Wes Carr
Wes Carr | |
|---|---|
| Born | Wesley Dean Carr September 14, 1982 Gawler, South Australia, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Known for | Winning the sixth season of Australian Idol (2008) |
Wesley Dean "Wes" Carr (born 14 September 1982), who also performs under the name Buffalo Tales, is an Australian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist best known for winning the sixth season of Australian Idol in 2008. Prior to his appearance on the show, he independently launched his debut studio album, Simple Sum, in 2008. Following his victory, Carr signed with Sony Music Australia and released his first single, "You", which topped the ARIA Singles Chart and earned a Gold certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).
His sophomore album, The Way the World Looks, reached number two on the ARIA Albums Chart and also achieved Gold status. The album’s second single, "Feels Like Woah", climbed to number 14 on the charts and received Gold certification as well. In June 2011, Carr unveiled "Been a Long Time", the lead track from his third album, which peaked at number 33 on the ARIA Singles Chart. By November 2011, he had parted ways with Sony to pursue an independent music career.
Adopting the moniker Buffalo Tales in August 2012, he released the EP Blood & Bone. His third studio album, titled Roadtrip Confessions, was released in June 2013 and debuted at number 83 on the ARIA Albums Chart.
Early life
Wes Carr was born and grew up in Gawler, South Australia, situated near the Barossa Valley. He attended the Johnny Young Talent School before relocating to Sydney at age fifteen to dedicate himself fully to music. There, he performed in various bars and collaborated with other artists. Carr supported Australian group Leonardo's Bride during their farewell performance and shared stages with artists such as Missy Higgins, Lior, Paul Mac, Andrew Farriss of INXS, and Don Walker from Cold Chisel.
On 3 November 2003, Carr independently released his first EP titled Rhythm to Fly. Following the hiatus of Silverchair in 2003, he formed the band Tambalane alongside Ben Gillies; however, they dissolved in 2005 due to creative differences. In 2006, Carr co-wrote "Say My Name" for the film For Your Consideration with C. J. Vanston while in Los Angeles. He independently issued his debut studio album, Simple Sum, on 11 June 2008.
Australian Idol
In 2008, Carr auditioned for the sixth season of Australian Idol. During the competition, he earned several "touchdowns" from judges including Marcia Hines, Jermaine Jackson, and Ian Dickson. Throughout the contest, he consistently avoided landing in the bottom ranks. On 23 November 2008, Carr was declared the winner with Luke Dickens finishing as runner-up. His rewards included a recording deal with Sony Music Australia, a vehicle, and $200,000 allocated for advancing his career.
| Week | Theme | Song performed | Original artist | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 24 | N/A | "Times Like These" | Foo Fighters | Advanced |
| Top 12 | Contestant's idols | "Beautiful Day" | U2 | Safe |
| Top 11 | 1980s | "Dancing in the Dark" | Bruce Springsteen | Safe |
| Top 10 | Australian songs | "Friday on My Mind" | The Easybeats | Safe |
| Top 9 | ABBA | "Fernando" | ABBA | Safe |
| Top 8 | Rock n' Roll hits | "Desire" | U2 | Safe |
| Top 7 | Motown classics | "If I Were a Carpenter" | The Four Tops | Safe |
| Top 6 | The Rolling Stones tribute | "Jumpin' Jack Flash" | The Rolling Stones | Safe |
| Top 5 | Michael Jackson/Jackson 5 songs | "Black or White" | Michael Jackson | Safe |
| Top 4 | American songs | "When You Were Young" "What a Wonderful World" |
The Killers Louis Armstrong |
Bottom 2 |
| Top 3 | Contestant's choice | "Easy" "Get Back" |
Faith No More The Beatles |
Safe |
| Top 2 | Contestant's choice Winner's single performance |
"White Noise" "You" |
The Living End Wes Carr |
Winner |
| Grand Finale | Duet by finalists Contestant's favourite Winner's single performance |
"Times Like These" "Black or White" "You" |
Foo Fighters Michael Jackson Wes Carr |
2008–09: The Way the World Looks
Following his victory on Australian Idol, Carr secured a recording contract with Sony Music Australia. His debut single, "You", was promptly released on 23 November 2008, immediately after his win. The track climbed to the top position on the ARIA Singles Chart and attained Gold certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipping 35,000 copies. Carr's sophomore album, The Way the World Looks, was released on 20 March 2009, debuting at number two on the ARIA Albums Chart and also earning Gold certification. The album's second single, "Feels Like Woah", launched on 13 February 2009, reached number fourteen and received Gold status as well. Additional singles from the album included "Fearless" and "Love Is an Animal".
Between 27 May and 12 July 2009, Carr embarked on a national tour titled "The Way the World Looks LIVE." Later that year in September, he supported Irish group The Script during their Australian tour and subsequently joined Ian Moss for the "Shake It Up Tour" running from October through December. At the 2009 ARIA Music Awards, his single "You" was nominated in the "Highest Selling Single" category but was ultimately surpassed by Jessica Mauboy's "Running Back".
2011–present: Buffalo Tales and Roadtrip Confessions
Carr's third studio album was slated for release in 2012, with songwriting completed during his travels across Los Angeles, Nashville, London, and Paris, focusing on intimate and honest narratives. Its lead single, "Been a Long Time," came out on 10 June 2011 and peaked at number 33 on the ARIA Singles Chart. In November of that year, Carr announced his decision to part ways with Sony to pursue an independent music career.
In August 2012, he introduced an EP titled Blood & Bone under the alias Buffalo; however, due to naming issues, this was later changed to Buffalo Tales. In April 2013, Carr posted a rendition of Rihanna’s "Diamonds," which garnered acclaim from co-writer Sia. The following month saw the release of "Amsterdam," serving as the lead single from his third album and Buffalo Tales debut, Roadtrip Confessions. Although "Amsterdam" did not enter the charts, the album debuted at number 83 on the ARIA Album Chart when it was released on 21 June 2013. The next single released was "Puppet Strings."
In November 2016, Carr appeared as a featured artist on Catherine Britt's track "F U Cancer," collaborating alongside prominent Australian musicians such as Kasey Chambers and Beccy Cole.
2018–present: Australiana
December 2018 marked Carr’s self-release of Australiana, an album comprising covers of songs originally by Australian artists, further emphasizing his ties to the national music community.
Personal life
In February 2011, Carr revealed his engagement to actress Charlotte Gregg through Australia's OK! magazine. The couple wed in April 2012 and welcomed their first child later that year.
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | |||
| Simple Sum |
|
— | |
| The Way the World Looks |
|
2 |
|
| Roadtrip Confessions |
|
83 | |
| Australiana |
|
— |
Extended plays
| Title | EP information |
|---|---|
| Rhythm to Fly |
|
| Blood & Bone |
|
As lead artist
| Year | Title | Highest chart positions | Certifications | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||||
| 2008 | "You" | 1 |
|
The Way the World Looks |
| 2009 | "Feels Like Woah" | 14 |
| |
| "Fearless" | 51 | |||
| "Love Is an Animal" | 61 | |||
| 2011 | "Been a Long Time" | 33 | Template:Non-album single | |
| 2013 | "Amsterdam" | — | Roadtrip Confessions | |
| 2014 | "Anthem" | — | rowspan="3" Template:Non-album singles | |
| 2015 | "People of Peace" | — | ||
| 2016 | "Home" | — |
As featured artist
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2016 | "F U Cancer" (Catherine Britt featuring Carr, Kasey Chambers, Beccy Cole, Lyn Bowtell, Josh Pyke and Wendy Matthews) |
Music videos
| Year | Song title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | "You" | Unknown |
| 2009 | "Feels Like Woah" | |
| 2009 | "Fearless" | |
| 2009 | "Love Is an Animal" | |
| 2011 | "Been a Long Time" | |
| 2014 | "Anthem" |
APRA Awards
The APRA Awards have been presented annually since 1982 to recognize outstanding achievement by composers and songwriters.[1]
! |- | 2016 || "Lost" by Cold Chisel (written by Don Walker & Wes Carr) || Song of the Year || || [2] |-
ARIA Music Awards
The ARIA Music Awards celebrate excellence and innovation across various Australian music styles.[3]
|- | 2009 | "You" | Highest Selling Single |
Country Music Awards of Australia
Since 1973, the Country Music Awards of Australia (CMAA), commonly referred to as the Golden Guitar Awards, have honored outstanding achievements in Australian country music on an annual basis.[4]
|- | 2017 | "F U Cancer" (featuring Catherine Britt) | Vocal Collaboration of the Year |
External links
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- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
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- 1982 births
- Australian Idol winners
- Musicians from Adelaide
- Living people
- People from Gawler, South Australia
- 21st-century Australian singers
- 21st-century Australian male singers
- Sony Music artists
- Australian male singer-songwriters
- 21st-century Australian singer-songwriters
- Pages with reference errors