Last week American folk singer Sam Amidon released his album Home Alone Inside My Head with almost no fanfare. The album features field recordings but in true Sam Amidon fashion he’s collected them from himself, recording them in his New York apartment.
“It was recorded onto my trusty Marantz tape recorder, mostly at my apartment in Yonkers NY, over the course of winter/spring 2002,” Sam Amidon explained. “I went on a long kayak ride in the northern seas and came back with the idea to make Home Alone Inside My Head. I carried the tape recorder around wherever I went, and made these self-induced field recordings as they emerged from inside. The first song, “Sally Gal,” is a fiddle tune that was first recorded by a Black fiddle player named Will Adam. Most of the other pieces were improvised/composed by myself with a couple other exceptions, including the track where I play along with some women singing; that one is a field recording of Ottawa Indians singing a melody that I had first heard in an old old Shape Note hymn.”
Stream the entirety of Home Alone Inside My Head below:
Have you managed to make it down to the newest Sydney Americana night Heartbreaker Sessions yet? We were there last Sunday and the place was packed – definitely a good sign seeing as it was their second show ever!
Sydney based singer-songwiter Imogen Clark last week announced the details of her upcoming EP. Titled Love & Lovely Lies, the EP is due for release on the 23rd October.
“In the past few years, I feel like I’ve really figured out exactly who I am and what sort of artist I am,” Imogen Clark explains. “To me, this record is the sound of that realisation because I feel it really captures this era of my life. I wanted to make a record which was a home-grown, raw, roots-y kind of project.”
To celebrate its release Imogen Clark is planning to launch Love & Lovely Lies with a very special show at Django Bar in Sydney on Thursday 22nd October. Supporting Clark will be Timber and Steel favourite Timothy James Bowen. For more information about the launch head to the official Facebook event here.
– US based Australian indie-folk duo Falls will be heading home next month to preview their upcoming album Omaha at a couple of intimate shows in Sydney and Melbourne. Details here
– Father John Misty has announced plans to head to Australia this December. Details here
– Adelaide roots singer The Brouhaha will return to the stage tonight after a hiatus. Details here
After suffering adrenal fatigue and burnout that forced her away from the stage The Brouhaha will make a triumphant return tonight.
Friday 28th August – The Exeter Hotel, Adelaide, SA
Gigs Next Week
Anna Cordell Saturday 29th August – Little and Oliver, Melbourne, VIC
Eddie Boyd & The Phatapillars Thursday 3rd September – The Pier, Port Macquarie, NSW
Friday 4th September – Lennox Point Hotel, Lennox Head, NSW
El Grande Sunday 30th August – Front Bar, Canberra, ACT
Floyd Thursby & Mandy Connell Saturday 29th August – La Niche, Melbourne, VIC
Folk By The Sea Friday 4th to Sunday 6th September – Kiama, NSW
FolkSwagon feat. Tenderfoot, The Campervan Dancers, Darby Wednesday 2nd September – Cafe Lounge, Sydney, NSW
Gympie Muster Thursday 27th to Sunday 30th August – Gympie, QLD
Immigrant Union Friday 28th August – The Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay, NSW
Saturday 29th August – Solbar, Maroochydore, QLD
Friday 4th September – David Bowie Late Nights @ ACMI, Melbourne, VIC
James Teague w/Julia Jacklin, Brendon Moon, Danika Smith Friday 28th August – Petersham Bowling Club, Sydney, NSW
JD Burgess Band Sunday 30th August – Proper Music Social, Union Hotel, Sydney, NSW
Jess Ribeiro Friday 4th September – Red Rattler, Sydney, NSW
John Flanagan and Liz Frencham Saturday 29th August – Wesley Anne, Melbourne, VIC
Sunday 30th August – House Concert, Mount Franklin, VIC
Thursday 3rd September – Goulburn Club, Goulburn, NSW
Friday 4th September – The Front, Canberra, ACT
Katie Wighton Friday 28th August – Brighton Up Bar, Sydney, NSW
Little Features feat. Brendon Ludlow, Black Bird Hum, Michael Duchesne, Julia Jacklin Saturday 29th August – Hibernian House, Sydney, NSW
Mary Chapin Carpenter w/ Tift Merritt Friday 28th August – Gympie Muster, QLD
Saturday 29th August – Whitlam Theatre, Revesby, NSW
Sunday 30th August – Wests New Lambton, Newcastle, NSW
Tuesday 1st September – Anitas Theatre, Wollongong, NSW
Thursday 3rd September – Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo, VIC
Friday 4th September – National Theatre, Melbourne, VIC
Mustered Courage Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th August – Gympie Muster, Gympie, QLD
Sunday 30th August – Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane, QLD
NICEFEST feat. We Lost The Sea, The Crooked Fiddle Band, Serious Beak, Dumbsaint Saturday 29th August – Hermann’s Bar, Sydney, NSW
OXJAM Inner Western feat. Cruisin’ Deuces, Mark Lucas, Katie Brianna, Bree De Rome and Brian Manning Sunday 30th August – Petersham Bowling Club, Sydney, NSW
OXJAM Sam Newton and Julian Elia Friday 28th August – Burwood Uniting Church, Sydney, NSW
Perch Creek Friday 4th September – Wheatsheaf, Adelaide, SA
Redland Spring Festival Friday 4th to Sunday 6th September – Cleveland, QLD
Riley Pearce Friday 28th August – Indi Bar, Scarborough, WA
The Brouhaha w/ Caramigo, Corey Stewart Friday 28th August – The Exeter Hotel, Adelaide, SA
The Snowdroppers Friday 4th September – Transit Bar, Canberra, ACT
Tim Wheatley Saturday 29th August – The Triffid, Brisbane, QLD
Sunday 30th August – The Grace Darling, Melbourne, VIC
Wednesday 2nd September – Cafe Del Mar, Sydney, NSW
Friday 4th September – The Metro, Sydney, NSW
Timberwolf Friday 28th August – UniBar, Adelaide, SA
Tom West Friday 4th September – Some Velvet Morning, Melbourne, VIC
Wirrina Bluegrass and Acoustic Roots Festival Friday 4th to Sunday 6th September – Wirrina Cove, SA
Xavier Rudd & The United Nations Friday 28th August – Civic Theatre, Newcastle, NSW
Saturday 29th August – Central Coast Leagues, Gosford, NSW
Sunday 30th August – Dubbo RSL, Dubbo, NSW
Wednesday 2nd September – Katoomba RSL, Katoomba, NSW
Thursday 3rd September – Panthers, Bathurst, NSW
Friday 4th September – Enmore Theatre, Sydney, NSW
Last week we featured the traditional “Shove The Pig’s Foot (A Little Closer to the Fire)” for our Friday Folk Flashback. This week we thought we’d share the Mark Knopfler song “Oklahoma Ponies”, where he has added lyrics to “Shove The Pig’s Foot…”. The folk process in motion!
Alt-country and folk favourites Lachlan Bryan & The Wildes have announced their return with their upcoming album The Mountain, due for release on the 25th September.
The album is the first since 2013’s Black Coffee and is being billed as Lachlan Bryan’s most personal set of songs yet.
“I’ve grown a mountain-climber’s beard to release this record, and I think I need it,” Bryan explained. “In short, there’s blood in these songs – blood between the lines; blood in the back-story. Calling this album The Mountain makes sense – it’s a journey, but when it’s done you still have to get back down – or find another peak to climb. I genuinely hope that people find it as fulfilling a journey to listen to as it was to write and play and sing.”
To celebrate the album’s release Lachlan Bryan & The Wildes will be heading out on tour through the last quarter of the year. The full list of dates are below:
Saturday 26th September to Saturday 3rd October – Mildura Country Music Festival, VIC
Sunday 4th October – Dashville Skyline, Lower Belford, NSW
Monday 5th October – Murwillumbah Roots Festival, Murwillumbah, NSW
Friday 9th to Saturday 17th October – Cruisin Country, ex-Sydney, NSW
Saturday 7th November – Caravan Club, Melbourne, VIC
Wednesday 18th November – The Basement, Sydney, NSW
Sunday 22nd November – Junkyard, Maitland, NSW
Saturday 28th November – The Milk Factory, Brisbane, QLD
Friday 4th December – The Pub, Tamworth, NSW
Sunday 6th December – Mudgee Brewing, Mudgee, NSW
Australian indie-folk trio Little May have released another taster off their forthcoming debut album For The Company, the beautiful “Seven Hours”.
“We were at an isolated property with no phone reception or outside distractions – the view we had was of a dark, ominous lake surrounded by fantastic mountain,” Little May explained. “Being around the majesty of the Snowy Mountains and the surrounding countryside was surreal and helped to unlock what is now “Seven Hours”.”
Take a listen to “Seven Hours” below:
For The Company is due for release on the 9th October. Little May will be touring nationally in September – the full list of dates are here:
Friday 18th September – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney, NSW
Saturday 19th September – The Foundry, Brisbane, QLD
Thursday 24th September – The Corner Hotel, Melbourne, VIC
Saturday 26th September – Jack Rabbit Slims, Perth, WA
The brand new Perch Creek single “Mama Sings” now has an amazing new video. Directed by Patrick Harvey, the video features puppeteering courtesy of Jhess Knight. Check it out here:
Perch Creek will be heading out on tour this September. The full list of dates are below:
Friday 4th September – Wheatsheaf, Adelaide, SA
Saturday 5th September – Mojos, Fremantle, WA
Sunday 6th September – Mojos, Fremantle, WA
Friday 11th September – Newtown Social Club, Sydney, NSW
Saturday 12th September – Howler, Melbourne, VIC
Are you having withdrawals from The National Folk Festival? Are you anxious because the 2016 National is still seven months away? Well never fear because we have the perfect stop gap for you.
During this year’s Floriade Nightfest in Canberra The National Folk Festival will be taking over the Inspiration Hub for a night of “cool advertures in folk”. The show will take place on the 23rd September and will feature some fantastic local acts as well as a few surprises.
On top of this the Floriade Nightfest will feature a whole host of events and attractions including light displays, roving performers, bustling night markets and entertainment. For more information check out the official Floriade Nightfest site here.
We’re inching closer to the release of Beirut’s new album No No No on the 11th September and to get you in the mood the band have released their fantastical new video “Gibraltar”.
Directed by Bother Willis, the video features Beirut “picking their way through a fantasy Gibraltar to meet its Rock”. Check out the video below:
Adelaide based folk singer Kaurna Cronin as just spent the last three months winding his way through Europe on a massive tour. But never fear because he’s about to head home and has a handful of shows already planned for his return.
Cronin released his new album Glass Fool at the beginning of July and this October will be the first chance he’s gotten to showcase it to local audiences. So far he has dates for South Australia and Victoria but we’re told there’s more to be announced.
Check out the full list of dates below:
Sunday 4th October – Semaphore Music Festival, Adelaide, SA
Saturday 17th October – Grace Emily, Adelaide, SA
Friday 30th October – Maldon Folk Festival, Maldon, VIC
Sunday 8th November – The Evelyn, Melbourne, VIC
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