Happy Halloween!

I don't care if Halloween is another commercialised, American holiday. I love holidays (as my good friends will know, you know I'm having a really good night if "it feels like Christmas").

I also love tacky, kitchy horror stuff, so hence, Halloween is one of my favourite occasions. If I didn't have more productive things to do I would spend all day watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer (though admittingly, that's true for most days), so instead I'm going to listen to the Cramps all day, do some uni work, and then go buy some blood red taffeta.

Wondering what else to listen to on Halloween? Well, to celebrate, I uploaded a new demo from the Bakehouse Session (which you may have already heard live): "Vampire Hours".

To be honest, it's kind of less about vampires and more about tacky ocean metaphors/ukulele solos. But whatever.

Happy Halloween!

More dates for the Spring

Today I received news that a certain big-shot from a major label was interested in my work. Luckily, I have a bunch of gigs coming up in the next month, so you can see me now.. before I sell out and launch my own line of perfume, and only play sold out shows at the Acer Arena.

On various dates I get to once again share stages with some of my good friends, and favourite musical acts including Daisy M. Tulley, Sooners, and Jack Cowell & The Owls. I am also excited to be joining my friends the Wild Frontier on Nov 5th for the very first time.

Oh, and on Nov. 4th opening for Steve Lucas & the Empty Horses at the Sandringham in Newtown, with FREE ENTRY!

You also might like read this interview with Fbi's JuliaWhy? about good female folk singer-songwriters, and the ideas behind the show at Bar Me next Wednesday night.

The more shows you come to, the more I will love you.

x

Oxford Arts Factory, Round Two

It took a lot of love, lemon & honey, and whisky to get me through Thursday's set. I was a little more husky (and angsty) than usual. Apparently it suited me- a couple people told me I should be sick more often. Um, thanks?

It was a wild and windy night too, so thank you to everyone who came along! And special thanks to Phaedra who bought me the whisky, and delivered it very inconspicuously to me on stage.

Here are a couple of photos from the night. In the first one I look like I'm playing at the mouth of hell... but it's just good ol' Oxford Arts Factory.

Hope.

Undeniably, Mazzy Star (one of my all time favourite bands) founded my love of reverb, and Hope Sandoval remains one of my very favourite vocalists. Her new album, with the Warm Inventions, 'Through the Devil Softly", is on rotation while I am spending my Saturday night trying to write an essay with a lost voice and a sore throat. The album is lovely, and soul-soothing. I found this clip of "Bluebird"  from a live performance in Milwaukee earlier this month.

On the good days, sometimes I feel like I will make music always and find it inspiring that some people can do this, and that music isn't just "young, hip-scene" orientated thing. 

Hope Sandoval is now 43, and I wish her to continue to make music forever.

"Should I be fooled by you?"

ps new version of "Winter Skin" has been uploaded on the myspace page, if you feel like a listen.

Ps

A couple photos from the last Oxford Arts gig.. just to get you excited for tomorrow... 

Thanks to Rosie Greenaway Short, as usual, for her photographic skills.

x

Home Again

Spent a very rainy weekend up at TINA, feeling intimidated by hip zine-sters and nearly freezing to death in the parking lot where the event was staged, which seemed to be less of a parking lot and more of a wind tunnel.
Jack Cowell pointed out that playing up on level five was kind of Beatles-on-the-roof-top-esque, which made it all a bit more fun. I made it through the set, distracted equally at times by 'interesting' feedback noise, beautiful little bare-foot children blowing bubbles and dancing (oblivious to the cold), power cuts and wandering dogs. Somewhere I think there are photos of all this, and if I ever manage to get my hands on them I shall share them with all of you.

Back in Sydney now, almost in one piece - Newcastle gave me a cold! Oh well. It's all experience, memories etc. And it was a lovely road trip, driving down the highways through all that rain and listening to Bob Dylan and the Velvet Underground and whatever other cds surfaced in the car.

Oxford Arts Factory again tomorrow night! I found this lovely little review thing about my last appearance there.I thought it was nice... and also funny that it goes on to review the minimilist punk bands that were playing next door that night - my whole life seems to be living in the shadow of minimilist punk bands! Anyway, maybe the kind words will convince a few more of you to come along. I'll be followed by I Dream in Transit, and the Model School.
x

Anyone for Newcastle?

Yep. Definitely living like a musician now. I haven't slept properly in weeks, travelling around (well, a little bit) and today I got in trouble at my work for being away so much.

This, I guess, is why so many musicians are unemployed. "FML".

Still, if you are Newcastle - bound this weekend, come say hello! Main stage at 12 pm, Sunday Fair. Roooooaaad trip!

home is where the floor is

If you'd rather HEAR what I've been up to...Two new demos await you here.

I have been living like a musician for the first time. And I'm exhausted.

Firstly, lots of love and thank you's to everyone who made it along to the Oxford Arts Factory show last week - it went down so well that I have been asked back! October 8th - rematch anyone? It was also really wonderful to share the night with Gideon Bensen and His Still-Unnamed-Band-of-Long-Haired-Alternative-County-Musicians, and Sooners. I enjoyed every minute of the evening.

The morning after I didn't enjoy so much, as I had to wake up at QUARTER-TO-SIX to catch my flight to Melbourne. I slept most of Friday.

Saturday morning, 9 am, saw us (myself, my producer-dad, Julian-the-engineer) arrive at Bakehouse Studios in Fitzroy.  Dad had the idea of getting some little candles to put around the space to "create an atmosphere", which was nice. The only ones availble before 9 am on a Saturday were alter candles, blessed by a Rabbi. The studio itself is hidden down a little cobblestone alley, and looks kind of like a rusty old barn from the outside. Inside, it was very plush.. and with big red curtains, wood-cabin-esque wall finnishes and my kosher candles, it looked like part of a David Lynch movie. Already, we were on the right track.

Saturday and Sunday I spent all my time in the studio, which was a relief because it was still Winter in Melbourne and it was freakin' freezing. On the first day, I played guitar for about nine hours. We lay down tracks for fourteen songs, a photographer came to take some awkward studio shots, and we ate a lot of pizza. By the end of that first day the studio was my new home - I even curled up on the floor for a while. I went back to my grandma's house that night, curled up in my dressing gown and watched 'Pretty Woman'. Rock n' roll lifestyle, alright.

Sunday was even colder, and the day for overdubbing, and conquering the vocals. I sung my heart out. It took many cups of tea.

Monday was dedicated to mixing and fixing. I naively thought this wouldn't take as long as the first few days. I realised just how wrong I was after the first track took three hours of work.

It was actually really interesting to see the benefits of being in a real studio, even though I stayed true my usual 'honest' sound, and limited editing and effects etc. Dad did a wonderful job of mediating between the my musical ideas and the amazing skills of the engineer. He was also filled with great advice, such as - "Do you want it to sound like Dylan? Well! Don't play it right then!"

On Monday night I fell asleep on the couch at 11 pm, and then got sent home... producer-dad and Julian-the-engineer stayed there mixing until 6.30 am.

And so I have returned. But not for long! Off to This Is Not Art on Saturday. If you're coming to TINA, come say hello! I'm playing on the main stage of the Sunday Fair at 12 pm!

I hope you like the new takes, very much. And I also hope to one day make them into a real record.

**Special thanks to my dad, for the endless cups of tea, singular guitar cameo, tamborine shakes, good judgement, and love.. oh and for producing my record! Even though the dad-jokes nearly killed me**.