Tag: Australia

BGS 5+5: Riley Pearce

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Riley Pearce
Hometown: Melbourne, Australia
Latest Album: Acoustic EP
Nickname: Still yet to be determined

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

It wasn’t actually a good memory but it was an important lesson to learn. I played a small gig in a coffee shop overseas and had a few drinks with a friend beforehand and temporarily forgot about the show. I don’t recall forgetting any lyrics, but remember stepping back from the mic at one stage and feeling very unbalanced. That was enough to make me not drink much before a show going forwards.

What was the first moment you wanted to be a musician?

Well, part of me still doesn’t consider myself a musician. I’ve made it this far though, so maybe I am. I used to busk a lot growing up and loved the interaction you’d get with complete strangers or your friends at the different market stalls. There would be great connections formed through music and that really spurred my love for it all. It’s amazing how songs just become, from nothing. I was quite hooked and spent the first few years really trying to learn everything I could. I wanted to make this something I could do for the rest of my life.

Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and musician?

Oooh I like this question. I’ve been really enjoying Foy Vance’s work of late so perhaps him and some pasta and wine. Is he at this dinner? Or am I just listening to him while I eat pasta and drink wine… alone? Or is he singing to me while we both eat pasta and wine? It’d be quite close and I’d probably get food spat on me. I’m confused.

How often do you hide behind a character in a song and use “you” when it’s actually “me”?

Very rarely, if ever. The songs need to be authentic and come from a real place. I often treat concepts like time or distance as if they are people in songs so it gives me more to write about than my actual human relationships. I also find what happens to me more is that I may write a song or a lyric and it’s meaning to me changes overtime and if it started being about one idea it’s morphed its way into something else. I love how music can do that.

What rituals do you have either in the studio or before a show?

I really want to have some pre-gig rituals, but besides a pre-gig toilet trip and some water I’ve got nothing. In the studio I often eat this rice-cracker snack called Delites which I mispronounced for two years as Deletees until someone told me it’s just a play on the word delight. But I still call them Deletees. I find my voice sounds nice after eating them, plus they taste great.

Photo credit: Rachel Claire

LISTEN: Clare Bowen, “Tide Rolls In”

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Artist: Clare Bowen
Hometown: South Coast, New South Wales, Australia
Song: “Tide Rolls In” (featuring Buddy Miller)
Album: Clare Bowen
Release Date: July 12, 2019
Label: BMG

In Their Words: “‘Tide Rolls In’ is about people and things that seemed like a good idea at the time. We’ve all put our love in the wrong place at some point — my romantic career before I met my sweet, wonderful husband Brandon was a proverbial train wreck, with napalm on top. Brandon and I have the most incredible love story that people ask me about all the time, and I want everyone to know that we didn’t just find each other immediately. It started with self love, for both of us. If you’ve made dreadful romantic choices in the past, you’re not damaged goods, like I thought I was — you are a beautiful, unique creature who deserves to be loved so very much. Especially by your own heart.” — Clare Bowen

Photo Courtesy of Activist Artist Management

WATCH: Jordie Lane, “The Winner” (Feat. Clare Reynolds)

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Artist: Jordie Lane feat. Clare Reynolds
Hometown: Melbourne, Australia (Based in Nashville, Tennessee)
Song: “The Winner” – Live from Cobargo Folk Festival, NSW
Album: Lost EP
EP Release Date: June 7, 2019
Label: Blood Thinner Records / Tone Tree Music

In Their Words: “I started writing this song feeling sorry for myself, eating tacos and drinkin’ beers in a motel room in Joshua Tree, California. But when Clare Reynolds turned it into a duet with me, the whole thing took on a new perspective. It became less about self-pity and more about how to feel alive, and how to love. We were lucky enough to play recently in this rural town of 700 people, at the Cobargo Folk Festival in New South Wales, Australia, just a 12,500km stone’s throw southwest of California. And the good people at Yuin Folk Club & Pegleg Productions captured this live video in the local hall as the first of a series they are doing called the Cobargo Sessions.” — Jordie Lane

Photo credit: Tajette O’Halloran

George Jackson, “Dorrigo”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

As a fiddler in Nashville, a town whose guitarist population is only rivaled by the sheer quantity of fiddles and bows, it takes a singular voice to stand out. Or, in George Jackson’s case, perhaps it takes a singular accent. The New Zealand native recently transplanted to Music City and has been carving a niche for himself in bluegrass, old-time, and their offshoots ever since. He currently tours with acclaimed bassist Missy Raines’ latest lineup, a minimalist-while-mighty acoustic trio, and he’s also been spotted collaborating with folks like Front Country and Rachel Baiman.

On his brand new album, Time and Place, Jackson steps into the role of frontman and bandleader, demonstrating that his voice — musically and otherwise — is so much more than just a charming, Oceanian accent. His fiddling is an intentional, pragmatic, and judicious combination of styles that range from Vassar Clements’ harebrained wit to Clifftop, West Virginia’s down-homiest old-time sawers. “Dorrigo,” a tune whose title tributes Australia, another former home to Jackson, perfectly demonstrates this old-meets-new, Northern Hemisphere meets Southern Hemisphere originality. The turns of phrase and melodic hooks register as familiar and timeless, before being unwound in surprising trajectories. Mandolin Orange’s Andrew Marlin, Charm City Junction’s Brad Kolodner, Mark Kilianski of Hoot and Holler, and Jackson’s longtime friend and collaborator Andrew Small fill out the band, demonstrating laser focus on old-time simplicity and bluegrass precision.

Perhaps thanks to his international roots, or his egalitarian approach to fiddle styles, Jackson’s “Dorrigo,” and by extension, Time and Place, simply do not bother trifling with authenticity signalling or genre designation. They simply elevate his singular voice.

Lucero Carries ‘Among the Ghosts’ Around the World

Posted on by Editor

Lucero marked their 20th year as a band in 2018 with a block party in their native Memphis as well as a satisfying new album, Among the Ghosts. Before the year’s up, the band’s schedule is carrying them to the United Kingdom for six shows. (Also, Australia beckons in 2019.) International touring has sometimes proven tricky to pull off, says the band’s frontman Ben Nichols.

“We feel bad actually about not giving enough of our attention to Europe. We’ve been so busy in the States I’m afraid we’ve been a bit neglectful of Europe in the past,” he admits. “The U.K. has always been nice to us but we just haven’t been able to get over there as much as we would like. And we’ve played shows on the continent even less. Part of that has been simple logistics, time, and money; but also maybe a little naiveté on our part… we never thought anyone over there would be interested in our little band from Memphis. Hopefully all that is changing.”

Just before heading overseas, Nichols answered a few questions by email.

As you prepare to begin an overseas tour, do you change anything from your U.S dates, such as your set list, your merch, or the gear that you bring?

We used a set list for the first time on the recent Among the Ghosts U.S. tour. In the past we tended to make it up as we went along. On this tour though I wanted to be sure I could fit all the new songs in every night and I wanted to pick old songs that complemented them, so we made a set list and it worked out well. We will probably play something very similar on the U.K. run. As far as gear goes we will be renting a backline of drums and amps so that we don’t have to fly with the heavy stuff. But of course we will bring our own guitars. As far as merchandise goes I’m not sure what we’ve got going on. Mainly I just want folks to buy that new album.

As you tour, in the U.S. or abroad, have you ever encountered any cool guitars or gear that you just couldn’t pass up?

I tend to find a guitar and an amp I like and just beat the hell out of them until they won’t play anymore and then I get another one when they finally give out and can’t be repaired anymore. So as long as what I’ve got is holding up, I’m not really in the market for anything new. I know that’s a boring answer but it is the truth. My old Epiphone Sheraton and my Blues Jr are all I need right at the moment.

You recorded this album in your hometown of Memphis at Sam Phillips Recording Service. How would you describe the room, and what was the vibe in the studio when you were recording the album?

It has a very strong 1959 aesthetic! Not much has changed about the building itself since it was opened in 1960. Sam’s office upstairs is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. The place isn’t open to tourists. It was built to be a recording studio. And working there with a producer and engineer like Matt Ross-Spang, you can’t beat it. He is the kind of guy who knows exactly how Sam Phillips intended that place to be used, from the main studio to the reverb chambers to the hallway and the bathroom. Every bit of the place was made with sound in mind. And Matt gets the most out of that. I can hear it on our record.

With its ominous imagery and some excellent guitar licks, the song “Among the Ghosts” is one of the album’s finest moments. What were you hoping to capture in this song?

It was one of the first pieces of music I’d written for the album, but it was the last one to get lyrics. The music really took shape as we cut it on the floor. I didn’t know exactly what we had until Matt played it back to us the next day. It was exactly what I wanted to hear at the moment and it needed the exact right lyrics. At the last minute it fell together. My wife and daughters have made a big impact on me since getting married almost three years ago, and writing about being away from them fit the song perfectly. All of the lyrics on this new record are exactly what I want to be singing every night while I’m on tour.

The end of a year can be a time for reflection. What have been some of the highlights of 2018 for you?

For me it’s been all about watching my two-year-old growing up. She knows what I do and loves to come to shows. Those are special ones when she can be there. Coming back to the U.K. with this record is actually a very big deal for us and I’m very much looking forward to that. We paid for this record ourselves and released it on our own label with distribution help from Thirty Tigers and I take great pride in that. We were on national television in the U.S. for the first time recently and that was a milestone as well. So it’s been a productive year.

What can your fans expect from Lucero in 2019?

We get to go back to Australia early next year and that is exciting. The plan is to play just enough to pay our bills and make plenty of time to spend with our families. And also get back into Sam Phillips and work with Matt some more. I’m so proud of Among the Ghosts I want to keep writing and recording as much as we can.

Photo credit: Dan Ball

LISTEN: The Maes, “Writer of Love Songs”

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Artist: The Maes
Hometown: Melbourne, Australia
Song: “Writer of Love Songs”
Release Date: October 5, 2018

In Their Words: “We wrote the song together musing on the enormous quantity of love songs in the world and their relationship to the people who write them. There is a pervasive urban myth about songwriters that you can’t write good songs while you are in a happy relationship. We wondered whether songwriters can end up living their own narratives of tragedy and loneliness and whether the proverbial troubadour is lonesome precisely because they are living the kind of love that is ripe for songwriting.

“The song is a musical collaboration with John Flanagan who is one of our favourite people to sing with and we wanted to capture this song as a trio, sung with abandon as though round a campfire late at night (as it was many times before we recorded it). Producer/engineer Isaac Barter captured this vibe from us perfectly and then added his own flavor with drums and double bass.” –The Maes

Photo credit: Mick Conlon

STREAM: Great Aunt, ‘A Mess That I Left’

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Artist: Great Aunt
Hometown: Melbourne, Australia
Album: A Mess That I Left
Release Date: August 31, 2018

In Their Words: “It was important that we engineered and produced the songs ourselves, so that we could ensure we captured the right moment and vision we had for each song. We wanted to make a record that was honest, sincere, and intimate, not just from a songwriting and performance perspective, but also by translating that into the technical production of the EP. There’s a lot of deliberateness in small details.

A Mess That I Left is a living, breathing thing: a palpable moment in musical time.

Each song is about a chapter of significance in my life; largely about finding a positive path forward when past traumas still haunt you. I feel like I have left all that mess behind now – although it’s still close, and I can still see it. I wanted to share it in hope to normalise it for me, and for others.” — Megan Bird

Photo credit: Great Aunt

3×3: All Our Exes Live in Texas on Wilde, Wiig, and Wainwright

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Artist: Katie Wighton (of All Our Exes Live in Texas)
Hometown: Sydney, Australia (Well, Brisbane originally for me!)
Latest Album: When We Fall
Personal Nicknames (or Rejected Band Names): I get called Katajzna (pronounces Ka-taj-nah) by the girls in the band. Also get Kiki from our hilarious manager. And Tiny, by my bestie. As for rejected band names, when we were looking for one we Googled worst/best country song titles and we found “Drop kick me Jesus through the goal posts of life” and “How can I miss you if you never leave?” They didn’t QUITE have the same ring to them …

 

What. A. Week. Thank you @folk_alliance for one of the most inspiring, life-affirming experiences we’ve ever had! Turns out being confined to a Kansas City hotel with a couple thousand people playing folk music in every room is just about the most magical and insane thing you can do. Thanks to everyone who came and watched our showcases, to all the beautiful music industry humans who are fighting the good fight and keeping the dream alive and to the incredible musicians who filled our ear holes with pure joy. Absolutely loved hanging out and enjoying the talents of @portsband @theonceband @ohpepmusic @liamgerner @lizstringeraus @rowenawise @emilywurramara_official @hermitagegreen Robbie Fulks @timmoxammusic @tizmcnamaramusic @melparsonsmusic @lemonbucketorkestra Baile An Salsa @kimrichey and so many more. Let’s all tour together immediately  Extra special thanks to @notreallymoose @soundsaustralia @glennyg @clackeryakka and @australiacouncilforthearts for helping us get over there  #FAI2017 #folkforever

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If you had to live the life of a character in a song, which song would you choose?  

This is a great question! I have been realllllly into a song called “Heartbreaker” by the Walkmen. The lyrics are “I’m not your heartbreaker, some tender ballad player.” And I love the strength in that. I would very much like to live that life.

Where would you most like to live or visit that you haven’t yet? 

I’ve never been to Mongolia and I’ve always wanted to. Yurts are super cool. I also adore Berlin — I’d love to live there one day!

What was the last thing that made you really mad? 

Well, I hate to state the bleeding obvious, but it starts with T and ends (appropriately) in rump. And there have been several specific occasions — one of them being his decision to impose an international travel ban. To be fair, though, it didn’t so much make me mad as break my heart …

Which Judd is your favorite — Naomi, Wynonna, Ashley, Apatow, or Hirsch?

Ha ha! I do love Wynonna Judd, if only just for her appearance as a painting in Bridesmaids. Also Judd Apatow was part of that film making, too. So I’ll make it a tie between them. Let’s be honest, though: The answer to this question is really just an excuse to talk about Kristen Wiig, who is actually just the greatest.

Whose career do you admire the most? 

Rufus Wainwright and Sia. Rufus is SUCH an incredible artist — I love his music and every record is a work of art. He also seems to mostly stay out of the spotlight, which is cool. And Sia has it made, too — writing incredible pop hits, performing occasionally whilst still keeping her anonymity. Living the dream!

What are you reading right now? 

I have been reading Oscar Wilde’s The Happy Prince and Other Tales and it is so gorgeous. Makes me cry one million tears in the best way. I intend on reading all of them to my new god-child when he/she arrives in July! 

 

#tbw Boy & Bear & All Our Exes Live in Texas do Crowded House #throwbackwednesdayisnotathingisit #elanaisdoingagroovydance : Tad Souden

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Whiskey, water, or wine? 

Whiskey any day. Straight up!

Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram? 

Instagram. I am SUCH a scroller though … !

Grammys or Oscars? 

I don’t really follow either of them. (Blasphemy I know!) BUT once went to Georgia’s (my bandmate) family Oscars party and we drank champagne and got dressed up and her mum gave us party bags. It was super cute! 

A Minute in Melbourne with C.W. Stoneking

Posted on by Editor

Welcome to "A Minute In …" — a BGS feature that turns our favorite artists into hometown reporters. In our latest column, Melbourne, Australia's C.W. Stoneking takes us down under on a tour of his favorite places for Vietnamese food, homemade donuts, and old-school instruments.

Footscray, Melbourne: This is the neighborhood where I first lived with my wife, Kirsty, when our two sons were born. I name the whole suburb because there are so many great places there: the Olympic Donuts van at Footscray Railway Station where they pump strawberry jam via an enameled aluminum dolphin into delicious, homemade, sugared jam ball donuts; Amasya Kebab House where we ate grilled lamb, dips, salad, and Turkish bread the entire time my wife was pregnant with our first son; 1+1 Noodle & Dumpling House in Footscray Market with homemade noodles, dumplings, and spicy cucumber salad; Little Saigon Market, just like being in Vietnam … Footscray is my very favorite part of Melbourne.

The Old Bar: This is a bar and music venue in Fitzroy, Melbourne. I played here for a little over three years in the lead-up to my music career getting some traction with my first original album, King Hokum. I used to draw the blackboard advertisements in the bar for upcoming shows, etc. Some of my blackboard pictures are still up in there. I met my wife there. I was also barred from there for a couple years due to some shenanigans prior to me quitting alcohol. The interior is like a time capsule. It's been through two different sets of owners since my wife and her ex-boyfriend sold it in 2005, but it still looks pretty identical in its decorations and decor. But no smoking in there anymore. Damn, it used to be smoky.

Photo credit: sharngst via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

The Music Swop Shop: A proper old-school used musical instruments store in Fitzroy. They have lots of guitars, amps, keyboards, drums effects, microphones, etc. I've never actually bought a guitar from them, but have spent many hours over the years checking out the stuff in there.

Gelobar: An Italian gelato bar in Lygon Street, East Brunswick. My kids always like to go here when we're in town. The place has been renovated — it used to look much more old time, but the Italian ice cream in there is great. The owner, unfortunately, was also a lawyer for some gangsters around town and last year was ambushed in his car and executed.

Photo credit: Br3nda via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA

Pellegrini's Espresso Bar: An Italian café in Bourke Street, It's a great old-school café with spaghetti, lasagna, gnocchi, minestrone soup, and more. They have this homemade juice they call a fruit cup that's a knockout. Unfortunately, you can't smoke in there anymore. It robs some of the atmosphere, but it's still a cool Melbourne joint.

Mélissa Cakes: In Smith Street, Collingwood. The spanakopita is all you need to know. They renovated the joint and it looks like shit now, but the spanakopita is good — good for walking along eating while you check out Smithy (Smith Street).

MIXTAPE: Henry Wagons’ Aussie Faves

Posted on by Editor

Welcome, and thanks for letting me be a musical Dr, Frankenstein. What a fun surgery it was making this beautiful monster virtual cassette!

Please sit in a comfortable recliner, gently raise the footrest, grab the nearest scruffy dog with a slanted smile, and pop it on your lap. Have someone close bring you a whiskey cocktail and dig in.

Here are some of my favourite new tunes from my home turf of Australia and its surrounds. All the songs are still fresh to surface, having come out over the past year or so. I have these tracks echoing through my hallways at home or dampened by the soft passenger door in my tour van or rattling the speaker cones in the studio when I do my show Tower of Song on Double J Radio. I really hope you enjoy my little pick of the ripe and sumptuous fruit from the underside of the globe.

Marlon Williams (NZ) — "Strange Things"
We open proceedings with a prodigious talent. A good man but, in his music, an evil choirboy! This tune is beautiful and very weird, which is one of my favourite combinations. The stuff of inspirational nightmares.

Leah Senior — "The City Is a Stream"
A lilting melody that can potently hypnotise. Her writing and her vocal can evoke the most potent lullaby that can send you into a powerful Snow White-like sleep that only a kiss can wake.

The Murlocs — "Young Blindness"
This tune creates a boogie-driven psychedelic vortex I like to descend into and come out dressed in a silver cowboy spacesuit.

Jess Ribeiro — "Kill It Yourself"
There is a great sense of nonchalant danger in this tune. There is something about Jess’s voice that makes me want to obey … even when she is telling me to kill something.

Alison McCallum — "Have You Seen Your Mother Baby Standing in the Shadows"*
I recently stumbled onto Alison McCallum’s classic work as a ball-tearing vocalist back in the '60s and '70s. Her music was re-issued to digital for the first time only this year, and my balls were suitably torn. I’m a mess. 

Chris Altmann — "Good Morning Mr. Coffee"
Chris is a prodigious Americana songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, with a inbuilt swing and sublime playing empathy. He played everything on this caffeine-fueled number. I listen and imagine a world in which there are several of Chris, and I think it would be a better place.

Eagle & the Wolf — "Mama, Son and the Holy Ghost"
A great new rugged duo poking their heads over the burning horizon and offering you a drink. Their music video for this song is probably the wettest I’ve seen since the closing scenes of Nelly’s “Hot in Here.”

Melody Pool — "Love, She Loves Me"
This is an incredible and brutal expression of anger and frustration at the ways of love. A reminder that the world of romance can take casualties. Some truly excellent cursing … F-bombs in the perfect places.

Nadia Reid (NZ) — "Call the Days"
Another incredible talent from, as we Australians say, “across the ditch” in New Zealand. A voice to melt the shepherd's heart, and a subtle drone of strings to herd all the animals in the field.

Ben Mason — "Suburban Cowboy"*
This is an amazing deconstruction of the whole inner-city, balcony-dwelling, vintage-shopping, moustache-waxing, typewriter-tapping, urban alt-country scene. Being guilty of elements of the phenomena at times, I know he is completely right about it all … and I love it.

Gena Rose Bruce — "Good Thing"
The title says it all: It’s a good thing. Gena has a voice that sucks you in and perfectly places you atop the swell of the welcome guitar jangle.

Robert Forster — "Let Me Imagine You"
Always a mastermind at obtuse charm, Robert Forster sits you down across from him at the dinner table and starts pulling faces and slaps you across the nose with his witticism (and Twitticism!). A man still atop the songwriting tree post-Go Betweens.

* Not available on Spotify

Photo credit: Taylor Wong