Canadia

Today I caught myself having an ungrateful moment when I was complaining to my folks about how bored I was. I should always remember that its never a good idea to say that to ones parents, as their response every time is without fail ‘well I can give you lots of jobs that need doing…’. Truth is, there are always a million things to do or that need doing. Like attending to that pile of important papers on the floor of your room that each few days grows a bit taller and collects a bit more dust. Or that other pile of clothes on the floor that need hand washing… They’re like piles of problems that you think if you ignore them long enough they will just kind of vanish. Sadly they don’t ever seem to vanish, but just become bigger problems with a stronger stench.

I worked out that my ‘boredom’ came from no other but the ‘travel bug’. Yes, I’d heard about it but I never thought I’d get it. It seems ironic I know since the nature of being in a band is that you tour, a lot. But honestly, it’s never quite hit me like this until now. It’s been three weeks now since we were away with the band and I feel like a simmering tomato based pasta sauce about to bubble and pop onto the clean white stove tiles just to cause some kind of a surprise and reaction.

Luckily, in fourteen days exactly we will be boarding a big V-Australia jet plane and heading for the stars! (CANADIA!!!) Yes, we are about to embark on a mammoth tour around Canada performing at four festivals, playing 35 odd shows, driving an estimated 3000km, stopping at 25 different locations and all in a whirlwind seven weeks. Can you believe it?! I’ll admit, I nearly can’t. ‘Attention Shoppers’ is being released through our Canadian record label, 45 Records, and will also be released in the United States also. But before we hit the road again and conjure up many more tour videos for y’all, we have two massive Melbourne shows that we are lucky enough to be involved in.

1. Heart of St Kilda (Sacred Heart Fundraiser Concert) Monday 27th June @ The Palais, with some of Melbourne’s finest and funniest artists – Paul Kelly, Tripod, Jimeoin, Jon Stevens, Wolfgramm Sisters, Des Dowling, Cal Wilson, Billy Miller, Russell Morris, Adalita, Dave Thornton, Brian Nankervis and Even.

AND

2. BATTLE OF THE BANDS - ALL AGES SHOW @ The Malvern Town Hall, Friday 1st July with Oh Mercy and more.

We seriously can’t wait for these couple of shows and hope you can make it along too for some good fun times during this outrageously miserable winter of ours.
Over and out,
Beth

It never ends and that's the way I like it.

The album launch tour is officially over! Well, according to the tour poster. Last weekend in WA as we finished up after a great show at the Indi Bar in Perth, we toasted to the tour that has been for our sophomore album Attention Shoppers. It was a beautiful moment. As we sat with our poster in one hand and a form of bubbles in the other, we laughed, remembered and ranked… (ha! no just kidding, it was draw across the board) all the shows and their individual quirks that has made the last two months so enjoyable and which have formed a wonderful overall memory of how we introduced this album into the world. I’m not sure we can emphasise how much we appreciate all the people who have come to the shows and then told a handful of friends and then come back again, to the extent that we would like. Word of mouth is the one position of power that we can truly rely on and therefore exist as a band and keep touring. So here’s a sincere thanks from us, and no doubt we’ll be back very soon to play again.

Though as one adventure comes to an end, another one begins, and come July we will be boarding another plane over to Canada for two months to release Attention Shoppers over there. We will be rocking a few festivals over there amongst other things which we can’t wait for, but more about that another time.

In the meantime, we head up to the Gold Coast, Byron and Brisbane one last time this week, then scoot across to Adelaide once more the week after that and then hit Melbourne, Monday 27th June, at the Palais Theatre to take part in the Heart of St Kilda Charity Show to raise money for the Sacred Heart Mission. We are lucky enough to be joining a mega line up of performers including Paul Kelly, Tripod, Jimeoin, Jon Stevens, Wolfgramm Sisters, Des Dowling, Cal Wilson, Billy Miller, Russell Morris, Adalita, Brian Nankervis and Dave Thornton. We cannot wait; it should be some serious fun.

Well that’s enough from me for now, its time for some tv and a cup of tea.

Ciao
Beth

It's a launch party, that's for sure.

Ararat, Ballarat, Adelaide, Warrnambool, Hobart, Launceston, Canberra, Newcastle, Sydney, Cronulla – Tick! Done and dusted are these fabulous places which we have played and launched our album in over the past three weeks. Cheers to everyone new and old who have come along to support us, every show has been uniquely different and enjoyable for all sorts of reasons and I’m so glad that it’s kept interesting by not knowing what to expect for each show.

We’ve enjoyed Adelaide songbirds ‘Darling Street’ doing a cover of our song ‘Making My Sweetheart Smile’ at our Adelaide show, pressuring our sound engineer Jono to jump up on stage to play bass for a ‘Land Down Under’ encore in Hobart, us actually attempting the dance moves on stage to ‘Feel It’ in Cronulla, and popping champagne and birthday cake for yet another birthday in our touring party whilst being away. We had the gorgeous Gossling join us for the last few days as we drove around NSW. Even after four consecutive nights of watching her show I could still listen many more times. Her songs will be driving me nuts for days I’m sure.

We are now home for only a couple of days where we can eat some real fresh healthy food, wash our clothes, do some work and try to get some sleep before we head off to WA for our first bunch of headline shows ever on Thursday. We will definitely be packing our swimmers and a book to read (or a trashy mag in my case) for any free time we can find, lying on the beach in the sun pretending we’re on a holiday…

We can’t wait to get to the last few places on the tour schedule and thanks again to all who have come to the shows, come to say hi, shared some lovely words, purchased some Stevie stuff and spread the word for us.

Stay good,
Beth

The Album release launch parties thus far

Well it has been such a brilliant couple of weeks. As I write this blog, we are literally smack bang in the middle of our Attention Shoppers Album Release Party Launch Tour. Wow, what a title! And we are having the best time. I must make special mention to the Blue Mountains Music Festival who had us a couple of week’s back which was so delightful to play at for the second year in a row – thank you! You blue mountaineers seriously rock. We then followed BMMF with our two Melbourne/home town launches at the Toff in Town which were too so much fun and where Byll made her debut of the trumpet live. Such a funny moment I wish we could go back to just once more. On ya sis, it was fantastic. We’ve had the fabulous, funny and totally inspiring Anika Moa with us for the Melbourne and QLD/Brisbane leg who has been a scream to hang out with. We sadly farewelled Anika and her guitarist Tim goodbye at the end of the weekend as they headed back to New Zealand, but not without her jumping up on stage in Mullumbimby for a combined effort of ‘Feel It’. We’ve become cosy and comfortable in the 12 seater touring bus and look forward to welcoming the lovely Georgia Fields into the van this week when we head south. Thank you to everyone who has come to the shows thus far and supported us – it makes a little independent band extremely happy.

Enjoy yourselves,
Beth

35th Port Fairy Folk Festival celebration

What can I say, other than what a thrilling weekend we had at the Port Fairy Folk Festival. It surpassed any expectations that we had leading up to it and we must say a HUGE thank you to the festival for having us once again, this being our third and biggest year yet at Port Fairy. After months of slogging away day and night, pulling this album together, we officially launched it over the weekend to some of the biggest crowds we have ever played to. I’m really not quite sure if I’ve ever felt that level of excitement and nervousness all at once before; the nervous pains I hope to never experience again in my lifetime but the excitement and enjoyment – bring it, bring it on! As it was to be expected, we ended up being so busy that we didn’t get a chance to see any other acts properly, as our only afternoon off saw us spend five hours down on the beach shooting our next video clip. But I was genuinely chuffed to be billed on the same line up as some of my musical heroes that Byll and I have grown up singing along to and striving to be as good as. Kasey Chambers, The Waifs and Vicka & Linda, who have been and are the most fabulous musical female role models to us. Having said that, I still didn’t have one ounce of guts to go and say hello, so I guess that proves that confidence on stage doesn’t always translate in an off stage in person kind of way… But what I did watch side of stage of their sets, didn’t fail to remind me why they are as successful and respected as they are and lit the fire once again inside of me. We gladly left the festival utterly exhausted along with the other 35,000 dedicated folkies, and have come home to do some washing for a couple of days before packing up again to head to the Blue Mountains Music Festival this weekend. If this is what ‘living the dream’ means, then it’s a pretty bloody good dream if you ask me and one I hope I don’t wake up from anytime soon.
Signing off,
Beth

One Fine Birthday in Hobart

The weekend saw us land in Hobart, Tasmania and what a blast we had. We were there to play at the One Fine Day festival on Saturday and then a beautiful little winery show Sunday arvo. It just so happened to be Robin’s birthday also which meant we had reason to celebrate! We try and make birthdays special when we’re away on tour, which means you have to be a bit more creative with the ideas you think up, but also mean its way more fun than the normal birthday at home. We’ve been to Graceland in Memphis, stuffed ourselves with champagne and seafood at Diver Dan’s Boathouse in Barwon Heads, woken up to the blearing sounds of Stevie Wonder’s ‘Happy Birthday’ in the bush at hippie fest Folk Rhythm & Life, and of course the big birthday cooked breakfasts that go without saying. But this time we decided to do something a little intellectual and visit the Mona Museum in Hobart which if you are one to find a regular museum a bit, or very, boring….this ones for you. If you’re like me and struggle with the pace of walking around the multiple floors of a museum and the unavoidable claustrophobia with all the people and not being able to predict where they’re going to move next, you will still feel this way, BUT, this place has revolting stuff, shocking stuff, bizarre and totally fascinating stuff. It’s awesome! For example, ever wondered how a solid can be processed by the body into you know what?! Well you see it at Mona; actually see it happen. So totally recommend to any Hobart visitors who haven’t yet had the Mona experience and guess what? It’s FREE!

Beth

Happy New Year

So it’s about bloody time I wrote another blog. A lot has been happening as you’ve probably noticed with the release of our single ‘Feel It’ and the ridiculous piece of performance art that has accompanied it. We are thrilled that everyone has enjoyed the clip so much. We had a huge amount of fun making it, but I won’t lie, a stream of concern did come over us at one point, dreading the chance that people would actually take it seriously. But we are delighted to find out that you all share the same sense of humour as us, and now that we know what rocks your boat we will be sure not to disappoint with our next piece of ridiculousness to accompany the album release…

After a good little holiday, some beach time and some serious sleeping in over January, it’s nearly impossible to believe that it’s February already. I’m ready though; ready to take the year on and driven as ever. Every year brings with it change; something brand new and something to let go of, and it feels good to be finally at ease with that unavoidable truth. So cheers to a new year everyone, hope it’s fabulous for you.

Beth