Timber and Steel

Image Courtesy of Madison Violet

Canadian folk-country duo Madison Violet just touched down in Australia and have already played a couple of cracking shows in NSW. We managed to grab a couple of minutes with one half of the band Brenley MacEachern to have a chat about the tour, their latest album and their plans for the rest of 2012.

Evan Hughes: Congratulations on the wonderful new album. How are you feeling about the positive reception it’s been getting not just in Canada but overseas as well?
Brenley MacEachern: Well it’s always nice to read good reviews verses bad reviews about your work but music is personal, subjective so we don’t expect everyone to like it. But yeah, the reviews have been really great so that keeps us positive.
EH: I first saw you perform in Australia years ago at the National Folk Festival – back when you were calling yourselves Mad Violet – what is it about this country that has you coming back for more?
BM: Australia has an amazing folk scene with appreciative punters so we’ll keep coming back as long as you’ll have us! And, escaping our cold Canadian winter is certainly a plus.
EH: Do you think Australian audiences connect with your music?
BM: I sure hope so! They ask us back, so that’s always a good sign. We took a slight sabbatical from touring here, and focused on Europe for a few years, but from what I recall from our previous tours, the shows were packed, the audiences sang along, and overall the reception was warm.
EH: You’re playing the Port Fairy Folk Festival this time around as well as a bunch of East Coast dates. Does your show vary depending on whether you’re playing a festival or a solo show?
BM: We try to read the room when we are playing shows, and will possibly alter a few songs here and there depending on the vibe or the time of day, but typically we just play our best stuff and hope the audience enjoys it. If it’s a quiet listening room, you may hear a few more intimate ballads than if you were in a rowdy bar.
EH: Can Australian audiences expect songs from your entire back catalogue or is this tour focused on The Good In Goodbye?
BM: Well, it would be a shame to toss all our old songs by the wayside, no? We will be performing a lot of material from the new album, but definitely tracks from our previous albums as well. It wouldn’t seem fair to our older songs to sweep them under the rug. Plus, we haven’t been to Australia in 4 years, so we actually have 2 new albums over here.
EH: What’s next up for Madison Violet in 2012?
BM: Well, upon our return home, we will be heading to perform for our friends to the south for our first US headlining tour in the Spring. The rest of the year will see us crossing the pond 4 or 5 more times for UK and European tours. We will also be releasing a live CD/DVD that we recorded Cologne, Germany, so keep a look out for that.

The remaining dates for Madison Violet’s Australian tour are below. And be sure to check out Madison Violet’s recent appearance on Proper Music’s Propercast for a taste of their amazing music.

Friday 24th February – Clarendon Guest House, Katoomba NSW
Saturday 25th February – The Vault, Windsor NSW
Wednesday 29th February – Lizottes, Kincumber NSW
Thursday 1st March – Caravan Club, Oakleigh VIC
Saturday 3rd March – Harvester Moon, Bellarine VIC
Sunday 4th March – Burke And Wills Winery, Mia Mia VIC
Thursday 8th March – Wesley Anne Hotel, Northcote VIC
Friday 9th to Monday 12th March – Port Fairy Folk Festival, Port Fairy VIC