It's the second day of 38 degrees and everyone is tired from the first week back at school. Hot, sweaty and tired, we tootled off to a delightful gig lead by one of my favourite musicians, Melbourne guitarist Jon Delaney. Gypsy jazz and jazzy Beach Boys played beautifully in a wonderful room. The small people
I only discovered Gillian Welch a couple of years ago. She's an extraordinary musician in that relaxed, understated way that the best musicians are. Dear Someone is the first song of hers I got to know. Like an old horse picking it's way across the desert, it's full of space and constant movement, just ticking
Rehearsals are wonderful. Time and space to work things out, experiment and polish. They are also a lovely opportunity to wallow in the sounds and stretch things out in a way that you can't do in front of an audience. I just had one of the most enjoyable rehearsals I've had for a long time,
My audience brings me joy every single time I get on stage. I don't know if they realise how special they are and how much I love them. I do a little gig once a month at Craig's Hotel in Ballarat, down in the cellar, and every month I go home with a smile on
Like the 19th century prairie, recording is a strange blend of high stress, fun and the beauty of being completely in the moment. The stress is in making something semi-permanent and paying for studio time, and the beauty lies in a dedicated time and space centred on sound and capturing the music. So it's an
I've just picked it up from the printers and it looks très chic in that special brûlée blue. There are eleven tracks of fabulous French songs sung by Amie with Bruce Millar playing guitar, and I do think it sounds best with a glass of champagne and some delicious cheese. If you'd like to purchase