BULLY HAY SHARES UPLIFTING NEW SINGLE + VIDEO ‘WASH OFF THE WORLD’
Undulating and revitalising, the brand new single Wash Off The World out today from Tasmanian singer-songwriter Bully Hay drives home a message of empowerment and inspiration, topped off with the addition of The Tea Party’s Jeff Martin on production, recording and mixing duties. Also armed with an accompanying music video, Wash Off The World marks Bully Hay’s first single off his forthcoming debut album, Black Dogs and Songbirds due out later this year on Wednesday October 30.
“I want to get inside the ocean and wash off the world” declares Bully Hay, aka Jonathon Coleman, in the opening buoyant lines of Wash Off The World. Mimicking literal waves with its rolling and receding verses and choruses, Wash Off The World glistens with a wash of guitars and immersive textures, beckoning you to revisit time and time again with its fluctuating elements and flavours. “The sound is reminiscent of the early Powderfinger albums but has this (John) Bonham solid drum sound powering through,” shares Bully Hay. “And Jeff Martin’s influence throughout lent itself beautifully to really fill out certain sections. Often, it’s a process where the sound is shaped kind of unconsciously throughout the songwriting and recording process. I have never written a song with an artist or influence in mind and try hard not to. It’s not until after its finished, I start to recognise: ‘This sounds a little like Powderfinger or Something for Kate here and there’. And of course you can’t deny Jeff Martin’s influence across the sound. I’ve been a huge fan of Jeff and The Tea Party for over 20 years.”
Teaming up with his musical hero Jeff Martin to bring Wash Off The World to fruition, Bully Hay also channelled notions of enlightenment and awakening into the uplifting track, with Bully Hay penning the song almost a decade ago before ultimately jumping in with Martin to unleash it into the world in 2024. “Working with Jeff would be up there in the top memorable times of my life!” says Bully Hay. “I’d met Jeff through a mutual friend one night in Hobart after he played a solo gig down there. We ended up having a few drinks and sharing a few songs with each other. Jeff offered to produce a record of my songs. I let him know it was a deal as long as he played some guitar on the record, and we shook on it. At the time I thought it was just booze talking, but sure enough the next day it was all confirmed that it was going to happen. Throughout last year Jeff and his wife Melissa welcomed me into their home where I lived for about a month throughout the year and really got stuck into the songs in the studio. At first it was pretty nerve wracking as I really didn’t know what to expect. Jeff and I didn’t know each other apart from hanging out for a few hours one time after his show. And he knew nothing about me, so was most probably hoping I wasn’t some kind of psycho coming to live at his house! But as the days passed and the music was taking shape, we found we had a lot in common and became really great friends. The actual recording process was really fascinating for me. As Jeff has recorded so many albums, solo and with The Tea Party, I was just soaking it all in like a sponge. The highlights for me would be when Jeff would pick up a guitar and come up with these amazing lines to accentuate or soup up my guitar parts. I am not a lead guitarist, so to have Jeff Martin play lead on my record was pretty bloody awesome. The luck factor here is not lost on me.”
“As a producer it’s an incredible experience when you’re working with a singer and don’t have to use any of those evils like Autotune because the guy has perfect pitch every single time,” shares Jeff Martin of working with Bully Hay. “And the harmonies he comes up with…I couldn’t even do that! What Jono has accomplished – which is very rare – is that he can go from tender ballads in the style of Jeff Buckley, to country rock which reminds the listener of vintage Eagles, to these epic rock opuses.”
Engineered by Paul Pilsneniks (Silverchair, The Whitlams, Boy & Bear, Dope Lemon), Wash Off The World was also mastered by the Grammy-nominated extraordinaire Joe Carra (The Teskey Brothers, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard) at Crystal Mastering. The accompanying music video is an affecting piece that brings together powerful live performance as well as a moving narrative throughline. “The song to me is about breaking free of the walls imposed on us by our day-to-day grind and focussing on the important things in life.” says Bully Hay, “I used some of the lyrics of the song to create a visual representation of this, by having our protagonist literally run to the ocean to cleanse/reset his life.”
A proud Tassie boy currently based in Southern Tasmania, Bully Hay’s upbringing saw him immersed in music, with his musical family helping to ignite his lifelong passion at an early age. Ultimately inspired to become a musician by his father, who introduced him to some chords on the guitar at the age of 14, the rest well and truly was history, with the self-taught Coleman going on to learn music by ear, and performing in bands and as a solo artist for the years to follow. Settling on the moniker Bully Hay for his solo endeavours, the name was inspired by Coleman’s uncle who was one of “The Rats of Tobruk” in World War II. And now with his gaze firmly fixed on the upcoming release of his debut album, Bully Hay once again proudly flies the flag for Tasmania, with The Apple Isle intrinsically permeating through his captivating creations. “Living in Tasmania has really shaped me in my life, and very much so within my music,” Bully Hay reveals. “There’s a thread there behind a lot of songs of mine where I end up visualising certain places there, mainly coastal regions, which is why I often catch these kind of elemental lyrics (water, fire, etc.) creeping into my songs.”
“Wash Off The World is the first single from my debut album Black Dogs and Songbirds which is a full length, 11 track album I’ll be releasing later this year,” Bully Hay concludes. “Working with Jeff Martin on this album as my producer was a huge honour. He was able to draw these songs out of me and make them the best that they could possibly be. Listening to these songs, you’ll hear influences like Paul Kelly, Crowded House, Powderfinger, Soundgarden, Jeff Buckley and The Tea Party coming through, but the album now has its own Bully Hay sound. We’ve created something really special. Sharing the album will be my absolute pleasure. I can’t wait to get it out there.”
Wash Off The World is out today here https://gyro.to/WashOffTheWorld
PRESLEY DAVIS JR SHARES THREE TRACKS FROM THREE DIFFERENT GENRES RELEASES SINGLES HEART OF MY HEART, SHOWDOWN + CONVINCING ME TAKEN FROM NEW PROJECT ECLECTA TRIFECTA DUE OUT JULY 23 COMPRISING THREE ALBUMS ROADSIDE MAGNOLIA, TORANA AMERICANA + BIRDLIFE
A sentimental jazz song, a country ode to heartache and a sultry soul gem collide today in another trifecta single release from singer-songwriter, actor and creative cauldron Presley Davis Jr. Balancing various genres across his brand new tracks, Heart of My Heart, Showdown and Convincing Me, all out today, Presley’s eclectic prowess grows to new heights as he steps ever-closer to the upcoming release of three simultaneous albums; Roadside Magnolia, Torana Americana and Birdlife, with these albums forming into the amalgamated Eclecta Trifecta collective, due out on July 23.
Kicking off in swoon city, Presley’s first new single out today, Heart of My Heart, doles out the charm with ambling brass and tinkling keys as Presleyeffortlessly channels classic jazz with hints of barbershop charm throughout. A time-travelling delight that hastens you back to the golden age of Bing Crosby and poetic lyricism, Heart of My Heart also beckons another snapshot into Presley’s upcoming full length album Roadside Magnoliadropping this July as part of the Eclecta Trifecta project. “Heart of My Heart is a classic old jazz number,” shares Presley. “I love this song because of the beautiful sentiment in it. Modern pop music lyrics don’t have phrases like “I know a tear would glisten, if once more I could listen”. This was a pop song back in the day, just think about that for a moment. It’s definitely influenced by classic singers like Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Dean Martin. I used to sing a lot of barbershop music when I was young and if you’re at my favourite pizza bar on a Tuesday you might hear the local barbershop group rehearsing at the next table.”
Next up, throwback country meets modern bliss via Showdown; the latest single from Presley’s forthcoming Torana Americana album as part of Eclecta Trifecta. With its crooning lyrics and sunny twang, Showdown bustles with warm instrumentals and poignant vocals, tapping into the past and the future simultaneously, as Presley explains, “I really like older country music like Willie Nelson and Hank Williams. I also like alternative country and roots artists like Gillian Welch and Anders Osborne. In this song you can hear the old with a bit of the new mixed in. This song was inspired by some of my past relationships. Sometimes you break up because it isn’t working, but then you get lonely, so you go back. Wash, rinse, repeat. We’ve all been there, haven’t we?”
And completing today’s simultaneous single release from Presley Davis Jr. is Convincing Me; a sumptuous and sleek concoction of funk and soul that could easily find itself at home soundtracking a salacious piece of cinema with its swaggering bassline and lush sonic backdrop. “I often write songs by playing a different instrument for a while,” shares Presley of conjuring Convincing Me. “Toying around with bass guitar often results in a song for me and that is what happened here. The original “scratch” lyrics for this were about going outside of your normal parameters for who you would sleep with – “you’re not my type, but…you’re convincing me.” When I revisited it, I thought that was a tad offensive so I rephrased it as “we shouldn’t go there, but you’re convincing me”. I can see this being included on a soundtrack because there is so much cheating and shagging going on in TV and movies these days. I love listening to Prince, Stevie Wonder, James Brown and I think you can definitely hear some of those influences on this track.”
The task of simultaneously creating three full-bodied and stylistically diverse albums saw Presley dive into a horde of personally meaningful genres, with the Eclecta Trifecta project also evolving from his experience during the pandemic years. Evaluating himself both personally and professionally at the time, Presley’s soul searching ultimately led to him settling on the idea to release a three-album project, with all three albums in three different styles set to release on the same day. Consisting of Roadside Magnolia, Torana Americana and Birdlife, Eclecta Trifecta spans everything from old-timey jazz to country, bluegrass, funk and soul, with all three diverse but focused albums beating at their core with Presley’s passion and deep understanding for each musical realm. Of his upcoming three albums, Presley shares, “Roadside Magnolia is a tip of the hat to my father and his lifelong dedication to performing that style of music. Torana Americana is me celebrating my love of playing and singing the music I grew up playing. Birdlife continues my obsession with all things soulful and funky. Funk has a history of including comedic tracks and there are certainly a few of those on there as well.”
Opening with the jangly Shine On Harvest Moon, Roadside Magnolia bustles with timeless whimsy and a sharp understanding of the traditional jazz genre, steadily doling out arrangements and lyrical delivery that would happily sit alongside the likes of Cole Porter (Nevertheless), alongside upbeat speakeasy vibes (Five Foot Two, Eyes Of Blue – In A Shanty, In Old Shanty Town and Sin To Tell A Lie), a stellartwist on a classic made famous by Willie Nelson and Patsy Cline (Crazy), a velvet-clad jazz take on a classic love song (It Had To Be You), and a standout adaptation of a longtime jazz staple (Lazy River).
Switching gears to an album made to be consumed on road trips or accompanied by a shot of whiskey, Torana Americana hurls a jubilant spotlight on all things country, from the toe-tappin’, string-fuelled opener Petunia through to a countrified version of a 1996 hit from The Monkees (Last Train to Clarksville), a cosy twist on a country and gospel favourite (Seven Spanish Angels), energetic bluegrass (Friend of the Devil – Blue Moon of Kentucky and A Full Time Job) as well as a stirring love song fuelled by glistening banjos (Sugarcane), and a modern alt country closer in the form of Bigger the Debt.
And from classic jazz and country licks to sleek scintillation, the third album from the Eclecta Trifecta series finds Presley embracing rhythm and blues with soul through a simultaneous vintage and contemporary lens, with seven songs lying in wait on Birdlife. From the tempered sensuality of its opening number How Can I, Presley effortlessly oozes through steamy funk (My Escape), upbeat gloss (Where You Be At), disco-ready beats (Cause I’m Rich), undulating soul (10 Shades of Blue), and an effusive celebration of tongue-in-cheek lyricism alongside breathy flutes and catchy hooks (YASWOM).
With Roadside Magnolia, Torana Americana and Birdlife all self-produced by Presley, the end result for all three full-lenghths was also cemented alongside mixing and mastering by Presley’s long-time collaborator and great friend Jason Torrens for Birdlife and Torana Americana, with Roadside Magnolia mixed in Argentina by Alejandro Rosenblat and mastered by Lucas Gomez. “I produce everything myself and can be pretty insistent on what I want based on what I hear in my head,” shares Presley. “Birdlife and Torana Americana were mixed and mastered by Jason Torrens, he owns Debasement Studios in Ferntree Gully, Victoria and has worked with Bodyjar, You Am I, Slipknot, as well as being Senior Program Leader at Collarts (Australian College of the Arts). I ended up getting Roadside Magnolia mixed in Argentina by Alejandro Rosenblat and mastered by Lucas Gomez. It is hard to find someone to mix jazz as it’s pretty niche and these guys did a great job. Be wary of mixers who say they can mix jazz without hearing an example of what they did first.”
A jack of all musical trades and adopting his stage name to honour Sammy Davis Jr., it seemed predestined that Presley Davis Jr would find himself immersed in the arts. Receiving his first guitar and tenor banjo at the age of eight from his father, a member of the Nicky Capodice Banjo Band, Presley was contracted to sing old jazz favourites six nights a week by the age of 17 and was touring North America by the age of 25, performing with different bands in different styles spanning bluegrass, blues, soul and rock. Eventually moving to his wife’s hometown of Melbourne, Presleywould find himself hemmed in by the world’s longest lockdown during the pandemic years; but rather than dull his creativity, Presley turned to his work and aspired to conjure something entirely for himself. And it’s via his upcoming trifecta album release and the independent process that Presley Jr has found the long-awaited return of full and unbridled creative fulfillment, as he explains, “This has been a real learning experience for me. I am feeling fulfilled for the first time in a long time. A lot of musicians have these dreams of doing new projects but get overwhelmed by the work involved that isn’t music related like admin and promo. Doing it yourself is genuinely hard but once you get through the first time it becomes easier. My current working theory is to record what you want, have fun and explore your creativity wherever it takes you. The music “industry” is in shambles so why not set your own goals?”
And after successfully mastering multiple genres across the space of three insatiable albums all at once, just where will Presley Davis Jr. turn his creative gaze to next? “A blues record is in the pipeline,” Presley concludes. “I am toying with a hip-hop-ish record, or at least a beats-based record followed by a rock record. Then I might retire and take up lawn bowls full time – I’m actually pretty good on the green already.”
Heart of My Heart, Showdown and Convincing Me are out today, Tuesday June 25
Roadside Magnolia, Torana Americana and Birdlife, aka the Eclecta Trifecta, are due out on Friday July 23 exclusively on Bandcamp.
| Listen: HEART OF MY HEART
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Listen: SHOWDOWN
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Listen: CONVINCING ME
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DALLAS FRASCA ANNOUNCES NEW SOLO ALBUM ‘FORCE OF NATURE’ OUT JULY 19 + SHARES NEW LYRIC VIDEO ‘ELECTRIC DAYS’ + HUGE NATIONAL TOUR AUG-NOV
A fierce and authentic collection of songs from the dazzling mind of Melbourne roots rock icon Dallas Frasca, the upcoming new solo album Force of Nature is set to truly be a genuine sonic force to be reckoned with, journeying between towering highs and glossy reprieves with unbridled power and passion. Officially set for release on Friday July 19, pre-orders for Force of Nature are now live, with each pre-order automatically securing a free ticket to an upcoming Dallas Frasca secret listening party, with pre-orders also offering the chance to win a prize pack from D’Addario and a Cole Clark guitar. And if the confirmation of a solo Dallas Frasca album today isn’t enough, a brand new lyric video has also unveiled, with some fittingly electrifying visuals out now to accompany Dallas Frasca’s recent single Electric Days, as well as a horde of live shows to come, starting this August.
The third offering from the upcoming Force of Nature full-length, Dallas Frasca’s recent single Electric Days follows on from Stand on My Shoulders (#1 AMRAP Charts) and River Queen (#2 AMRAP Charts), with Electric Days erupting with fuzz, guitar-fuelled hooks and explosive 60s Motown-driven percussion. Stemming from Dallas Frasca’s songwriting exercises undertaken during her involvement with the 2018 Commonwealth Games, the explosive track takes on new life with real-world performance vision driving the track’s accompanying lyric video alongside a firm and empowered DIY ethic behind the scenes, as Dallas reveals, “A fan sent me a video of me performing Electric Days for the first time I played it at Blues on Broadbeach in May this year. My music business is a fiercely run and very proud one-stop ‘independent music shop’. I edited the video myself and my friend Raymond J Evans put the lyrics on for me. I think too many young artists get deluded by a ‘fantasy’ of a music career. I feel like the music industry model has crumbled and has a long way to go before it finds its way again. Until then I’ll be still connecting with real fans that love the experience of going to shows and supporting artists by buying their merch. My philosophy is that you build your music business one person at a time, however, this is not just my business, this is my/our community. There are opportunities to have a sustainable living from a music career, and what we want our versions of success to look like varies from artist to artist. I have a clear idea of what I want my success story to look like and I feel fortunate to be able to be living my dream. I’m building my little empire and along with that comes hard work and learning the many facets of your own business (and a shit tonne of work, editing videos, designing merch, content creation). I love it. I’d much rather be doing this than a 9-5.”
Self-described as “like a cheer squad from the sideline hyping up against the naysayers, a self-manifestation and that feeling when you eventually achieve the things you set out to do despite all the noise, it’s the moment”, Electric Days is a stellar step forward into a brand-new creative chapter for Dallas Frasca as she approaches the release of Force of Nature. Spanning influences from Lisa Kekaula of Basement Jaxx through to Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, Larkin Poe, and Led Zeppelin alongside the gravitational pull from blues-influenced music that has so adamantly punctuated her prior releases, Force of Nature is Dallas Frasca at her most potent and engaging self to date; a fact made even more impressive by her ongoing legacy since first emerging onto the Australian music scene back in the mid 2000s. An album four years in the making and inspired greatly by time spent in nature as well as finding her own true self along the way, the result is a spellbinding journey deep into the soul of one of Australia’s genuine songwriting greats. “A couple of years ago I had an enormous epiphany where I was overcome with an overwhelming feeling that it was the right time to put a solo record out, barebones, ME as an artist, with no other influences,” shares Dallas. “It was kind of like a moment, I truly found my own voice, and the fire was lit. It grew as I obsessively picked up the guitar every day and began to write. Recording Force of Nature was an intense and deeply personal process, I recorded it across six different studios in Melbourne including the piano for The Wind Blows in my loungeroom aka ‘Lady Luck Studios’, and you can hear the birds chirping outside throughout the recording. Real and raw. It’s the third record I’ve made with my dear friend and collaborator, L.A Based, Andy Baldwin. It was tricky figuring out how to record the album when it was only me, and Andy’s playful and adventurous spirit brought a touch of genius to the plate every day. He pushed me far beyond what I thought I was capable of. I could not have achieved this without him. He is such a generous collaborator, when I heard the mix for the opening track on the record, I cried. I couldn’t believe what we had accomplished together. The album’s quieter moments hint at a new, more compelling frontier for me, maybe suggesting an evolution in my sound and songwriting. You’ll hear the combinations of my love for traditional blues elements with modern influences.”
Opening with driving stomp and swagger via Pray, Force of Nature journeys between the simmering might of Let It Rain, coated in raw vocals, modern gospel hues and a magnetic vocal delivery, through to uplifting and bold waves of acoustic guitars and glimmering harmonies (You Are Glorious (Unborn Unicorn) and River Queen), poignant ballads draped in warmth (The Wind Blows and May The Bridges We’ve Burned Light The Way), stomping gems laden with country charm and blues (I’ll Be Here When You Wake), and modern rock (Electric Days), with all tracks powerfully helmed and woven together throughout by Dallas Frasca herself. “Force of Nature is a musical homecoming of sorts and in retrospect was a time of healing and growth for me,” Dallas reveals. “My producer Andy and my vision was to treat each song like its own universe to make a multi-dimensional piece of art. It’s massive, gutsy and raw. I think the element I’m most proud of, is it doesn’t sound like anyone else but me.”
Garnering praise with a career spanning close to two decades, Dallas Frasca has been named everything from “the most powerful female voice in Australian rock” (RockPit) through to “one of the best frontwomen in the business” (Upside Down News) and scored the seal of approval from Guns N’ Roses’ very own Slash along the way. Renowned for her electrifying onstage presence and guitar slinging prowess, the new era for Dallas Frasca as a solo artist has only heightened her sonic might, now also arming her with both electric and acoustic guitars, a live loop pedal and staggering vulnerability and authenticity that flows throughout her brand of roots/rock. Whether placing in the top three of the International Songwriting Competition, snagging a theme song and worldwide sync on the popular TV series Bondi Ink, collaborating with Ugly Kid Joe or charting internationally, Dallas Frasca has also enamoured onstage at the likes of Bluesfest, Falls Festival, Woodford, was invited to fill in the shoes of Peter Garrett and fronted Midnight Oil for an Amnesty International event and also wowed at the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony in front of 1.5 billion viewers in 2018. And while critical and fan acclaim has followed Dallas Frasca throughout her career, it’s in 2024 that this talented creative has leant into the unknown and emerged triumphant, armed with the aptly titled Force of Nature. “Growing my wings as a solo artist has been the most challenging, vulnerable, raw, and empowering endeavour I have embarked on to date,” shares Dallas. “Hats off to all the solo artists out there. It’s given me an unwavering purpose and direction. This new body of work is by far the proudest achievement of my life thus far, I’m so excited to share it with everyone. There is so much to come, and I look forward to revealing a showcase of my growth as an artist and songwriter.”
Fans can catch Dallas Frasca on the road later this year following the release of Force of Nature, kicking off on Friday August 2 in Scarborough, Western Australia, with tour dates spanning across the country well into November.
Electric Days is out now.
Force of Nature is due out on Friday July 19.
DALLAS FRASCA – FORCE OF NATURE NATIONAL TOUR:
Tickets available from dallasfrasca.com
FRI 02 AUG | INDI BAR, SCARBOROUGH WA
DUO w/ Abbe May
SAT 03 AUG | THE RIVER, MARGARET RIVER WA
DUO w/ Abbe May
SUN 04 AUG | MOJO’S, FREMANTLE WA
DUO w/ Abbe May
SAT 17 AUG | MILTON THEATRE, MILTON NSW
DUO w/ James Van Cooper
SUN 18 AUG | LONGSTOCKING BREWERY, PAMBULA NSW
DUO w/ TBC
23 AUGUST | HABA, RYE VIC
BAND w/ Queenie
24 AUGUST | NORTHCOTE SOCIAL CLUB, MELBOURNE VIC
BAND w/ Georgia Rodgers
25 AUGUST |WHEATSHEAF, ADELAIDE SA
DUO w/ Fazz and Mannix
20 SEPTEMBER | MOYHU HOTEL, MOYHU VIC
DUO w/ Jo Jo Smith
21 SEPTEMBER | SMITH’S ALTERNATIVE, CANBERRA ACT
DUO w/ James Southwell
17 OCTOBER | BRUNSWICK PICTURE HOUSE, BRUNSWICK HEADS NSW
TRIO w/ CC The Cat
18 OCTOBER | WOLVI STOMP FESTIVAL, WOLVI QLD
TRIO w/ Line-Up: Frank Sultana, Owen Campbell, Jesse Redwing & more.
19 OCTOBER | MO’S DESERT CLUBHOUSE, GOLD COAST QLD
TRIO w/ CC The Cat
20 OCTOBER | IT’S STILL A SECRET, BRISBANE QLD
TRIO w/ Blues Arcadia
02 NOVEMBER | TANK ARTS CENTRE, CAIRNS QLD
DUO w/ Lady Valiant + Stu Harcourt + Mas Minimals
15 NOVEMBER |CAMELOT LOUNGE, SYDNEY NSW
DUO w/ Roshani
16 NOVEMBER | CHIEFEST FESTIVAL, NEWCASTLE NSW
DUO w/ Line-Up: The Urban Chiefs + Good Corn Liquor + Piper Butcher + L.R. Marsh & more.
17 NOVEMBER | FLOW BAR, OLD BAR NSW
DUO w/ Felicity Dowd
29 NOVEMBER | REPUBLIC BAR, HOBART TAS
DUO w/ The Bad Dad Orchestra
30 NOVEMBER | ISLAND STATE BREWING – THE PIER, ULVERSTON TAS
DUO w/ The Bad Dad Orchestra