HELEN SHANAHAN ANNOUNCES NEW SINGLE, ACROSS THE SEA, NEW EP, FINDING GOLD & NATIONAL TOUR DATES
Having hit the ground running after winning Songwriter of The Year at Telstra Road to Discovery, Perth acoustic folk artist, Helen Shanahan has announced the release of her new single, Across The Sea (June 12) lifted from her third EP, Finding Gold, set for release on July 3. The story telling performer will celebrate her new releases with shows at Mojo’s in Fremantle on July 9, The Newsagency in Sydney on July 14 and The Spotted Mallard in Melbourne on July 17.
First single, Across The Sea is inspired by Helen’s personal struggle with anxiety and her day to day challenges of feeling overwhelmed and trying to overcome these hurdles. “The song is calling out for someone to help guide me through the times of hardship,” Helen explains. Helen’s warm, lush vocal is perfectly complemented by nostalgic slide guitar that is dappled throughout the song, showcasing the delicacy of this poetic, uplifting folk country work of art.
Reflective of the song’s metaphor, the clip for Across The Sea takes the viewer through different landscapes of Helen’s journey, making her way through a forest and finally ending up at the sea. ‘Can’t cross the water on my own, so who will build a ship for me, who will help me, across the sea,’ Helen sings. The stunning clip was shot and directed by local Perth filmmaker Brendan Joel (Sam Perry, Jacob Diamond, Rainy Day Women) on location at the picturesque Cape Peron in WA.
Recorded across Melbourne, Nashville and Perth, Helen’s new EP, Finding Gold was produced by AIR and APRA winner Pip Norman (Dan Sultan, Ash Grunwald, Daniel Merriweather), with the exception of Love Lost, which was produced by Neilson Hubbard in Nashville. Offering hope to listeners, Helen says, “The main message throughout the EP is that you can still find moments of calm or ‘gold’ in everyday life.”
Excited to perform her new music live around the country, Helen says, “Although I still feel a lot of nerves and anxiety about performing and sharing my music, the love of it keeps me going, and I love the feeling of connecting with the audience and sharing my stories.”
HELEN SHANAHAN SHOWS
THURS 9 JULY| MOJO’S BAR, FREMANTLE WA | 18+
Tickets available at the door, 237 Queen Victoria Street North Fremantle
TUES 14 JULY | THE NEWSAGENCY, MARRICKVILLE NSW | 18+
Tickets available at the door, or www.thenewsagencyvenue.com
FRIDAY 17 JULY| THE SPOTTED MALLARD, BRUNSWICK VIC | 18+
Tickets available at the door, or www.spottedmallard.com
MELBOURNE FOLKSTERS, FOREST FALLS ANNOUNCE NEW SINGLE, EP & NATIONAL TOUR
Evocative Melbourne folksters, Forest Falls have announced the release of their new single, Hounds (out April 6), as well as their sophomore EP of the same name, set for release on May 1. The six-piece will be celebrating with a Hounds EP tour involving a Wednesday night Workers Club residency in Melbourne through May kicking off May 6, moving through Geelong and Sydney, finishing off in Melbourne on May 27.
Recorded and produced alongside five-time ARIA award winning producer, Wayne Connolly (Paul Dempsey, Josh Pyke and Cloud Control) at Alberts Studio in Sydney, lead single Hounds is driven by exquisite five-part harmonies and transformative, liberating saxophone solos. “The lyrics to Hounds were written in a huff,” explains lead vocalist Jon O’Neill. “A hound can be unpredictable; it can be your best friend or bear its teeth, and I suppose I was bearing mine at the time.”
Filmed in Melbourne by An Architect Photographed My Undies (Vance Joy, Pierce Brothers, Oscar Key Sung), the clip for Hounds is open to interpretation, following the story of a pair of passionate lovers, complemented by the song’s lyrics, their two voices ricochet off each other in the heat of the moment. By weaving the release of sky lanterns in to the narrative, the clip touches on themes of igniting, letting go, reigniting and perhaps just burning out. “We loved the aesthetic and the metaphor of releasing the sky lanterns and the fact that there isn’t a right answer to the true meaning behind the clip,” says O’Neill.
Also recorded and produced by the legendary Wayne Connolly, the Hounds EP touches on the themes of love, relationships, compromise, confusion and lust. “All these things are worth capturing and singing about and all different kinds of emotion can be harnessed and used as motivation or inspiration in songwriting,” says O’Neill. Overflowing with the rich, lush sounds they’re best known for, this cohesive release is like a welcome visit from a long lost friend, nostalgic, heartfelt and authentic. Unafraid to bite the bullet and explore new genres, O’Neill explains, “We’ve been writing new stuff and falling in love with other instruments and sounds and have realised there’s nothing standing in our way.”
With a well-rounded show that will surprise and entertain, fans can expect thrilling five-part harmonies, captivating chants, memorable hooks and a performance bursting with integrity and heart that will leave you wanting more.
View the clip for Hounds
FOREST FALLS TOUR DATES
Wed 6 May | Workers Club | Melbourne
Sun 10 May | Workers Club | Geelong | w/ Revolution
Wed 13 May | Workers Club | Melbourne
Thurs 14 May | Bondi Bowling Club | Bondi | w/ Jenny Broke the Window
Sat 16 May | Gaelic Club | Sydney | w/ Bears with Guns
Wed 20 May | Workers Club | Melbourne
Wed 27 May | Workers Club | Melbourne
WAM ‘SONG OF THE YEAR’ WINNER, MORGAN BAIN ANNOUNCES NEW SINGLE, WHY DON’T YOU STAY AND NATIONAL TOUR
Fresh off the back of a prestigious WA Music (WAM) Song Of The Year win last fortnight, esteemed Perth alternative soul tunesmith and multi-instrumentalist, Morgan Bain has announced the release of his new single, Why Don’t You Stay, alongside a national tour. Kicking off on the main stage at West Coast Blues’N’Roots (Fremantle) on March 29, alongside two Perth shows in April, the tour will then move through Adelaide, Melbourne, Tasmania, Wollongong, Sydney, Newcastle and will finish up at Sydney Blues & Roots Festival (Windsor) on May 16.
Organ driven with rich and varied vocals, Bain’s self-described ‘alternative moody soul’ sound is perfectly showcased in the new single, Why Don’t You Stay. The track was recorded and produced at The Wastelands studio with ARIA award winning producer, Joel Quartermain (Eskimo Joe, Meg Mac, Little Birdy) and mastered by Grammy Award winner, William Bowden of King Willy Sound (Goyte, Eskimo Joe,Tim Finn, Empire of the Sun). Bain explains, “The song is about anxieties that come with giving your everything to someone and how to not let those anxious thoughts take over and get in the way of how you really feel.”
The video clip for the single was directed by Steve Browne (Scalphunter, Tired Lion, Timothy Nelson & The Infidels) and tastefully shot at Chris Huzzard studio. Dark, powerful and thought provoking, the clip depicts a young man’s internal conflict and anxiety about a situation. “The video is simple but complicated in an emotional way, just like the song and its concept,” says Bain.
With a song writing maturity well beyond his tender twenty years, Bain’s prolific songwriting talents have already been acknowledged on a global level several times this year, and a number of tracks off his latest EP, What You Believe (released mid 2014) are in this mix of accolades. Earlier this month, Bain was announced as a semi finalist in the US International Songwriting Competition (Unreleased song, Lost In The Moment), a finalist in the US John Lennon Songwriting Contest (EP track, In The Middle) and he also scooped his third WAM Song of The Year award (EP Track, Hold On) on March 21.
Working hard to make a name for himself and becoming known for his incredible vocals and live performances in his home state of WA, Bain is excited to take his show to a national audience. Hitting the road as a trio (guitar/keys/bass/drums), with funding from the WA Dept of Culture and The Arts, the tour will be “Jam-packed with alternative soul… it’s a pretty upbeat show, but does have light and shade.”
Further info on Morgan Bain’s ‘Why Don’t You Stay’ national tour is available from www.morganbain.com.au
MORGAN BAIN ‘WHY DON’T YOU STAY’ NATIONAL TOUR DATES
SUN 29 MARCH | WEST COAST BLUES’N’ROOTS FESTIVAL | 18+
For more info www.morganbain.com.au
FRI 17 APRIL | INDI BAR, SCARBOROUGH | 18+
For more info www.morganbain.com.au
FRI 24 APRIL | ODD FELLOW BAR, FREMANTLE | 18+
For more info www.morganbain.com.au
THURS 30 APRIL | EXETER, ADELAIDE SA | 18+
For more info www.morganbain.com.au
FRI 1 MAY |YAH YAH’s FITZROY, VIC | 18+
For more info www.morganbain.com.au
SAT 2 MAY | SOOKI LOUNGE, BELGRAVE VIC| 18+
For more info www.morganbain.com.au
SUN 3 MAY | THE B-EAST, EAST BRUNSWICK VIC | 18+
For more info www.morganbain.com.au
THURS 7 MAY | THE REPUBLIC BAR, NORTH HOBART TAS | 18+
For more info www.morganbain.com.au
FRI 8 MAY | ROYAL OAK, LAUNCESTON TAS | 18+
For more info www.morganbain.com.au
SAT 9 MAY | THE LASS O’GOWRIE HOTEL, WICKHAM NSW | 18+
For more info www.morganbain.com.au
SUN 10 MAY | TOWRADJI BEACH HOTEL, WOLLONGONG NSW | 18+
For more info www.morganbain.com.au
THURS 14 MAY | FRANKIES PIZZA BY THE SLICE, SYDNEY NSW | 18+
For more info www.morganbain.com.au
FRI 15 MAY | THE GRAND JUNCTION HOTEL (THE JUNKYARD) MAITLAND NSW | 18+
For more info www.morganbain.com.au
SAT 16 MAY | SYDNEY BLUES & ROOTS FESTIVAL, FITZROY HOTEL, WINDSOR NSW | 18+
For more info www.morganbain.com.au
www.morganbain.com.au www.facebook.com/morganbainmusic instagram.com/morganbainmusic/ twitter.com/morgan_bain youtube.com/user/morganbain1