Photography by Jacqui Mitchell. A singer-songwriter and proud Wiradjuri man, Zeppelin Hamilton’s first foray into artistry involved carbohydrates. At 18 years old, the Byron Bay resident would hitchhike to Ballina Subway and assemble sandwiches for his pay cheque. But it was a means to an end. His father is a blues musician “and my mum has great taste”, Hamilton says in a nod to his rockstar-ready name, so much of his childhood was spent backstage at concerts such as the region’s iconic Bluesfest. There, he’d stand spellbound by the talents of Buddy Guy, Taj Mahal, James Brown, Peter Green and Johnny Winter. “I wanted to be like them,” he recalls.
Hamilton eventually moved to Sydney and began performing with the band he helped start, Velvet Trip, whose debut album is slated for release this year. As the frontman of the outfit, he entrances, belting out the band’s signature psychedelic-infused blues songs with distinctive self-assurance. “I am very compelled by the ’60s and ’70s,” says Hamilton. “The impact some of the music from that time had continues to transcend and inspire our society [and] culture even today.”
A former model, Hamilton is familiar with the power of aesthetics and has form when it comes to crafting his personal brand. “My style is quite fluid and changes depending on how I feel,” he says. Embracing both feminine and masculine-leaning trends, he is just as likely to be found in golden-hued silk flares with heels and a crop top as he is in a band tee and skate shoes. On that, he says: “I’m just dressing in what feels natural to me.”
