Why you should listen to him
Rafe loves what he does. From plucking strings with his fingers, choosing the perfect words to fit the music to standing on a stage in front of an attentive audience, Rafe loves it all, and it shows. On stage, he’s relaxed and comfortable, happy to engage in conversation with the crowd, and it’s these live shows that have given Rafe the reputation that now surrounds him; as a very happy person.
His reputation as a bringer of joy comes not only from his contagious smile, but from the songs which he writes. Rafe shares his positive and unique perspective of life through lyrically rich songs, and invites you to travel the full spectrum from laugh-out-loud funny to those that somehow manage to be as poignant as they are gently amusing.
With musical elements of jazz, pop and folk, Rafe’s music has been likened to artists such as Flight of the Conchords, Tripod, The Cat Empire and even Kermit the Frog. Inspiration for Rafe comes from many sources. The perfectly written jazz songs of composers from the ‘20s and ‘30s, the melodies, social messages and energy from Ska and reggae, the friendly attitudes of the other talented musicians in Canberra and the intricacies and finesse of guitarists such as Eric Clapton and Tommy Emmanuel, but mainly from just walking around and looking at the world.
“The clever thing here is Rafe’s ability to look at the very darkest corners of the Australian psyche and still find something to joke about. 5 stars” – the-riotact.com
