When I first met George Byrne we were both indy musicians, scrambling to make sense of our artistic impulses in the one world where you can kind of make it up as you go along. In fact, we got to know each other best when I produced an album for him, which we recorded in an ad-hoc studio; the front room of my wife and my rented terrace house. That was in 2006, during a brief stint back in Melbourne, Australia.
Since then a lot has happened. I moved back to Los Angeles in 2007 and not too long after, George made the leap, too. Over time our lives and creative work have changed a lot. George was always a great photographer, but it’s only in the past decade that he’s focussed in on the craft and how to play with it, building an admirable career in visual art. You can see his work here.
Now life is about to change again for George, in a way I’m well familiar with — fatherhood. So with a month or so to go before he joins the club, as it were, I thought it was a good time to catch up for a chat about what this new role might mean for his creative life. Maybe we’ll do it again a year or so from now and see how his predictions are holding up.
I hope you enjoy the chat. I plan on doing some more in time. The way in which parenthood upends our lives fascinates me, particularly when it intersects with creativity. There a lots more people’s thoughts on that which I’d love to hear and share with you. If we can all find the time.
(A note on the drawing: George loves LeBron James, we talk about him often, and I can’t help but feel that somehow — magically — a little bit of the King telepathically crept into my rushed portrait of George. I feel slightly creeped out by that, but felt compelled to leave it be, too. Let the mystic sit. Sorry, George. Sorry, LeBron.)
George Byrne | Fatherhood, Etc.