Maslin Beach musician and songwriter Jim Marshall has a ‘worldly voice’ a little like Australian frontman Nick Cave, according to music producer David Turley.
David is on the mark. Listening to Jim’s single ‘Blinding Grace’, you are confronted with a voice that is all baritone, rich and dreamlike with longing.
Jim Marshall (the musician formerly known as Jac Marshall) started playing the viola in grade 1 at Willunga’s Waldorf School. He played in the school band but his interest moved to guitar, which he started teaching himself from around the age of 12. Later, he took up the drums.
Jim was busking in Willunga and playing gigs around Aldinga when he was introduced to music producer David Turley, who has a passion for supporting young musicians.
“My focus is on developing artists to get their start in the music business. It’s also about mentoring,” says David, who set up his Willunga studio Soma Daze in 2019.
“I have international and South Australian musos I work with, with an agent in Nashville in the US. But my work is also uber local, having worked with about 20 young local musicians.”
Jim, in Year 12 at the time, says he and David instantly clicked from their first sitting in the studio.
A $3,000 Supporting Local Artists Grant from the City of Onkaparinga helped Jim and David in their collaboration through making more studio time possible, resulting in the release of Jim’s 5-track EP Autonomy in 2023.
Four tracks from the EP have been released: ‘Waiting In Line’, ‘The Void’, ‘Intermission’ and ‘Loose Screws’.
Jim says getting into a studio with an experienced producer can be expensive, if not impossible, for young musos starting out. The council grant made it possible to not only get his songs down but to work with someone as an artistic collaborator.
“David is great to work with – he has so much industry experience,” says Jim.
“Finding the right producer, especially as a solo artist, is like finding another member of your crew. You’re working together for a better quality of sound.
“You don’t feel you have to perform in the studio all the time. You can focus more on playing and composing from the heart. There’s trial and error as you find your vibe, as you find that unique sound for yourself.”
Jim says being hooked up with David led to a step-up in his career. He’s had new gigs, he’s been played on national radio, and he’s been identified in the triple j Unearthed pantheon of up-and-coming Australian artists.
David says funding was critical in helping Jim get to this stage.
“When someone follows their passion or dream, like music, it’s good for their mental health and personal wellbeing,” he says.
But, he adds, “As a society, we love music but we’re not great at supporting artists. Artists have always been part of our society. They’re not always going to make a profit, but the value they offer is so much greater.
“That’s why grants like this are vital.”
Or, as Jim puts it, “Without the grant money for studio time and collaboration with David, it would be like running on empty.”
More information
Applications for the City of Onkaparinga’s Local Artists grants – just one of a range of funding streams available through the council’s grants program – close on 31 August. Head to the council’s grants webpage for more information onkaparingacity.com/grants