Tag Archives: singer songwriter

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The Burley Griffin Releases Music Video for ‘Being Alive’

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Upcoming Shows

4th September 3pm at Yulli’s in Sydney with Hedy Blaazer – Free entry, table bookings recommended
https://www.facebook.com/events/s/hedy-blaazer-the-burley-griffi/2215326415283870/

24th September at Grace Emily Hotel in Adelaide with Bromham – Tickets on sale now
https://www.facebook.com/events/s/the-burley-griffin-act-w-bromh/872445094159479/

28th September at Shotkickers in Melbourne with Final Final, James Fahy, & Jim Dusty

‘Being Alive’ 

Being Alive is a song that finds beauty in despair and reflects on lessons learned in defeat. Written in the wake of a relationship breakdown, Being Alive takes place directly after Hong Kong, the preceding single from The Burley Griffin’s latest record, Lost Limbs. Whereas Hong Kong tells the tale of separation, Being Alive sits in the realisation that everything has changed, and not necessarily for the better.

Being Alive was recorded by Louis Montgomery at Infidel and Myall Street studios and produced by Louis Montgomery and Evan Buckley. Electric guitars were played by Samuel McNair with Steve Paillas on bass and Steve Fitzgerald on drums, as well as additional vocals by Cathy Diver.
Mastered at Studios 301 by Andrew Edgson.

Video

Premiered on Scenestr
Filmed on Ngunnawal and Gundungurra land, on locations of Lake George, an abandoned orphanage in Goulburn and a secret patch of roadside gravel, director Tim Kent aka Stackhat and songwriter Evan Buckley captured the visual world elicited by Being Alive, in all its tragic absurdity.

The decaying walls and collapsed floors of the old orphanage mirror the burden of grief, fallen structures that once held so many stories, now mostly forgotten. The broad vista of Lake George echoes the stark internal landscape that remains when shared courses are abandoned and direction loses its meaning.

Yet in its final scenes Being Alive offers a wry smile and nod to the audience, acknowledging how little we can control and how much still lies ahead, joy and pain, hope and loss, all part of the ride.

Stackhat – Tim Kent Video Director BIO
Stackhat is an award-winning Director/Producer currently based in Sydney, but originally hailing from the small town of Queanbeyan. Having worked with an impressive roster of artists including Sampa the Great, L-Fresh the Lion and Flying Lotus, Stackhat is an artistic tour de force constantly searching for new challenges both locally and abroad.

About The Burley Griffin
Evan Buckley (The Burley Griffin) grew up in Canberra, homeschooled in a religious fundamentalist cult, and has since hitch hiked and toured through 37 American states, exorcising and befriending his demons along the way.  His most recent US tour took place during the 2016 election and his newest songs reflect the absurdity of the American dream.

The third Burley Griffin album, Lost Limbs, was launched with a twelve piece, beefed up band on June 26th 2021 to a sold out theatre at The Street, celebrating a vinyl packed with moving songs of loss and joy.

Long-time members Evan Buckley and Sam McNair are now joined on stage by “Reverend” Michael Bones, Hannah Beasley and featuring an energetic new rhythm section in Ben Cumming and Somesh Putcha. The Burley Griffin has seen Evan’s songs accompanied and interpreted by some of both Australia’s and the USA’s most intuitive musicians.

Watch the Music Video for ‘Being Alive’ here

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Luke Escombe Releases New Album ‘Whale Beach Road’

Finally out on all digital platforms here is Luke’s latest album, an ode to brilliant songwriting and musicianship all wound up in family stories.
Luke says -

“I genuinely believe that Whale Beach Road is the best album of “adult music” I’ve made, and it’s very special to me because of all the family history written into the songs.

Whale Beach Road is the first full studio album I’ve made solely under my own name. I started writing the songs in early 2020, towards the end of the fires and before the first lockdown. Initially, I was working on a memoir but then the stories started turning into songs instead.

At first, I was hesitant to apply for Jobkeeper in 2020, as I felt like other people needed it more than me, but then I realised it would give me the funds to go and employ all of the amazing musicians on this album, like drummer Evan Mannell, bassist Zoe Hauptmann, Aaron Flower on guitar and Clayton Doley on Hammond organ. There was even enough to get string and backing vocal arrangements for most of the songs, which gives it that luxurious 70’s soul vibe I was after while still sounding modern and clean. I could have been a hermit and lived off beans and rice, but instead Jobkeeper enabled me to keep creating and collaborating with my community.

Whale Beach Road is a very personal album, but I think there’s also something very universal there in that the songs are all about searching for love and hope in an uncertain world. It was all written and tracked between the Northern Beaches of Sydney and the Central Coast, and I think those beautiful locations feed into the sound. Hopefully the album takes listeners to a good place.”

Family – On Feature Track ‘Max and Melanie’

“While I was writing Max and Melanie I had the idea that it would make a good 70th birthday present for my Mum, a way of paying tribute to her family and where she came from. I’d never actually realised it before, but she was a political refugee, an asylum seeker in her own country. I carried on her story in another song on the album – “Lady Sunlight” – and then started to think about my own story, and all the events and circumstances that had led me to the exact place I found myself at the time of writing these songs: a house on Whale Beach Road. That’s how the album found its narrative, and its title. It’s about people trying to hold on to love and hope while confronting the powerful tide of history. To paraphrase the chorus of Max and Melanie, history makes plans for us, but we can still make plans for ourselves. I find that idea very hopeful.”

“Luke Escombe is a rock-soul singer, raconteur, blistering blues guitarist, comedian and songwriter, and very good at them all” – Sydney Morning Herald

Luke Escombe is an ARIA-nominated singer-songwriter who combines his blues, rock and soul influences with subversive humour, poetic lyrics and heartfelt storytelling. He is the creator of the internationally acclaimed one-man show “Chronic” and the writer and front man of multi award-winning Aussie kids band The Vegetable Plot.

Luke has released numerous albums and EPs with his band Luke Escombe and the Corporation and one album solely under his own name, 2017’s Skeleton Blues. The album was recorded direct to tape in a three-hour session at Damien Gerard Studios, featuring his smoky-voiced cover of Bob Dylan’s “Man in the Long Black Coat” alongside distinctive originals like Punctuation Blues and The Lipsi. This new Luke Escombe studio album, Whale Beach Road, was recorded in between lockdowns with some of Sydney’s most in-demand session players.

Luke received his early musical education in London, where his father’s job in the rock and roll industry enabled him to see hundreds of legendary performances by artists like Freddie Mercury, Prince and Bruce Springsteen while he was just a boy. When he’s not channelling his childhood idols, Luke is an ambassador for a number of health charities, a member of the NSW Arts Advisory Panel, a teaching artist with the Sydney Opera House’s Creative Leadership in Learning Program. He is also a song writing mentor with the Sydney Children’s Hospital’s Chronic Illness Peer Support program [ChIPS] with whom he wrote and recorded the track “Wake up Call” in 2021. He believes strongly that music and storytelling can play a transformative role in health, education and society. Among his more obscure awards is the title of “Sydney’s Sexiest man voice”, which he won in a competition on a once-popular Sydney radio station.

Luke Escombe – Whale Beach Road (Foghorn/MGM) August 19

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Daxton Releases Music Video for Single ‘End of the Road’

Daxton’s latest music video is for his new single ‘End of the Road‘ lifted from his current ‘Electric Satellite‘ album.

With a green screen now part of his home garage studio and a tonne of spare cardboard boxes lying about it’s amazing to see what Dax has managed to create with nothing but his imagination and time on his hands.

End of the Road’ Official Music Video:

The video and song is reminiscent of Beck’s ‘Loser’ and is a bit of a nod to that era although the slide blues element (a signature of Daxton’s) gives it a timeless quality as well and could fit any era from right now to way back.

The album has also just started to garner warm reviews internationally, here are some of the most recent:

“Although it’s blues-based, Daxton plays these songs with an alternative rocker’s edge.” – Dan MacIntosh
https://www.curiousformusic.com/post/daxton-s-new-album-electric-satellite

“A wild, animalistic energy ties together “Electric Satellite” revealing Daxton’s uncanny ability to craft a truly timeless sound.”
https://beachsloth.tumblr.com/post/689331784743272448/daxton-electric-satellite

“Electric Satellite is another blast of electric and eclectic blues, taking in the grunt and groove of rock and the accessibility and melody of pop and using this to forge his own southern fried take on the genre.” – Dave Franklin
https://dancing-about-architecture.com/electric-satellite-daxton-reviewed-by-dave-franklin/

Daxton released his new album ‘Electric Satellite’ earlier this year, a twelve-track slide blues album with up-tempo spacious songs produced by Pat Dow and Marshall Cullen. Daxton has worked with Pat on many projects – someone who has a keen ear for Daxton’s rustic blues mixed with psychedelic pop/rock sounds.

The album is Daxton’s seventh following the release in 2018 of ‘In Verses’ which features songs covering his favourite themes: life and death, the yin and yang of life, love and loss, while still keeping his always positive and up-tempo vibe.

Producing and playing music since his early teens, Daxton’s passion has kept him continually creating new material both for his band and solo career. On stage, Daxton comes across like he was born to play, his unique guitar style blending perfectly with heart-warming vocals.

Daxton has appeared at major festivals including the Sydney Blues & Roots and Tamworth Country Music Festival where he supported artists such as Kasey Chambers and Beccy Cole. He also has had one of his tracks ‘Moody Liz’ featured in the popular American TV series Doll House.

Based in Sydney, Daxton is best described as a blues/rock artist with a twist of pop and rock. He plays slide guitar rock/blues songs with a fresh and innovative sound. His latest album ‘Electric Satellite is a heavy, rustic blues rock album with psychedelic pop/rock sounds.

‘End of the Road’ Official Music Video:

Listen to ‘End of the Road’ on Spotify:

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PG Naylor Releases Latest Single ‘Move Like That’

“The song is based on my memories of my first visit to a strip club in Kings Cross in the mid 60s (the Pink Pussy cat – not Chinatown as mentioned in the song – Chinatown just seemed to work better musically).  There was a well known ‘dancer’ there who attracted much interest for her ‘moves’.  The verse about me being hauled onto the stage is entirely imaginary!!” – PG Naylor

A nod to the 60’s rocker with some modern brass and vocal touches make this mid-tempo song from PG Naylor instantly accessible.  Right from the get-go its hooky, rhythmic and very sing along.  There’s a cheeky element to the lyrics and vocals to set it all off too.

PG Naylor brings a new original visit to 60s classic rock music. All songs are written and performed by PG – who was there then in the 60s and is still here now! Although all the songs are new, they slot perfectly into a 60s rock playlist. PG has been playing in rock bands based in Sydney, Australia since the 60s, and after a life in the corporate world he has returned to his first love – 60s rock music. The title track to his album, Sanctuary, was announced as a semi finalist in the 2019 International Songwriting Competition, based in Nashville, USA; the tracks Sanctuary and Hollywood Road were both announced as semi finalists in the 2020 Voyager International Songwriting Competition based in Melbourne, Australia as well.
Demonstrating that there is still great interest in ‘old rockers’, since 2020 his songs have attracted over 80,00 listeners and just under 160,000 streams on Spotify (and still growing every day!)

Official Video:

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 Stream on Spotify:

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Luke Escombe Releases Single ‘Sacred River’

“Sacred River” is the pulsating second single from Luke Escombe’s forthcoming album “Whale Beach Road”. Starting with some very funky catchy bass (Tina Weymouth style), then once Luke’s vocals start this could be a Talking Heads song for sure. Up-tempo, hooky, and immediate, this one is a winner for radio. Written around the hypnotic bass and drum loop, played live on the recording by bassist Zoe Hauptmann and drummer Evan Mannell, the track builds a suspenseful narrative of a man on the edge.

Luke says: “The song was inspired by certain characters I would see on small flights up to Mackay, the FIFO workers leaving their young families for weeks on end to disappear into the company of other men, working in deserted places.”

Musically, “Sacred River” draws on one of Luke’s deepest musical influences: “One of my earliest memories is going to see Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’ live in concert at Earl’s Court in London when I was 4 years old. My Dad was working on the tour and showed me around the stage on the day of the show. I remember being really excited but then running out in terror as soon as the lights went down.”

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Luke plays the lead guitar part on the track, recorded in one take at Damien Gerard Studios in Gosford through an old Fender Bassman amp that was, as Luke recalls, “cranked so loud I thought it was going to explode. I was sitting right next to it trying to manipulate the sound so it didn’t incinerate me with feedback.  It was totally instinctive.”

Clayton Doley adds extra layers of swirling tension on the Hammond organ, and the epic choruses feature backing vocals by Sarah Belkner, Darren Percival, Alice Terry and Daniel Mifsud. It was recorded by Andrew Beck and Richie Belkner, mixed by Richie at Free Energy Device Studios in Newtown and mastered by Grammy-winning engineer William Bowden, who declared it his favourite track on the album: “hypnotic and awesome”.

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About Luke Escombe

“Luke Escombe is a rock-soul singer, raconteur, blistering blues guitarist, comedian and songwriter, and very good at them all” – Sydney Morning Herald

Luke Escombe is an ARIA-nominated singer-songwriter who combines his blues, rock and soul influences with subversive humour, poetic lyrics and heartfelt storytelling. He is the creator of the internationally acclaimed one-man show “Chronic” and the writer and front man of multi award-winning Aussie kids band The Vegetable Plot.

Luke has released numerous albums and EPs with his band Luke Escombe and the Corporation and one album solely under his own name, 2017’s Skeleton Blues. The album was recorded direct to tape in a three-hour session at Damien Gerard Studios, featuring his smoky-voiced cover of Bob Dylan’s “Man in the Long Black Coat” alongside distinctive originals like Punctuation Blues and The Lipsi. A new Luke Escombe studio album, Whale Beach Road, recorded in between lockdowns with some of Sydney’s most in-demand session players, is set for release in 2022.

Luke received his early musical education in London, where his father’s job in the rock and roll industry enabled him to see hundreds of legendary performances by artists like Freddie Mercury, Prince and Bruce Springsteen while he was just a boy. When he’s not channelling his childhood idols, Luke is an ambassador for a number of health charities, a member of the NSW Arts Advisory Panel, a teaching artist with the Sydney Opera House’s Creative Leadership in Learning Program. He is also a song writing mentor with the Sydney Children’s Hospital’s Chronic Illness Peer Support program [ChIPS] with whom he wrote and recorded the track “Wake up Call” in 2021. He believes strongly that music and storytelling can play a transformative role in health, education and society. Among his more obscure awards is the title of “Sydney’s Sexiest man voice”, which he won in a competition on a once-popular Sydney radio station.

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Steve Williams Releases New Single ‘Pump’

Steve Williams releases the new single from his forthcoming album today and had this to say about it

‘Pump was actually written about a friend who went to jail for the crime of fraud. 4I’ve never been in jail but was locked up for a few hours once due to unpaid parking fines in the late 80’s en route to a support with Cyndi Lauper in Brisbane.t It’s my version of a modern day blues I guess.’

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About Steve Williams

Steve Williams came to prominence as the lead guitarist in the 80’s pop group Wa Wa Nee, who had top 5 hits and ARIA Nominations in Australia and chart action in Europe and the USA. Following Wa Wa Nee’s breakup Steve worked with prominent local artists, James Freud and Richard Clapton, before relocating to Europe.

In London, Steve built a successful career as a session guitarist working with Jon Lord from Deep Purple, Ray Parker Jr, Real Life and many more. He returned to Australia in 2005 and continued session and production work including musical theatre and television appearances playing with The Choir Boys, Matt Finish and others.

In 2020 Steve released the ‘Surry Road album’. All the tracks were co-written with musicians that he has worked with over his many years of touring and recording. Tracks feature guest vocals from Pat Powell (Melbourne Ska Orchestra and many more) and other well-known vocalists such as: John Kenny (Rockmelons), Tim Watson (Taxiride), Vince Contarino, Terry Slesser (UK) Louise Person as well up-coming Melbourne singer Nic MC.

Steve’s new album ‘Déjà Vu’ is scheduled for release later in 2022. All songs were written by Steve except ‘Pump’ with Pat Powell and ‘Ronnie’ with John Kenny. Steve played all instruments but with help of a few very talented guests: Gus Fenwick, Nic MC, John Kenny, Pat Powell , Glen Muirhead, Ralph Franke, Raechel Summers, Mac Johnson.

The album was mixed by Steve with the exception of ‘Bouquet Of Life’ which was mixed by Russ T Rock.

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PG Naylor’s Latest Singles ‘Better Left Unsaid’ and ‘Sensible’

PG Naylor brings a new original visit to 60s classic rock music. All songs are written and performed by PG – who was there then in the 60s and is still here now! Although all the songs are new, they slot perfectly into a 60s rock playlist. PG has been playing in rock bands based in Sydney, Australia since the 60s, and after a life in the corporate world he has returned to his first love – 60s rock music. The title track to his album, Sanctuary, was announced as a semi finalist in the 2019 International Songwriting Competition, based in Nashville, USA; the tracks Sanctuary and Hollywood Road were both announced as semi finalists in the 2020 Voyager International Songwriting Competition based in Melbourne, Australia as well.
Demonstrating that there is still great interest in ‘old rockers’, since 2020 his songs have attracted over 80,00 listeners and just under 160,000 streams on Spotify (and still growing every day!)

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The releases for 2022 so far include -

Better Left Unsaid – Hate to be a name dropper but I was having lunch with Mike McClellan at the Greengate Hotel in Killara (he was an old schoolmate of mine) and he told me he’d just written a song about seeing a lady at the airport and wondering who she was waiting for. He also thought he knew the lady but couldn’t place her till after she’d left. It turns out she was a well known personality but he wouldn’t reveal who.
Anyhow, I was searching through my old songs and I found this song that I’d written 20 years before for my wife’s birthday which sounded pretty catchy. So I adapted Mike’s idea to a railway station – changed my old lyrics to a tale about being tempted to say something to a lady at the station but deciding – ‘better left unsaid’.

Sensible - Was written about 20 years ago about my frustration with people who procrastinate instead of ‘just doing it’. It also started with some more fiddling around that Em7 chord to which I added a sequence of G, Bm and C followed by a C#dim to link to the chorus. It made, I thought, a nice melody with a ‘sing along type’ chorus. But my demo and Kim’s original tracks were all guitar-based. John Roy had other ideas.
He has a grand piano in the middle of his studio and he decided to record a sole grand piano track – he and Kim sent it to me for my reaction and I was blown away. Some guitar, bass and drums plus vocal and harmonies were added and voila! there we have Sensible as you hear it today.

Producer Kim Humphreys(John Farnham Band, Ted Mulry Gang) on working with PG
I really enjoy shaping Phil’s demos and seeing them evolve into what you can now hear, having taken the songs beyond the boundaries PG considered.
His songs all have a ‘’Back to the 60’s’ slant . . .     the period which continues to inspire my own approach to guitar playing ,recording and producing.
If this was the mid 60’s he would no doubt have Top 40 hits on his hands!

Recent International reviews

“Sensible is a beautiful, serene piano number with PG Naylor’s subtle vocals. It’s interesting in the 1:00 minute that the song takes a different turn as if we were stepping into a musical and later being embraced by guitar riffs”- TECO APPLE

“Showland ProductionsI really enjoyed the smooth and mellow entrance to Sensible. The instrumental is extremely catchy, and ready for a scene in a major motion picture. The tone and cadence in your vocals are soothing and perfect for singing along with.”

“PG Naylor is able to make something refreshing and retro while staying as clean and crisp as modern music can be. An A+ effort.” James McQuiston, Neufutur Magazine

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Better Left Unsaid

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Sensible

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