New album from INXS founding member Andrew Farriss
Andrew Farriss, 65, of iconic Aussie rock band INXS, lived in Belrose in the 1970s. He enrolled in the new Davidson High, but rocked up to Killarney Heights High because ‘Davo’s’ opening was delayed. But had it opened in time, there might not have been an INXS.
“I was sitting in the courtyard of Killarney High even though I was in a Davidson uniform,” recalls Andrew. “And in walked Michael Hutchence. And would you believe, he was also dressed in another school uniform – from King George V High School in Hong Kong of all places.
“He stood out; let’s just put it that way,” he adds. “But Michael always did stand out.”
“My friend and I looked at each other and said, ‘He’s going to get bullied,’ because he just had that look about him. And we were dressed in different uniforms than Killarney Heights High, so we stood out everywhere we went.
“Michael got picked on, so we stepped in and told the other boys to leave him alone,” says Andrew. “And we were lucky – because they did!” he laughs.
Andrew and Michael became good schoolmates and talked a lot about motorbikes. Music was more of a hobby for Andrew at the time, so that came later.
“I’d always been into music and had been writing songs since I was 14,” says Andrew. “Eventually I began to work with Michael. Then I saw an ad in the paper for a bass player, who just happened to be Garry Beers. So Garry, Michael and I formed a band called Doctor Dolphin.”
Another local Forest High School band that included Andrew’s brothers Tim and Jon, and friend Kirk Pengilly, broke up and the three joined forces with Doctor Dolphin.
“We realised that if we joined forces, we’d have something pretty special,” says Andrew. “So, we ended up jamming out and doing some recordings. We played our first show on 16 August, 1977.” And in 1980, they changed their name to INXS.
INXS cut their teeth on the Beaches
INXS cut their teeth gigging on the Beaches at surf clubs such as Bilgola and Narrabeen’s (former) Royal Antler Hotel, Dee Why Hotel and Avalon RSL.
“It was fun, but also pretty gruelling,” recalls Andrew. “We spent most of our time on the Northern Beaches in the very early years; it always was a special area.”
Despite his global success over four decades, Andrew is all about family and his farm – he has been raising cattle and growing grains near Tamworth for the past 30 years, where he raised three (now adult) children.
“I really like this area of NSW. I live inland and I like that.”
The country music capital has rubbed off on the Beaches boy – he scored a Golden Guitar nomination in 2021 for his single With the Kelly Gang from his first solo country album.
Andrew’s second country album The Prospector is out early in 2025. In June, he gave fans a taster by releasing single Something Stronger, which has been described as a ‘blazing fusion of country and rock.’
Andrew kicks off his Australian tour at the Brass Monkey in Cronulla on 24 October.
The tour promises a blend of some iconic INXS hits with Andrew’s new material from The Prospector, which is all about searching.
“I wanted the lyrics to convey looking and searching for things,” explains Andrew. “Not just gold, but searching inside yourself or looking for something that you need, even relationships.”
His single Something Stronger isn’t referring to whisky either.
“It’s got nothing to do with substances,” explains Andrew. “It’s got more to do with getting on great with someone and the strength in (the relationship).”
