“I’d record my own songs on a little home tape recorder using keyboard piano and preset beats off my keyboard. Me and my mate (who had a four-track) improvised an ‘album’ in a night where he played electric guitar while I played ‘found percussion’ of beer bottles and a mic stand. I overdubbed spoken word from some weird poems I’d written.”

A strange nebula with a heart of neon. Marist College graduate Will Hindmarsh continues to bewilder and delight Melbourne audiences as concept electro-salesman Twinkle Digitz. A hybrid of Beck, Jan Hammer and the hippy guitarist from the Muppets – Twinkle Digitz has impressed the likes of Dave Graney and former TISM frontman Damian Cowell.

TWINKLE DIGITZ debut album cover by Kashka Hardy (who designed the Dream Burnie cover)

Like Burnie, Will’s musical landscape has seen many changes over the years. From humble beginnings as a folk duo Will & Fi in 2005, he was known for his dynamic arrangements and intriguing chord changes. He started his own band The Great Apes who took the Melbourne indie scene by storm, releasing their debut album Merman in 2009.

Will had to change their name to Go-Go Sapien after a Sydney band lay claim to the ‘Apes. He has since released two more albums including a feature length movie to accompany 2011’s This Body Is Wrong For Us.

Will has a penchant for utilising all available media to suit his creative needs. This dates back to his high school days mooching around Wynyard.

“I would try and scratch records from my sister and parents’ record collection on their wonky seventies record player. I was working up a set for school assembly which never eventuated!”

In 2023 Will Hindmarsh became the captain of Burnie’s newest musical sensation the Dream Burnie Municipal Band. They played their inaugural concert on the Kmart plaza rooftop (well, the second level at least ‘cos it rained.) The setlist included ‘Fanfare for the Common Man’ (also known as Channel Seven’s sports theme circa 1995) and a version of The Beatles ‘I Dig a Pony’ pitched as ‘I Dig a Burnie.’

Will reflects on what the Kmart rooftop means to him. He recalls formative teenage years spent in bass player Zane’s living room at the top of View Road. Zane had a telescope offering them sweeping views of the city.

“One day we noted a couple of kids flying a kite on Kmart rooftop. We peeped at them through the ‘scope and realised it was a couple of our pals from school. The next day we told them we’d seen them and blew their minds!”