Folk in the heart of the Inner West – A Lorenzo Guevarra Profile
The past few months have seen Sydney’s Inner West become a lively hub for artists, performances and music.
Festivals such as the Marrickville Music Festival, Stanmore Music Festival and Ashfield Music Festival highlighted how varied the talent across Sydney is, spanning many genres and unique artists.
One of the artists who recently performed at the Marrickville Music Festival was Lorenzo Guevarra, a talented Inner West folk singer-songwriter.
If you were able to catch Lorenzo Guevarra playing at theses festivals, an Inner West music venue or perhaps even busking on the street, you would be struck by the intimacy and delicateness of his songwriting and performing. His captivating on-stage presence has the whole crowd enamoured, enjoying being in his company and enthralled with the command of his voice.
A fellow inner-west singer-songwriter, Amelia May, described Lorenzo’s performances as filled with “beautiful emotional tension that was potent even after his performance concluded”.
“[Lorenzo] was busking at Newtown Station and was singing one of my favourite Damien Rice songs” Amelia May said. “His voice brought life to the business of the station and created a serene, almost tangible atmosphere.”
In between songs, Lorenzo presents his charismatic and humble side, cracking self-deprecating remarks and insightful observations about his path with music. “Conversational in tone and anecdotal in delivery” Amelia says.
"It's pathetic, I know", Lorenzo says to the Stanmore crowd after the chorus of his song You're All I Dream Of, met with laughter.
Lorenzo is inspired by singer-songwriters such as Leonard Cohen, Damien Rice and Passenger. He is not afraid to show the “shreds of his heart” on stage, something he admires deeply about his songwriting heroes. His honesty and openness about his life and struggles instantly form an intimate connection between him and his audience.
I met with Lorenzo on a sunny Saturday morning. We grabbed a coffee from his local Newtown coffee shop and sat in a busy nearby park. Lorenzo struck me as a fascinating, introspective and widely insightful individual. Over our 90-minute conversation, we discussed the inspiration behind songwriting, the creative process, and the nature of the Australian music scene.
"I try to think of [my songs] as this hand-carved piece that I've really tried to refine." Dressed like he walked right off the stages of a 1960s folk performance, Guevarra showed one of the many notebooks he has for daily use, noting shopping lists, personal observations, and even lyrics.
"There's something romantic about the pen hitting the paper, blackening pages that is inspiring in a way. The fact that I'm writing this down and it's permanent."
As a big proponent of handwriting, Lorenzo mentions it's a good way to embrace the imperfections of daily life and contribute significantly to the creative process.
"If I make a mistake, I just cross it out. But it's still there. Just because a lyric doesn't fit in a certain spot doesn't mean you get rid of it. You could still use it somewhere else."
Embracing these small gestures and imperfections in life seemingly contributes significantly to Lorenzo's daily life and creative thinking. Much of Lorenzo's inspiration, reflection and writing also flows in areas such as parks and cafes.
"[Referring to the park we're seated at] This is sort of my little sanctuary, especially on days like today. Even if I didn't have the pleasure of this interview, I'd probably be here doing something else."
The process of creating and writing music often varies from artist to artist. In particular, the “struggling musician,” or “troubadour,” is a common trope and experience for singer-songwriters, including the ones that have greatly inspired Guevarra. However, his experience and connection to music follow a different path.
"I have been a full-time musician before, and there's nothing more soul-destroying than waking up in the morning and not knowing what to do … I need my routine."
For Guevarra, having a traditional job at the Department of Health works well for structuring his life around his music. However, this does not impede his creative process but instead sources much of the inspiration he channels through his songwriting.
"I actually draw a lot of inspiration from the fact that I'm just a regular nine-to-five guy …. It's an endless well of stories. Because you deal with so many people, they tell you little things about what they did on the weekend."
Lorenzo laughs, "They're all my muses."
Additionally, a recent source of inspiration for Lorenzo came in the form of re-embracing and recontextualising the bible and Old Testament as a piece of literature.
"I grew up Catholic. I'm a terrible Catholic. Like I don't go to church or anything like that. I'm not even sure if I believe in the concept of God."
However, the content of the stories, as well as Leonard Cohen's references to bible verses in songs such as Hallelujah, resonated with Guevarra unknowingly due to his catholic upbringing.
He connects this detail as one of the many uncanny connections between himself and Cohen over the past few years. The day Lorenzo made a last-minute return to performing after a multi-year hiatus to fill in for his fellow musician friend which happened to fall on the day of Leonard Cohen's birthday. However, it got stranger.
"I was in Montreal a couple of weeks ago, and I found this place," Lorenzo says as he points downward at the park we were sitting at, suggesting he found his little sanctuary in Canada.
"It's this little park called Parc du Portugal. Which is apparently where Leonard Cohen used to just sit and enjoy a bagel and his coffee."
Whether it's a spiritual link or uncanny coincidences, these connections make up some of the many interesting insights into his unique perspective and creative mind.
Ultimately, for Guevarra, performing for crowds, putting his heart and soul on display, and supporting other artists excites and fulfils him the most.
"I have no intention of breaking into the industry or selling out stadiums. I like my little theatres."
Having struck a solid balance between his job and music, he reflects on his return, saying he believes he made the right decision after resisting the societal pressures not to do music.
"There's a lot of pivotal moments between last year and now that have reassured me that this is the right choice to come back to this game."
Lorenzo Guevarra continues to gig and busk across Sydney and the Inner West suburbs, with new music on the horizon soon.
