RON POPE ANNOUNCES NEW SINGLE, LICK MY WOUNDS & NEW ALBUM, CALLING OFF THE DOGS AHEAD OF NATIONAL AUSTRALIAN TOUR
Multi-talented singer-songwriter and gifted guitarist, Ron Pope is set to return to Australia to promote his new single, Lick My Wounds (available now) and new album, Calling Off The Dogs, set for release on June 6. Pope will also be performing a string of shows (his first tour of Australia with full band in tow) playing the Princess Theatre (Brisbane) on June 6, Factory Theatre (Sydney) on June 7, Workers Club (Melbourne) on June 8 and the Astor Lounge (Perth) on June 13.
First single, Lick My Wounds perfectly sets the foundation for the theme of the rest of the album. The contagiously upbeat track with refreshing pop tendencies highlights Pope’s growth and desire to challenge the alt-country/folk pop roots that drove his success.
Pope’s new album, Calling Off The Dogs (out now through his very own Brooklyn Basement Records) sees Pope further extending his talents and creating new, fresh sounds and it was this latest offering that made him an artist to watch at SXSW this year, with many people eager to not only witness his astounding vocals, but also his capabilities as a writer, composer and producer.
Off the back of SXSW and a US tour, Pope is thrilled to be heading back to Australia and performing alongside his full band, enthusing, “The people, the culture, the food, the wildlife…I love everything about Australia and I’m so excited to come back and visit my fans down there.” He’ll be performing songs from his decade-long career as well as his latest works that are sure to challenge and inspire music makers and music lovers. Supporting Pope on his tour is The Cam Nacson Band, who also opened for his last Australian tour in 2012.
Pope is a musical Renaissance man, writing, recording, composing, managing and igniting his own career. He burst on the scene in 2005 when he released the hugely successful breakthrough single ‘A Drop In The Ocean’, which has since received over 30 million views on Youtube and 25 million streams on Spotify. Ten independently released albums and countless singles later with over 50 million views online and over 36 million streams on Spotify, the 30 year old shows no sign of slowing down.
RON POPE SHOWS
Fri 6 Jun Brisbane | Princess Theatre (All ages) www.ticketek.com.au
Sat 7 Jun Sydney | Factory Theatre (All ages) www.factorytheatre.com.au
Sun 8 Jun Melbourne | Workers Club (afternoon) (Under 18 show) www.oztix.com.au
Sun 8 Jun Melbourne | Workers Club (evening) (18+) www.oztix.com.au
Fri 13 Jun Perth | Astor Lounge (Solo acoustic) (All ages) www.showticketing.com.au
BOOM CRASH OPERA SET TO REIGNITE IN 2014
Re-born Aussie music legends, Boom Crash Opera have announced the release of a new greatest hits album, The Best Things featuring two brand new songs, as well as a four album box set, Rattle It Out, containing the band’s first three albums digitally re-mastered and a bonus 14 track rarities disc of never-before-released material from the 80s and 90s. They’ll be celebrating these catalogue additions with a national tour kicking off at The Northcote Social Club in their hometown of Melbourne on March 8 and heading through Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide and finishing off in Perth in early May.
With over five years between releases (acoustic album, Dancing In The Storm hit stores in May 2009), The Best Things includes all the Boom Crash Opera classics including Onion Skin, Hands Up In The Air, Her Charity plus two brand new songs, I Am and You Can’t Stop The Sun.
Excited and reignited with passion, lead guitarist and chief songwriter Peter Farnan explains, “I love the idea that our successful songs scattered through the years, might have been a little part of peoples’ lives at different moments; a school memory, a hot summer at the beach, a huge gig. Hopefully by gathering the songs together into a body of work we are activating peoples’ memories of where they were, what they shared with others and what they felt at various times in their lives… And listening to the songs together has reinforced in my mind the idea that there really is a consistent band identity and sound running through all this material. And it is there in the new songs as well.”
With an energetic and engaging live show, Boom Crash Opera are looking forward to performing songs from across the entire history of the band, including smashes from the early Countdown days spanning through to their well-loved tunes from the mid 90s. “We always play the hits but on this run we will also dip into songs that we’ve either never performed or haven’t performed for 20 years or so,” explains Farnan.
The Best Things and Rattle It Out are out now through Liberation Music and tickets to the national tour are available online and in stores now.
GREATEST HITS ALBUM | THE BEST THINGS + 4 CD BOX SET | RATTLE IT OUT : OUT NOW
MICHAEL PAYNTER ANNOUNCES NEW SINGLE AND ALBUM, ‘WEARY STARS’ PLUS NATIONAL TOUR
Established singer and prolific songwriter Michael Paynter is back with a signature power pop rock smash, announcing the release of new single, Weary Stars and the highly anticipated and long awaited new album of the same title, set for release on January 31. Hitting the road to celebrate with a national tour through February and March, Paynter will be playing Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, Newcastle and a few regional towns across NSW and Victoria.
Having spent the last seven years traveling and touring across almost every venue in Australia from major arenas to small bandrooms, being signed to one of the biggest record labels in the world and then appearing on the highest rating TV show in the country, The Voice, it’s no wonder Paynter is thrilled to finally be releasing his debut album. “I just can’t wait to for people to finally hear the sweat, the tears, the empty bank accounts, the tours, the late nights, the failures, the wonderful experiences, the trial and the victories put into twelve great songs,” explains Paynter.
Written shortly after parting ways with Sony Music, Weary Stars is a pertinent lead single and album title choice, as Paynter welcomes his audience in to his world, offering insight in to his personal feelings and struggles regarding his career. “It was such a tough time for me. I had poured my entire life into my career for the better part of a decade, and ended up with no album. For a while there I felt like I was defeated, but once the initial feelings wore away, I felt this huge sense of relief… like I’d lifted a huge boulder off my shoulders, I felt free. Sometimes you have to know when to walk away… And just as the stars come crashing down around you, you find yourself for the first time in a long time, REALLY alive,” exclaims Paynter!
Filmed over just one day in Avalon (Victoria), the video clip for Weary Stars was co-produced and directed by Pete Seamons from EPIK Films. “I’ve loved his work with The Paper Kites, New Empire and Simple Plan, so I was incredibility excited to work with Pete. We went down to scope out the location with one idea and as soon as we stepped out of the car, all these new concepts started floating to our heads … the location kinda told us what it wanted to say,” beams Paynter.
Buy the single Weary Stars – out now
Tickets to the national tour are on sale now through the below ticketing outlets
New album Weary Stars will be available from January 31
NATIONAL MICHAEL PAYNTER TOUR DATES
Fri 10 Jan The Palms, Melbourne with Icehouse
Tickets through www.ticketek.com.au
Sat 11 Jan The Palms, Melbourne with Icehouse
Tickets through www.ticketek.com.au
Tue 14 Jan The Palms, Melbourne with Icehouse
Tickets through www.ticketek.com.au
Wed 12 Feb Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
Tickets through www.oztix.com.au
Thu 13 Feb The Toff In Town, Melbourne
Tickets through www.thetoffintown.com
Fri 14 Feb The Basement, Sydney
Tickets through www.oztix.com.au
Thu 20 Feb Brass Monkey, Cronulla NSW
Tickets through www.brassmonkey.com.au
Fri 21 Feb Lizotte’s, Dee Why NSW
Tickets through www.lizottes.com.au
Sat 22 Feb Lizotte’s, Kincumber NSW
Tickets through www.lizottes.com.au
Sun 23 Feb Lizotte’s Newcastle
Tickets through www.lizottes.com.au
Fri 7 Mar Forest Edge Music Festival, Neerim East VIC
Tickets through www.forestedge.org.au
Wed 19 Mar Belmont Sailing Club, Belmont NSW with Icehouse
Tickets through www.16s.com.au
Thu 20 Mar Rooty Hill RSL, Rooty Hill NSW with Icehouse
Tickets through www.rootyhillrsl.com.au
Thu 27 Mar Jive, Adelaide
Tickets through www.moshtix.com.au
Note:: Perth date is currently being finalised (likely to sit between Rooty Hill and Adelaide shows) and will be confirmed within the week