In The Spotlight: Tim Wheatley & Crooked Saint

Today on The Spotlight, we have Australian artist Tim Wheatley! Born in Melbourne, Australia, he grew up in a family that was involved in music in one way or another. “My old man was a musician, and there was never a shortage of instruments lying around the house to kill some time on,” Tim said. Growing up in Australia, he always thought that the music had “quite a unique sound.” “Why that is I’m not exactly certain,” Tim said. “But I think it has a lot to do with the tyranny of distance. We take the music from places like the US and other parts of the world and put our own spin on it.”

The singer went on to form his own band in high school called The Sparrows, which signed with Sony a few years out of school. The band had gigs around Australia, the UK, and the States and was doing quite well. However, Tim and the lead singer Michael Badger, began moving in different musical and creative directions, and Tim left the group.

Inspired by artists like Jackson Browne, Tom Waits, John Hiatt, Paul Kelly and Guy Clark, Tim went on to create another band called Crooked Saint. “I wrote a song called ‘Crooked Saint’ loosely based around my grandfather. He fought in WWII and was quite decorated, however he was also known for being quite mischievous,” the singer said. “I wasn’t sure if I was going to be playing solo or in a band, but the project needed a name and I thought ‘Crooked Saint’ can be both. The line up consists of Michael Badger (guitars/bass…and coincidentally enough the lead singer of Tim’s old group!), along with Johnny Grant (guitar) and Troy Ramaekers (drums).

Together, the group came together to record the Crooked Saint EP, which was produced by Niko Bolas, who has worked with the likes of Neil Young, Johnny Cash, and Warren Zevon. The first single from the EP, “Burning the Midnight Oil,” is a track that definitely has an inspirational point for listeners. “It’s basically about doing what is necessary to get to where you want to be,” Tim said of the song. Check out the video for the song below!


You can check out more from Tim Wheatley and Crooked Saint on their official website, as well as Facebook and Twitter. Also be sure to check out their YouTube and SoundCloud channels!