Making music with the ones we love most

IT WAS a collision between Gold Coast-bound big names when Ben Harper finished last year with impressive “cool dad” credentials.

The Harper household was more than excited when the Grammy-winning singer songwriter and multi-instrumentalist “got the call” from Harry Styles to play on his track Boyfriends.

“What a thrill. Because you get calls, and then there’s calls,” Harper (pictured) says.

“I happen to feel Harry’s House is one of the best records of the last two or three decades.

“So as someone who loves to session as much as I love to record my own work, that was a very exciting call to get.”

The only problem was the sound Styles was after required Harper’s vintage Martin 00-18 acoustic guitar, which featured on his early albums.

The guitar was on permanent loan to the musician’s 23year-old daughter Harris.

“Once I’d heard my daughter’s songs and realised she was a better songwriter than me – no self-effacing nonsense here, it’s just what it is, she’s a more creative writer. I gave her that guitar because it’s a tool,” he says.

“I knew she’d taken it to college with her … fortunately, she was home on holiday break when the Harry session came around and had brought the guitar back with her.”

Father and daughter then got to share the Styles stage and the guitar thanks to the next call from the As It Was superstar.

Harper plays the Gold Coast on Sunday, headlining an impressive line up at Broadwater Parklands, featuring Angus and Julia Stone, City and Colour, The Rubens and more.

Styles plays Metricon Stadium on February 28.