MOTOR ACE ANNOUNCE 20th ANNIVERSARY – A FIVE STAR REUNION TOUR
It’s 2001, you’re driving home from work, flicking through the radio stations, and Five Star Laundry by Motor Ace is being played on triple j, Triple M and a bunch of other stations in between. Then, as you walk in the door, the television is blaring and it’s Motor Ace again, with their iconic track Death Defy reaching an even wider audience as the theme song for the beloved Australian television series The Secret Life Of Us. And you probably caught them performing at the ARIAS and across all the various shows on tv at that time too, that was what it was like during the peak of Motor Ace – absolute saturation, and even then people couldn’t get enough.
Fast forward almost two decades and Motor Ace’s hoards of fans no longer have to wait for that highly anticipated reunion, because in March and April of 2019, the band we all love will embark on a national tour to celebrate the 20 year anniversary of the band’s inception, kicking off in Adelaide at The Gov on March 29, then moving through Perth, Sydney, Brisbane and finishing up in Melbourne at the renowned venue 170 Russell on April 12.
Within the first month of being on sale, Five Star Laundry went gold in Australia – a massive feat when considering what it takes for a record to go gold in 2018, with just 7 Australian albums having been certified gold this year. What followed was an exhaustive touring and promo schedule, which included unbelieveable support slots alongside Foo Fighters, Oasis and Blink-182. It was sold out shows every night, and absolute domination on the airwaves; Motor Ace were a staple in consecutive triple j Hottest 100 countdowns, and a mainstay on the ARIA charts. Their timely sophomore album Shoot This was released in 2002 to abundant critical acclaim. It spawned lead single Carry On that held the coveted #1 most played song on Australian airwaves for 8 weeks in a row, and Shoot This, debuting at #1 on the charts and achieving gold sales on release. It was an electrifying whirlwind, as lead singer Patrick Robertson reflects, “In retrospect, it can look a bit like we came out of nowhere. But we did work very hard with a lot of relentless touring, a focus on writing great songs and energetic live shows. We always struggled a little to find a stylistic niche and felt a little on the outer in that regard. But I think at the end of the day we made some really strong connections, and hopefully enduring ones, with our fans because of our songs above all else.” Drummer Damo Costin adds, “It was pretty amazing at the time, and something that I still feel very proud of… we definitely milked being number one on the charts.”
The band are thrilled to be back together to play hits and album faves from Five Star Laundry, and later albums Shoot This and Animal, for fans all across the country, as lead singer Pat Robertson says, “It’s been 20 years since we were playing our first shows around Melbourne – at the Punters Club, Evelyn and Espy – and 13 years since the last Motor Ace show. It feels pretty bizarre to be honest, but really looking forward to playing shows with the guys and most importantly seeing if we can still party!” Damo adds, “It feels absolutely surreal, the reason being that when I was 22, and young and earnest, I had no idea that 20 years later I was going to play these songs again! I am most excited about enjoying those songs again in a live space, excited to play again with a sense of nostalgia and giving my all with the guys. We really wanna have some fun with it.”
And it sounds as though there might be some exclusive Motor Ace content from the Five Star Laundry sessions coming direct to fans, too, as the band have been delving deep into the archives to find some demos and footage that are sure to stir up those nostaligic vibes. “It’s really cool to listen to the initial demos and to see where they ended up on the record after it had been produced,” says Damo. “I’ve found loads of footage from ages ago from touring, as well. We are going to release some unreleased demos that we did before the records were recorded, including Shoot This demos some of which sounds better than the official recording.”
Since disbanding all those years ago, the Motor Ace boys have been up to all those regular ‘life’ things – families, kids and jobs. But for what’s set to be an amazing few weeks of shows, the band are back together just like the good old days – although, in true Damo form, he jokes that a little stamina training might be in order this time around – “If I get to the end of the show and I am still alive it will be a miracle. I am currently in training – send in all fitness tips!”
Motor Ace is Patrick Robertson (vocals, guitar), Dave Ong (guitar), Damo Costin (drums) and Matt Balfe (bass).
Tickets to Motor Ace 20th Anniversary – A Five Star Reunion tour are on sale now.
MOTOR ACE 20th ANNIVERSARY – A FIVE STAR REUNION NATIONAL TOUR
FRI MARCH 29 | THE GOV, ADELAIDE SA | 18+
Tickets available from http://tickets.oztix.com.au/?Event=92178
SAT MARCH 30 | CAPITOL, PERTH WA | 18+
Tickets available from http://tickets.oztix.com.au/?Event=92186
FRI APRIL 5 | FACTORY THEATRE, SYDNEY NSW | 18+
Tickets available from http://bit.ly/FAC19_MOTOR_ACE
SAT APRIL 6 | THE TRIFFID, BRISBANE QLD | 18+
Tickets available from http://tickets.oztix.com.au/?Event=92188
FRI APRIL 12 | 170 RUSSELL, MELBOURNE VIC | 18+
Tickets available from https://www.moshtix.com.au/v2/event/motor-ace/106229?skin=747
ESKIMO JOE’S KAV TEMPERLEY DROPS NEW SINGLE POLLYANNA + ANNOUNCES DEBUT SOLO ALBUM ALL YOUR DEVOTION + NATIONAL TOUR
Best known as the frontman of the Australian rock n roll luminaires, Eskimo Joe, acclaimed songwriter Kav Temperley is stepping out solo. The first taste of his upcoming album dropped today in the form of new single, Pollyanna – an ominous reflection on the relativity of happiness – the single will be received instantly with all digital album pre-orders. Pollyanna precedes Kav Temperley’s highly anticipated debut solo album All Your Devotion, a collection of ruminating, thoughtful, and effecting songs from one of this country’s greatest talents, set for release digitally and on vinyl on September 28. To celebrate what is the culmination of years of hard work, Kav will be hitting the road in October and November this year, kicking off on October 5 at The Milk Factory in Brisbane, and moving through the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Belgrave, Melbourne, Sydney, Newcastle, Fremantle, Margaret River, before wrapping up in Bunbury at Prince of Wales on November 3.
Pollyanna is not quite as happy-go-lucky as its namesake, but despite a moody demeanour, there is a tenacious, almost stubborn sense of positivity that lurks throughout. With careful, considered instrumentation and an arrangement that allows deep strings, plucky piano and sparkling guitar to each complement the other, Pollyanna is a deeply effecting piece of music, made even more so with Kav’s idiosyncratic, expressive vocal delivery and lyricism. Kav reflects on the inspiration behind the track, saying, “A friend once told me that our happiness is always relative, whether we live in a war zone or paradise – our happiness always swings back to the same place.
I had just lost my marriage and the band had decided to take a break, all of these things that defined me were now no longer around. It was one of the first times in my life I felt like a stranger just rolling along, but I realised that amongst all of this I was a Pollyanna, someone despite the bad news always looks on the bright side. This was a song I was singing to myself to remember to stay light.”
All Your Devotion is, quite simply, a daring testament of renewal. Produced alongside Pip Norman (Troye Sivan, Jarryd James, Urthboy) and John Castle (Megan Washington, Vance Joy, Bertie Blackman), the album delicately outlines the arc of newfound romance; the rapture, with Pollyanna and Queen Of My Heart, the hesitation, with This Is The Love and Devotion, and the surrender, with High and When You Run. All Your Devotion explores new sonic territory for Kav, as sparse and uncluttered production, reminiscent of pop and folk conventions, takes precendence over rock n roll ways. Kav reflects on some of the inspiration behind the album, saying, “We spend our lives building barricades to protect us, both physical and emotional. But, as well as protect, these barricades can also isolate and suffocate. All Your Devotion is about tearing those down and starting over, through all the fears and hope…It’s about growing up and moving on. It’s being courageous enough to live and to love again.”
Kav Templerley is set to perform tracks from All Your Devotion live to audiences across the country come October and November this year, as Eskimo Joe also prepare to hit the stage for the Under The Southern Stars festival run. It’s going to be a busy few months for the skilled musician, but anticipation is high, as Kav says, “(For the All Your Devotion tour,) it’s just going to be me with an acoustic guitar and kick drum strapped to my back. I want these shows to be raw and real so people feel like they’ve been there right next to me through the writing of this record.”
Pollyanna will be available from today and will be received instantly with all digital album pre-orders. All Your Devotion is set for release digitally and on vinyl on September 28.
ALL YOUR DEVOTION NATIONAL ALBUM TOUR
FRI 5 OCT | THE MILK FACTORY, BRISBANE QLD | 18+
Tickets available from www.kavtemperley.com.au or www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
SAT 6 OCT | VILLA NOOSA HOTEL, SUNSHINE COAST QLD | 18+
Tickets available from www.kavtemperley.com.au or www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
SUN 7 OCT | PUBLIC BAR @ COOLANGATTA HOTEL, GOLD COAST QLD | 18+ | Free show
THU 11 OCT | GRACE EMILY, ADELAIDE SA | 18+
Tickets available from www.kavtemperley.com.au or www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
FRI 12 OCT | SOOKI LOUNGE, BELGRAVE VIC | 18+
Tickets available from www.kavtemperley.com.au or www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
SAT 13 OCT | THE TOFF IN TOWN, MELBOURNE VIC | 18+
Tickets available from www.kavtemperley.com.au or www.moshtix.com.au | 1300 GET TIX | All Moshtix Outlets
FRI 19 OCT | LEADBELLY, SYDNEY NSW | 18+
Tickets available from www.kavtemperley.com.au or www.moshtix.com.au | 1300 GET TIX | All Moshtix Outlets
SAT 20 OCT | LIZOTTES, NEWCASTLE NSW | 18+
Tickets available from www.kavtemperley.com.au or www.lizottes.com.au | (02) 4956 2066
SAT 27 OCT | MOJOS, FREMANTLE WA | 18+
Tickets available from www.kavtemperley.com.au or www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
FRI 2 NOV | RIVER HOTEL, MARGARET RIVER WA | 18+
Tickets available from www.kavtemperley.com.au or www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
SAT 3 NOV | PRINCE OF WALES, BUNBURY WA | 18+
Tickets available from www.kavtemperley.com.au or www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets
THE PAPER KITES CERTIFIED ‘GOLD’ IN AMERICA + ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM ON THE CORNER WHERE YOU LIVE FOR SEPTEMBER 21 RELEASE + NEW SINGLE DEEP BURN BLUE OUT TODAY
Melbourne indie folk outfit The Paper Kites’ have a lot to celebrate with their song Bloom being officially certified gold in the US, and today announcing their new album On The Corner Where You Live (set for release on September 21 via Wonderlick / Sony Music Australia), the much-loved band’s melancholic, mid-tempo companion to the recently released album, On The Train Ride Home. Give them your tired, your lonely, your lovesick, your unsure, The Paper Kites have a song for each of them on this latest album. On the Corner Where You Live wafts evocatively with noir-ish saxophones, guitars, ambient traffic, even the languid sound of rain. It’s levitating and bittersweet; heavy-hearted stories that are resoundingly universal.
The first taste of this immersive record, Deep Burn Blue (released on Friday July 13) floats into the consciousness with heady guitars, driving percussion, and expressive vocals that twist, build and turn as the track drifts. It’s this gentle yet assertive manifestation that fans have come to expect from The Paper Kites, and they do it with undeniable class and sophistication. “Music is so much more purposeful and devastating when it makes you feel exposed,” says frontman Sam Bentley. Deep Burn Blue describes a girl who won’t leave her room, as Sam elaborates, “It’s that feeling of being so inside your own thoughts that it’s debilitating.” (If that weren’t gutting enough, the song even references Nick Drake with the line, “You like the sound of a pink moon cry/Lying on the floor as the day goes by.”)
On The Train Ride Home and On The Corner Where You follow up their 2015 album twelvefour. The Paper Kites (which also includes vocalist Christina Lacy, guitarist Dave Powys, drummer Josh Bentley and bassist Sam Rasmussen) have earned a loyal, organic fan base. In the eight years since they formed, what’s followed is an impressive reach of their music with standout single Bloom (from their Woodland EP) certified Gold with nearly 700,000 tracks sold across America, which sees them join a small list of Aussie artists (including ACDC, INXS, Midnight Oil, SIA, Kylie Minogue, Flume and Silverchair) who have received GOLD accreditation in the US. The band has also been steadily touring across 4 continents, 24 countries with nearly 200 shows in just under 3 years. With over half a billion streams and nearly 3 million monthly listeners on Spotify, the band continues to amass new fans wherever they go. They’ve also today announced a 21 date North American and UK headline tour, kicking off in Los Angeles on November 6, before moving through San Diego, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnepeg, St. Paul, Chicago, Toronto, Waterloo, London, Montreal, Boston, Philadelphia, New York and finishing up in Washington on December 1.
On The Corner Where You Live is co-produced with Grammy-winner Peter Katis (Interpol, The National) at his studio in Connecticut – a 120-year old Victorian era home that the band lived and recorded in for 5 weeks. Sam spoke of the moment the album’s concept clicked together, saying “It’s a collection of stories about these characters all living in an apartment building; I wanted to capture moments, feelings, it’s about people and their stories.” This album is one best listened to from start to finish, as each story seeps into the next; meditative yet complex, On The Corner Where You Live will not disappoint The Paper Kites’ loyal fanbase, and will enamour new and existing audiences alike. Immersed in an aural diet of blues and jazz, the band collaborated with Los Angeles film-noir artist Gina Higgins on the album’s artwork, who also painted the cover for On The Train Ride Home and worked closely with the band on the concept.
For fans, the band will make both On The Train Ride Home and On The Corner Where You Live available as a deluxe double gold and silver coloured limited edition vinyl, out September 21.
On The Corner Where You Live track list:
1. A Gathering on 57th
2. Give Me Your Fire, Give Me Your Rain
3. Deep Burn Blue
4. Mess We Made
5. Flashes
6. Red Light
7. On the Corner Where You Live
8. Midtown Waitress
9. When It Hurts You
10. Does It Ever Cross Your Mind
11. Don’t Keep Driving