Who is Robbie Melville?
I’m a guitarist, composer and writer of short stories, and the creator of The Village Square, a set of fables told through a live performance of music and narration.
What would you do differently from what you do now?
I’d like to spend more of my time buried in art – practising, composing, performing, listening, watching time go by. Ultimately, I’d like to make a living entirely from creating art.
Who inspires you and why?
I’m inspired by an enormous number of musicians, both those I’ve never met and those I’m lucky enough to make music with. I’m fascinated by originality, and by the seemingly infinite ways people hear differently. Playing with remarkable musicians who are also remarkable humans has taught me a lot.
People like Zoe Knighton, Gideon Brazil, Ronny Ferella, Tamara Murphy… actually, this list could become very long. My wife and daughters inspire me to be better. They teach me perspective. Music remains endlessly fascinating, whether I’m hearing something for the first time or listening to a piece I’ve known for forty years.
What would you do to make a difference in the world?
Plant some trees and try to listen more.
Favourite holiday destination and why?
The first place that comes to mind is so important to me that I’d rather keep it to myself. But I think the people you’re holidaying with make the holiday, far more than the destination does.
When friends come to town, what attraction would you take them to, and why?
Jubilee Lake in Daylesford. I’ve been going there since I was a child, with my parents and grandmother, and it somehow rekindles a feeling of innocence in me. Every part of the walk offers a beautiful view, but each time you look up, it seems completely different.
Afterwards, I would once have taken them to the Radio Springs Hotel. That used to be my favourite regular gig. It had a completely unique atmosphere, fantastic and quirky owners, a thirty-seat cinema out the back with a real film projector, and excellent Guinness. Sadly, it’s closed now.
What are you currently reading?
Tove Jansson’s The Summer Book. It’s a collection of simple short stories set on an island off the coast of Finland. I love that many of them don’t really go anywhere – no thrilling conclusion or profound revelation. They’re simple but not simplistic. Engaging, humorous and often very moving.
What are you currently listening to?
All this music I’ve never heard before on this online kind of radio station called The Nightly. They call it “sad. old. radio” – it’s non-stop music, 24 hours a day, no ads, no announcements, and all this fantastic music such as early jazz and blues, Vietnamese torch songs, field recordings from Africa, Romantic era classical music played on vibraphone, all this kind of exotica. I can’t stop listening to it.
Happiness is?
Performing, composing, listening to music, enjoying one of my wife’s witticisms, watching my children, listening to the dogs growl. Simple stuff, really.
What does the future hold for you?
I’d love to see The Village Square travelling all over the world and finding audiences in different countries. I’d love the whole world around it to grow too. The book, the audiobook, David Frazer’s beautiful woodcut engravings. I have plans for the duo of Zoe and I to grow into a sixteen piece ensemble. Perhaps, one day, a film.
Beyond that, I tend to plan for the future just by doing the best work I can and then seeing what opportunities present themselves.
Robbie is the Creator of The Village Square – which will be presented at The Motley Wherehaus (The Cavern), as part of the 2026 Melbourne Fringe, from 12 – 18 October. For more information, visit: www.melbournefringe.com.au for details.
Image: Robbie Melville – photo by Peter Lamont