Jimi Hocking is heading to the Hotel Warrnambool as part of a special appearance at the venue's Sunday Sessions.
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Hocking, a solo artist in his own right, has forged a musical career since the early 1980s as a member of Spectre 7, The Angels and The Screaming Jets.
"I often joke that I've had a dream run throughout my career," he said. "If it all finishes tomorrow I've ticked all the boxes you'd want to tick.
"I've worked in America and unique places like India and Nepal, I've done big festivals and small venues.
"To look back at it all now, I realise it's been the ultimate adventure."
Hocking grew up in the music scene with a musician father and a singing mother. He credits the diverse range of music he was exposed to in his youth as giving him the depth to tackle rock, folk and blues genres.
"As soon as I discovered the guitar I knew that was my passion," he said. "I lived in a strange place as a young guy where I liked ACDC, Frank Zappa and Neil Young.
"I never wanted to be a singer per se, but finding front singers has always been difficult, and I kind of became a singer by default.
"You're a work in progress your whole life but The Screaming Jets fulfilled dream of being the guitarist."
Hocking is the first to admit it hasn't always been smooth sailing throughout his over 30 year career with personal and financial troubles hitting himself and the bands he has been involved in.
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But through it all, he has been able to find success and is releasing latest solo album To the Moon So Blue at The Hotel Warrnambool on Sunday, May 16.
"Through lockdown I was able to spend time with my six-year-old and four-year-old sons who just bring me the most joy," he said. "I was also able to do a lot of behind the scenes work and recording with The Jets where we release an EP Bitter Pill .
"We were testing the waters of recording remotely and we went on to re-record our first album All For One which came out 30 years ago.
"I finally got to finish my solo acoustic album, which was nine years in the making. It's a blues and folk, I have a few different genre hats but I really wanted to do some stuff that reflected my folk tastes.
"I put together the songs with an acoustic guitar and mandolin, it's fundamentally in it's heart an acoustic album."
Hocking has been performing in Warrnambool throughout his entire career, and is excited to return to Hotel Warrnambool to launch the album.
"I have really fond memories of The Caledonian and the Lady Bay," he said. "I've had a lot of support throughout my entire career.
"I discovered Port Fairy Folk Festival and I did my first folkie 20 odd years ago and it showed me the possibilities as to who appreciates the folk genre.
"Now I've taken over the Sunday Singout for the past 17 or so years and I've really loved doing that.
"Now I just have a real soft spot for the area."
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