At Home With… Tim Rogers

The first in our new series At Home With… We insist music legends let us inside their homes, and then we go through all their things.

In 1989, Tim Rogers and Nick Ticshler formed a little band called You Am I. In the four years to follow, the band would play Australia-wide on the festival circuit and play national headline tours, before travelling to Cannon Falls, Minnessota in 1992 to record their first ever album, Sound as Ever, with Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo. 

Twenty four years, ten ARIA awards, and more than thirty releases later, Tim Rogers is widely regarded as one of Australia’s most treasured songwriters. “Heavy Heart” will remain, forever, a very painful and wonderful thing to listen to. 

Noisey visited him in his home in Melbourne’s southern suburbs—just a couple of tree-lined streets back from the sea—to quietly inspect his many articles and objects.

“My hero. Goose. I miss him every day. The best friend, mentor and teacher a gal could ever have. Though he was a star in every singular way he was also kind and considerate. Most of what I do is trying to impress him. We’ve been without him for over twenty years but his voice is always whispering in my ear.”

“My daughter just turned 16. She lives far away from me but we are in constant contact. A wonderful, empathetic, smart young lady who happens to be a jaw-dropping songwriter and musician, despite our filial relationship. My love for her defines me.”

“The greatest musical night of my life. When I left the second night Paul W and I had a lil’ hug and I couldn’t help say ‘Thanks for giving me a life.’ What’s worse is… I meant it.”

“My little red desk. Bought off the lovely Margaret, and a constant companion. There are bite marks on all four edges. It’s been that kinda year.”

All photos by Lekk Porter.