Geoff Achison is an Australian blues and blues-rock musician, guitarist, vocalist and bandleader from Malmsbury in south-eastern Australia. He teaches himself to play in rural isolation and develops a blues/funk style that draws on American blues and R&B, while also taking in rock, soul and funk. He is known for a simple guitar setup and for inventing some of his own playing techniques without pedals or gadgets.

Early years and style

Achison grows up in the small town of Malmsbury and learns guitar on a beat-up instrument he finds under the stairs at home. Working from a limited record collection and not knowing how the sounds he hears are made, he creates his own methods and builds a distinctive approach that can move from delicate to explosive. His singing is described as gritty and soulful, and his live sets include original songs, improvised jams and new arrangements of blues and soul material.

Career

After early work as lead guitarist with Dutch Tilders & The Blues Club in Melbourne, he spends five years touring around Australia before forming the first version of his own band, The Souldiggers. He forms Jupiter 2 Records in 1994 with Nic Quittner and releases the first of a long run of recordings on the label. He begins wider international activity in the mid-1990s, with his first US trip and an appearance representing the Melbourne Blues Society at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, where he wins the Albert King Award for guitar skills.

He later forms a US-based Souldiggers line-up and records Gettin' Evil in Portland, Oregon. He also moves to London to build a UK following, appears on BBC radio, and records a live album with his British Souldiggers group. He is based in Australia again after time in Atlanta and London, and continues to tour in Australia, the UK and the USA, performing either solo acoustic shows or with hired musicians under the Souldiggers name.

Recognition and collaborations

Achison receives an endorsement from Gibson Guitars’ acoustic division. He is also a guest guitar instructor at Jorma Kaukonen’s Fur Peace Ranch in Ohio, a role he holds for many years, and he runs guitar workshops there as well. Over the course of his career he performs with or alongside Jorma Kaukonen, Les Paul, John Mayall, John Mayer, Levon Helm, Tommy Emmanuel and Hubert Sumlin. Awards and honours include the 2007 Chain Blues Music Award for Group of the Year with The Souldiggers, and voting in a Guitar Player Magazine readers poll as one of the Top Ten Hot New Guitarists in 2008. He also receives Australian Chain Awards recognition as Band of the Year, Best Blues Band in Australia and Best Male Performer in earlier years.

Recordings and media

He releases 12 CDs across his career, establishing himself as a guitarist, bandleader and vocalist with a strong reputation. His work gains positive attention from fans and critics, and he is featured on the cover of Blues In Britain magazine.