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PRESLEY DAVIS JR SHARES THREE SINGLES ACROSS THREE DIFFERENT GENRES

Whoever said two is company and three is a crowd clearly never witnessed three simultaneous singles released from singer-songwriter, actor and all-around compulsive creative Presley Davis Jr. Today releasing three new singles of varying sonic shades, Presley flexes his balanced creative muscles, spanning sultry blues on How Can I, slinky, vintage jazz via Crazy, and bouncy bluegrass courtesy of Petunia. With all three singles also offering a peek behind the curtain into Presley’s upcoming three albums, Birdlife, Roadside Magnolia and Torana Americana which will all form into the amalgamated Eclecta Trifecta project set to release this July, genres and creativity take full flight in the capable hands of Presley Davis Jr; and there is truly something for everyone with his latest offerings.

Flying the flag for blues and soul and taken from the impending album Birdlife, Presley’s first single How Can I swoons with nods to the likes of Albert King, Donny Hathaway and Mavis Staples, with its soft swagger and tempered sensuality showcasing Presley Davis Jr’s charismatic warmth as he regales a tale of tumultuous romance, as the man himself explains, “This song came to mind without much, lyrically, other than a few turns of phrase. I knew it was about someone who was living a double love life. I used details from a friend’s declining relationship which was a real cheat-fest to fill in the blanks.”

Next up, grab some old-timey jazz goodness courtesy of Crazy, aka Presley Davis Jr’s vintage take on the classic single penned by Willie Nelsonand made famous by Patsy Cline, set to feature on the upcoming album Roadside Magnolia. Complete with sparking piano lines, stomping brass and oozing jazz flourishes, Presley’s Crazy is a stunning ode both to its source material, influences like Dr. John, Anders Osborne and Leon Redbone, and, ultimately, his very own upbringing. “My father was obsessed with tenor banjos and early jazz,” he shares. “The only other music he seemed to enjoy was Willie Nelson. Patsy Cline made this song famous, but Willie Nelson wrote it. One morning I woke up to find a recording of myself playing this country classic in this really old-time jazz style. It had been emailed to me from ‘Friday Night Presley’ if you know what I mean.”

And from sonic throwbacks and soulful swoons through to shimmering bluegrass, Presley’s sonic hat-trick rounds out today with Petunia, lifted from the upcoming album Torana Americana; a potent and rhythmic bouncing blast, laced with percolating strings, inspiration from Bill Monroe, Ricky Skaggs and Paul Kelly, and ultimately emerging as a jaunty ode to Presley’s real-life experiences, as he reveals, “Petunia is a slacker’s lament. Or in my case an undiagnosed ADHD lament. I never intentionally dragged my feet in life, but I have pancaked a lot and find myself constantly starting anew. Turns out this is common for people with my diagnoses. This song is basically for my partner who has always supported me.”

A creative chameleon, Presley Davis Jr’s experiences during the pandemic years led to the talented artist evaluating himself both professionally and personally and ultimately settling on the idea to release a three-album project, with all three albums in three different styles to release on the same day. Thus, the Eclecta Trifecta project was born, consisting of the forthcoming full-lengths Birdlife, Roadside Magnolia and Torana Americana. OnBirdlife, Presley embraces rhythm and blues influences, exploring blues, funk and soul vibes that he was steeped in while playing in bands around Chicago and St Louis. For Roadside Magnolia, Presley presents a faithful old-time jazz record, honouring the music taught to him by his late father and featuring tenor banjo, tuba, piano, trombone, clarinet and vocals. And Torana Americana celebrates all things country, with bluegrass songs alongside traditional country and western tunes, all focused on harmony vocals and an array of boot-tappin’ tunes.

Starting work on his country and soul material first, Presley began the entire Eclecta Trifecta process on his own in Melbourne before connecting with some local industry friends to ultimately bring the three eclectic albums to fruition. With mixing courtesy of Alejandro Rosenblat (Roadside Magnolia) in Argentina and Jason Torrens (Birdlife and Torana Americana), and a global army of musicians, the Eclecta Trifecta is a celebration of styles, ingenuity and, ultimately, unbridled creativity. “I bought an interface, a few microphones and watched a lot of YouTube videos,” sharesPresley of the creative process behind his new material. “I just persisted and finished one track on my own. I then sent that to a few of my mates who know about recording. They encouraged me to continue. Jason Torrens was one of those mates. He owns Debasement Studios in Ferntree Gully Victoria and has worked with Bodyjar, You Am I, Slipknot, and he is Senior Program Leader at Collarts. I would record everything and edit things to the best of my ability and then upload the session for him to take over. That was the process for the country songs, and the soul songs. For the jazz songs, we did the drums and piano live with me playing and singing along. We recorded those bits at Four4ty studios in Eltham over 3 days. I then re-recorded the vocals, added banjo, guitar at my house. The best part of that was having Nathan Ford come around to my house to record the tuba for all my neighbours to hear – I had never recorded tuba before. And because of the pandemic, I ended up getting people from all over the world playing on these records, just sending their parts through.”

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, Presley would 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, as he concludes, “Covid forced me to think about my mortality. I realised that for most of my musical career I have been a travelling performer. Playing gigs to pay my bills. I have recorded with bands, but I suddenly felt the need to do something for myself. It feels great to finally be releasing these tracks after so much time in the studio. For a while there, I thought the light at the end of the tunnel was accelerating away from me.”

How Can I, Crazy and Petunia are out today, Tuesday April 30.

Birdlife, Roadside Magnolia, and Torana Americana, aka the Eclecta Trifecta, are due out on Tuesday July 23.

AUSTRALIAN ROAD CREW ASSOCIATION (ARCA) ANNOUNCE TOUR OF DUTY LIVE AT NATIONAL STADIUM SET FOR APRIL 25 RELEASE

CHRISTMAS CONCERT FOR THE TROOPS, EAST TIMOR DEC 21, 1999

FEATURING LIVE PERFORMANCES FROM JOHN FARNHAM, KYLIE MINOGUE, DOC NEESON, GINA JEFFREYS, JAMES BLUNDELL AND THE LIVING END

Australian Road Crew Association (ARCA) has today announced Tour of Duty, the star-studded live album of 1999’s Christmas benefit concert for the troops, featuring performances from John Farnham, Doc Neeson, Kylie Minogue, The Living End, James Blundell, Gina Jeffreys and more.

Set for release on April 25, Tour Of Duty marks the 40^th release of ARCA’s Desk Tape Series, a series created by ARCA to raise much-needed finances for Support Act’s Roadies Fund to provide financial, health, counselling and wellbeing services for roadies and crew in crisis.

Televised by the Seven and Nine networks at the time, the concert at National Stadium in Dili, East Timor on December 21, 1999, was staged as a thank you to the Australian troops serving with the International Force for East Timor (INTERFET), whose duties kept them away from their families in Australia during Christmas celebrations. The show, to 4,000 troops and local civilians, featured John Farnham, Doc Neeson, Kylie Minogue, Gina Jeffreys and her record producer husband Rod McCormack, James Blundell, The Living End, Dili Allstars and the RMC Band, and was hosted by Roy Slaven and H. G. Nelson (John Doyle and Greig Pickhaver).

John Farnham said shortly after arriving in Dili: “I’ll never be able to explain to my family and friends how I felt being transported in a green truck accompanied by a soldier brandishing arms, and looking at children and women on the streets in what’s been a horrendous situation.”

Added Kylie Minogue: “Even if it takes people’s minds off this situation, even for an hour, I’m fully honoured to be part of it.”

Working closely with the Defence Forces for the desk tape release of Tour of Duty, the two organisations share a synergy with a number of ARCA crew members serving in Vietnam or national service, and both associations working tirelessly with members on mental wellbeing and suicide prevention programs. ARCA co-founder Ian ‘Piggy’ Peel recalls how he was contacted by Colin Taggart, a board member of Pro Patria, an innovative multidisciplinary facility in Wagga Wagga which works with veterans and their families. “Colin asked, ‘How do you stop suicides?’ Piggy told them, ‘We put people back together and in touch with each other. They understood that they could talk with their mates about things that happened during their time away, that they could not talk to their families about. Being able to do that takes a great weight off your shoulders. It helps to heal the heart and helps the family bond grow stronger’. It made sense for everybody concerned, and it worked. This is a huge honour for ARCA to be able to release this live show to say thanx to all the troops who keep us safe.”

ARCA also worked closely with Luke Gosling OAM, who served in East Timor and is MP for Solomon in the Northern Territory. The Tour of Dutyaudio was supplied by Rev. Darren Hewitt, a chaplain working with returned veterans in South Australia, spiritually dealing with their depression and anxiety. Twenty years before, Rev. Hewitt planned to set up an audio-visual museum Fields of Remembrance in Queensland to commemorate Australia’s involvement in conflicts and wars. He reached out to Glenn Wheatley about getting an audio recording of Tour of Duty. “Glenn sent me a double CD of AV files.” Soon after Rev. Hewitt moved to South Australia, the museum plan was put on hold and the files were forgotten for two decades until he discovered them in a portable MP3 player. While searching for Archie Roach music on the internet he came across the ARCA website and its star-studded collection of releases. “I learned more about ARCA and was in awe of what they were doing for crews in crisis.” With approval from Gaynor Wheatley, Rev. Hewitt offered ARCA the tapes. “There was such great support for what Australian troops were doing in East Timor, and that was reflected in how the acts were choosing their songs to be directed at them. It was a different story for older vets who had served in Vietnam,” explains Rev. Hewitt. “Called “baby killers” by protesters and cold-shouldered by the nation and even the RSL, you can see why there is so much hardship and mental health problems with them.”

The actual idea of Tour of Duty started with Doc Neeson, and was put together by Glenn Wheatley through his company Talentworks. “Having done my national service in New Guinea and being an army brat myself, I knew how the troops would have felt at that time of the year,” Neeson said at that time. “They would have been homesick, felt disconnected and wanted some real entertainment.”

Although all the musicians and production crews donated their fees, Glenn Wheatley still had to find $1 million for production costs. “The entire infrastructure in Dili has collapsed,” Wheatley revealed. “There is no electricity, running water, cables, generators, roofing or staging. Everything has to be taken from Australia.” The stage and camera equipment required eight transport planes, Australian companies including Westfield Holdings, Compaq Computer, Qantas, Arnotts and Solo donated cash and in kind. Wheatley reported at the time: “The response from companies has been extraordinary. Their December budgets had been allocated but I was banging on their doors saying ‘I need an answer now’. Most responded within a day.” Compaq Computer provided computers for troops to contact their families and friends by email through the Christmas period, and a dedicated website so cricket fans could check scores, and had their staff on the ground in Dili to help troops have access to the internet. Booths were set up in Westfield’s shopping centres, where consumers could sponsor, for $25-$35, “Dili bags” of food, drinks, magazines and other items for the troops. Calls were made to the artists. Wheatley’s star client, John Farnham, agreed on the spot.

Kylie Minogue, then living in London, was going through an upswing in popularity in Australia, with the Impossible Princess/ Kylie Minogue album spending 35 weeks in the charts and her Intimate And Live tour having to be extended a number of times.

Queensland sheep farmer James Blundell was back in the charts with his sixth studio album Amsterdam Breakfast, was on TV singing the Qantas ad ‘I Still Call Australia Home’, and had just returned from time off driving around Europe in a van, earning money busking. Blundell had military roots too, as the grandson of Captain Peter Blundell of the 2/25th Battalion, who served in the Second World War. After the Dili Stadium show, he stayed on in East Timor to play unplugged shows with members of the Royal Military College Band. During breaks Blundell also assisted with serving drinks and dedicated ‘Blundell’s Bar’ to his grandfather.

At the time, country singer songwriter Gina Jeffreys was heavily touring, playing six shows a week, every six weeks, with country music loving girls taking up her “Girls Night Out” as an anthem.When she got her invitation, she cancelled some Australian shows to make the trip. “I knew what an important event it was going to be,” Jeffreys recalls. “It was exciting but I was also nervous, partly because I seldom go out of my comfort zone, and partly because we were going into a war zone.

In 1999, The Living End were the hottest new band. After breaking into the US and UK charts with their Prisoner of Society, their first album went to number one, was certified 4 x platinum, yielded six hits and won two ARIA awards. “It was definitely surreal to be asked,” remembers singer and guitarist Chris Cheney. “Eighteen months before we were still trying to get our feet in the door, suddenly a heavy hitter like Glenn Wheatley was calling our manager, asking us to go to East Timor and the show was going to be televised, and going to be on that concert were people like John Farnham and Kylie Minogue whom we didn’t know and had only seen on TV.”

For the reggae/ska band Dili Allstars – formed in 1992 and made up of Australian and Timorese expatriates – it was a time for healing. It was the first time the Timorese members returned to their homeland in 25 years. For co-founder Paul Stewart, also with the Melbourne band Painters & Dockers, it was where his brother Tony was among five Australian journalists who were said to have been shot by Indonesian military forces in Balibo, East Timor, in 1975.

Chris Cheney: “It was a different world. Military escorts, jumping into green trucks, all the guys were armed. This was no holiday destination!”

Jeffreys: “Each of us was assigned a high level soldier. They were never more than a metre and a half from us at all times, even in the shower and the toilet. They took turns to protect us, even when we were sleeping. The boys slept in one tent, and Kylie and I were in another. Throughout the night, tanks were circling the tents. They never stopped protecting us, they made us feel safe in an unsafe environment.”

As to be expected, it was an emotional show, both for the performers and for the audience.

Chris Cheney: “When John hit that really high note at the end, it was spine-tingling. Twenty five years later, I am still transported back to that moment. That voice, the way he hit the note, and the whole atmosphere. You felt very lucky to be there. Seeing the look of joy on the faces of the troops, they were having the time of their lives.”

Gina Jeffreys: “I remember distinctly standing on the stage and looking at the sea of soldiers. This one lady looked up at me and she just had tears streaming down her face and she mouthed ‘Thank you’. They were so thankful that we would be there, and thinking of them at that time of the year, and with TV coverage as well. It was massive and they felt seen and appreciated. I came off the stage afterwards and spoke to her, and she made me cry because she was over there protecting someone else’s children while her children were at home during Christmas. I bawled my eyes out, that really moved me.”

Chris Cheney: “Years later I still meet people who tell me they were in the audience, and how magical it was. We were a lot more raw and aggressive than the other acts, and I think we were chosen to appeal to the younger crowd. It worked, they were singing along to all our songs and even threw in a couple of ‘Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi! Oi!’ in for us!”

Tour of Duty Live at National Stadium is set for release on April 25 via ARCA’s Black Box Records.

Watch: I Still Call Australia Home live at Tour Of Duty benefit concert

PERFORMERS

John Farnham

Doc Neeson

Kylie Minogue

Gina Jeffreys

James Blundell

The Living End

BAND

Lisa Edwards

Stuart Fraser

Joe Creighton

Chong Lim

Lindsay Field

Angus Burchall

Steve Williams

Jack Jones

CREW

Grant Walsh (front of house)

Chris Newman (lighting director)

John Henderson (monitors)

Gary Radbourne (keys tech)

Harry Woods (guitar tech)

Frank Iskara (drum tech)

Frank Greer (World Stages)

Tom Wilkins (stage builder)

Greg Romans (audio tech chief, Jands)

Glenn Williams (lighting chief, Jands)

Michael Kent (rigger safety officer)

Ross Clunes (rigger safety officer)

TRACKLIST

​You’re The Voice – Everyone

​I Just Wanna Be With You – Doc Neeson

​Shadow Boxer – Doc Neeson

She’s So Fine / Sorry – John Farnham and Doc Neeson

​No Secrets – Doc Neeson and Living End

Mambo No.5 – R.M.C. Band

Silent Night – Rachael Starkey (RMC Band) Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas – Gina Jeffreys

Dancing With Elvis – Gina Jeffreys

Libertade – Dili All Stars

Way Out West – James Blundell

Chain Reaction – John Farnham

Have A Little Faith – John Farnham

Playing To Win – John Farnham

Sadie (The Cleaning Lady) – John Farnham

That’s Freedom – John Farnham

You’ll Never Walk Alone – John Farnham

Shout – John Farnham & Kylie Minogue4

Santa Baby – Kylie Minogue

All Torn Down -The Living End

West End Riot – The Living End

Jingle Bell Rock – Kylie Minogue and The Living End

It’s A Long Way To The Top – Everyone

Take A Long Line – Everyone

Will I Ever See Your Face Again – Everyone

GREG GOULD RELEASES POWERFUL SEXUAL ABUSE ANTHEM ‘WHO GAVE YOU PERMISSION?’

Primal, moody and inescapably moving, the powerful new single Who Gave You Permission? out today from Australian powerhouse Greg Gould is a potent blend of pop, soul and searing intimacy. With an accompanying music video slated to land next week, and also set to captivate crowds with his latest release live in action throughout 2024, including onstage at SYNTHONY, Australia’s biggest orchestrated dance party this June, Gould also vigorously tackles exceedingly difficult narrative terrain via Who Gave You Permission? with unwavering finesse and poise.

Opening with a melancholic piano line, Who Gave You Permission? swells alongside Gould’s cogent vocals, ultimately building into a formidable primal pop anthem. Equally gripping musically as it is lyrically, Who Gave You Permission? weaves nods to the likes of Benson Boone, Rag’n’Bone Man, Teddy Swims and Sam Smith while also profoundly detailing an exceedingly personal experience for Gould himself. “To be honest I’m only just starting to feel comfortable to talk about this,” shares Gould. “The first time I performed the song live I burst into tears. I have been a victim of sexual abuse on four separate occasions in all very different circumstances from when I was 10 years old, right up until I was 30. Each time left me feeling so violated, so powerless, paralysed. Nobody has the right to touch you without permission. No means no. It was a very emotional, heart wrenching and confronting experience to write this song to be honest as I’d pushed a lot of those feelings and experiences down and hadn’t dealt with them – it took a while for me to be ok to admit it. There is a stigma around sexual abuse in general, and I do think it can be really difficult for men who are the victim – whether it be at the hands of another man or a woman. In my case, it was both on separate occasions. I want other men to feel comfortable to talk about this and speak up too.”

Seeking to empower fellow survivors through Who Gave You Permission?, Gould co-wrote the compelling new single with Benedict, working alongside Gould to unpack his trauma and ultimately pen a connective and sonically robust ode to survival, along with production by Sydney duo Cressbrook, with live strings composed by Ryan Youens. With a striking music video set to accompany this deeply powerful song on April 20, filmed in Gould’s home state, the clip for Who Gave You Permission? flourishes with its sonic elegance alongside poignant visuals to further amplify the driving message at the track’s core. “The music video features a protagonist moving through an old house,” shares Gould.” As they enter each room, a different storyline unfolds, each scenario reveals as we move back and forth between the rooms. I wanted to highlight that sexual abuse can happen in many forms and in many ways…without over-dramatising or sensationalising it.”

A creative cauldron from way back, Greg Gould began singing the moment he could talk; a talent which ultimately followed him to securing the runner up slot at the grand finale of Australia’s Got Talent in 2013. Following his Australia’s Got Talent success, Gould has gone on to generate millions of streams as well as views of his award-winning videos, perform multiple sold out shows and festivals, tour the globe and ignite charts at home and abroad; and all while continuing to foster and grow an authentic connection with his fans through his heartfelt creations. From snagging the #1 spot on the iTunes Albums charts via his 2020 album 1998, through to collaborating with En Vogue’s Maxine Jones (“a real pinch me moment”, Gould shares), Gould’s proudest moment to date remains releasing his first-ever self-directed music video, a cover of En Vogue’s 1996 smash single Don’t Let Go (Love) with the song’s heart wrenching video having amassed an impressive 20 million+ views. Fast-forward to 2024, and Gould has embraced the mixture of excitement, anxiety, nerves and relief to unveil the vulnerable yet hopeful Who Gave You Permission?, with the latest track also offering a hint as to what’s to come from Gould’s debut album of original songs, Strings Attached, set for release July 12, including his duet with one of the Philippines’ most successful artists, Morissette called Love It All Out (co-written by Bachelor Girl’s Tania Doko) which recently hit over 1 million views on TikTok. Gould has also written and performed the main song for the credits of a new Australian feature film getting its theatrical release later this year, which is set to debut at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Set to perform Who Gave You Permission? at an array of events this April and June, fans can expect to hear Gould’s latest track live in action alongside many other original songs. As to what fans can expect in the not too distant future? “Whether the subject matter is darker or lighter, guests at my shows can expect big vocals, big moments and lot of fun,” Gould enthuses. “I love to perform and I’m excited for the next 12 months! I’ve got big plans and even bigger dreams. I am so proud that Who Gave You Permission? is out now and I’m moving forward both personally and professionally! I would love if even one survivor of abuse feels stronger as a result of hearing this song. I want people to know they are seen, they are heard and they are believed. We won’t be broken.”

Who Gave You Permission? is out now.

Strings Attached is out July 12.

Listen: WHO GAVE YOU PERMISSION?

Stream: WHO GAVE YOU PERMISSION?

GREG GOULD – UPCOMING SHOWS

KEEP THE FAITH – GEORGE MICHAEL & WHITNEY HOUSTON
SAT 13 APR | LOEV, MELBOURNE VIC | 18+
Tickets available from loevmoorabbin.com | All Eventbrite Outlets

GREEK LEGENDS OF THE 20TH CENTURY
SAT 20 APR | STATE THEATRE, SYDNEY NSW | ALL AGES
Tickets available from www.ticketmaster.com.au | All Ticketmaster Outlets

GREEK LEGENDS OF THE 20TH CENTURY
FRI 10 MAY | PALAIS THEATRE, MELBOURNE VIC | ALL AGES
Tickets available from www.ticketmaster.com.au | All Ticketmaster Outlets

KEEP THE FAITH – GEORGE MICHAEL & WHITNEY HOUSTON
SAT 18 MAY | ROYAL BRIGHTON YACHT CLUB, MELBOURNE VIC | 18+
Tickets available from trybooking.com

SYNTHONY
FRI 7 & SAT 8 JUNE | CARRIAGEWORKS, SYDNEY NSW | 18+
Tickets available from www.carriageworks.com.au