he has previously taken both a creative and academic approach to music. However, as Farriss told TMN, he had been looking for a philanthropic project to give back to the country whichsupported him.

“[INXS] were very fortunate to be supported and promoted by many Australians here in the early days, and who continue to do so,” Farriss told TMN. “I think that’s part of the reason that as an Australian I want to give back to Aussies as well. My experience especially in the United States over the years – we sold an enormous amount of records over there and had some really big chart hits worldwide […] and I lived in the UK for five years too – with all that international experience I still feel I’ve yet to give back.

“For the ANU to approach me and invite me, was just to me perfect timing because I was wondering what next year was going to hold,” Farriss continued. “I could have gone in two or three different directions but this is the best direction I can possibly think of.”

Farriss said although he is still defining the course with the University’s staff and its Professor Peter Tregear, he plans to hold both lectures and practical, improvisational lessons.

“I think it will be a work in progress definitely with the students,” he said. “[…] I’m sort of interested in improvisation both in terms of encouraging creativity and looking at things a different way, but also in the course of the year with looking at different ways of doing things.

“I’m sure once I get to know some of the people a little bit better and see what their capabilities are and see how I can assist them, then I’ll probably adjust it accordingly.”

Farriss will make an initial appearance at the School of Music in February 2015. His visit comes in the Fellowship’s golden jubilee year.

ANU School of Music, Professor Peter Tregear, said: “By honouring us by accepting the Coombs Fellowship for 2015, Andrew will help inform and inspire a new generation of leading Australian musicians.”

For the year so far, INXS’ quadruple Platinum LPINXS: The Very Best is the #1 selling artist album in Australia for 2014. During the month of its release, INXS had six albums, includingKickandThe Swingin the ARIA Top 100 Albums and nine tracks in the ARIA Top 100 Singles chart.

:: READ TMN'SEXTENDED Q&A WITH INXS

Photo Credit:MarlinaNeeley