Introducing MJack Bee
M.Jack Bee will be joining me for week one of my dual state residency. He is a superb performer and lovely fellow. If you haven’t heard of him then jump online and check out his tunes.
M. Jack Bee went to a falling down house in the hills behind Byron Bay, placed guitar amps everywhere, including the broken shower, and recorded his set in one take live. The resulting release “In Loops” was released November last year. Moving from sweet folk to climactic walls of melodic sound, Bee’s raw delivery draws a picture of all the things that could have been, but are often never needed. From love lost, to fear squashed to bitter-tongue-in-cheek lyrics, he plays a live show that’s intimate, honest, dangerous and compelling.
“a revelation” TIME OFF
“this is world class” RYTHMS
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Introducing Cowper
Middle week of the residency with special guest Cowper.
Cowper and I have been playing shows together in Brisbane and have recently been contributing our music to a surf documentary by local Balnarring illistrator Steve Hunt and his team. We are very excited to finally be playing some shows together in Victoria. Have a listen to Cowper online.
www.cowperband.com
http://cowperband.com/2009/04/berlin-four-two-music-video/
In a small, nondescript 1950s worker’s cottage in the outskirts of Brisbane paint peels from the ceiling, fluttering past pattern print curtains and faded paintings to land on the thick, worn carpet. it is here amidst the dust collective that Rowley Cowper calls home.
“The idea for Cowper began soon after my return from living in europe in 2006. i’d packed all my things into the requisite cardboard and moved into the sunroom of this quiet old Queensland house, and set up the studio in the lounge room. 5 years on and the belongings are still in boxes; but the studio feels like home”.
After playing in various incarnations with bands in Sweden and Italy, the intent with ‘Cowper’ was to focus on smaller, more personal projects incorporating music, visuals & short films. Cowper’s studio work is detailed; but his live shows contain a raw simplicity. He also occasionally teams up with long time visual collaborator Jaymis Loveday to provide an audio visual connection with the audience; and has performed in online broadcast collaborative performances.
After touring East Coast Australia in 2009 and Europe in 2010, Cowper has taken to the studio to record his debut album to be released in 2011.
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Introducing Edward Deer
Last week of the residency with special guest Edward Deer
Edward Deer has been making some serious headway with his solo project. His first ever solo show was supporting me in Sydney in April last year and he is now headlining his own shows in Sydney. Some of you may have heard him play at Baha’s with me late last year but if you missed out now is your chance to come and check out his new songs. A perfect way to end the residency.
“A rich tapestry of sound. Edward Deer kept the audience captivated, connecting with them emotionally and lyrically from beginning to end.” – FasterLouder
25 year old singer/songwriter Edward Deer is a relative newcomer as a solo artist. He has played hundreds of shows fronting Sydney band Tokenview, supporting profile acts such as Foo Fighters, Birds of Tokyo and Dappled Cities.
Performing with an acoustic guitar, loop pedal and drum kit, he recently had the honour of being selected by Rob Hirst for Vivid’s 10×10 initiative as one of his 10 favourite up-and-coming creative Sydneysiders (alongside the likes of Urthboy).
His debut EP, ‘Songs for D’, is available on iTunes now and in 2011, Ed is releasing a new song for free download every month via his blog – http://www.edwarddeer.blogspot.com.
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Three’s Company this weekend!
Hi!
I am starting to get butterflies in anticipation for this weekends tour with Scott Spark and The Rescue Ships. Why did I have to be the first headliner for the tour?! I am going through the usual series of questions every headliner has. “will people come to my show?”, “will they like my new band?” “will they like my new song?” “what should I wear?”, well maybe boys don’t think about that last one as much as I do. Secretly I think that’s the best bit about going on tour. Three new dresses to wear in three different cities. So many 3′s I think I may have gone a bit cuckoo!
Anyway here is an introduction to Scott Spark incase you haven’t heard of him
As a toddler, Scott Spark hung from Pandanus trees on Australia’s east coast, raised by two Great
Danes. And, at the age when most of us are still drooling and demanding to be dressed as fictional
characters, Scott was taking keyboard lessons, still drooling albeit in his Superman outfit.
Now, minus the tights and cape, he sings about shift-work, strategies for outsmarting death, love,
wanderlust at Christmastime and life’s variety of fuck-ups, while plinking the keys of anything
that has them. As showcased on his debut album, Fail Like You Mean It, his sound is some kind
of threesome between Randy Newman, Fiona Apple and ELO.
2010 was the result of 18 months behind-the-scenes work, culminating in close to 50 shows
throughout metropolitan and regional Australia, including tours with ARIA Award-winning artists
Washington and Tim Rogers (You Am I). Early in 2010, he was unearthed by triple j to attend
the Song Summit conference in Sydney and its masterclass sessions. Soon after, Sydney-based
indie label Other Tongues (You Am I, Lisa Miller, Dereb the Ambassador) picked up Scott’s
work and released his debut album Fail Like You Mean It, with tracks achieving rotation on triple
j and community radio stations countrywide.
You can find Scott’s music and more about him here…….
And The Rescue Ships!
The Rescue Ships fuses Elana Stone’s jazz influenced rock with Brian Campeau’s multi-layered experimental folk, citing influences like Sufjan Stevens, Owen Pallett, and the Dirty Projectors. Brian’s latest album was called “genuine genius” by Drum Media, and Elana has been described by the Age as “one of the best singing voices in the country.”
Racking Up The Frequent Flyers
Well I’m sitting cosily next to my fireplace with a cup of tea and thinking to myself, it’s that time again. April is speeding by and I have been busily working on the next few months of touring.
It’s going to be an action packed couple of months but the good news for you all is that I should be coming to a town near you, where ever you may be.
Melbourne Headline Show
Firstly I am excited to announce that I will be playing a headline show with full band on the 5th of May. This is my first headline show for the year so I am going to need all you Melbournites to dust yourselves off and come on down to The Evelyn, Brunswick St in Fitzroy.
Not only will you get to hear my new song but you will get to meet my new band. I’m featuring a whole new ensemble and plenty of special guests as well as some of your old favourites (Wally of course). This show is part of a tour I am doing with 2 other amazing Australian acts, Scott Spark (BNE) and The Rescue Ships (SYD). I will be jet setting off with these lovely folks as we headline in our home cities over the rest of the weekend. You can buy your tickets here………
Kimberley Tour 2011
No sooner will I arrive home and be jumping on a plane to the far north west. Ben Abraham (who has an amazing new website by the way) and I will be touring with me to the glorious tropical paradise of Broome and my home town of Kununurra for the Ord Valley Muster. A huge thanks goes out to the folks at Airnorth who will be flying us around the Kimberley and making this trip possible.
Yet another amazing poster from Miss Kat Kallady.
After this little trip I will be heading to Darwin to play for the annual Barra Fest (NT’s largest fishing competition) at the Daly River. Might have to learn some songs about fish I think.
In the Studio
Late last year I met Adam Dunning from Mt Eliza who plays his own brand of Bossa Nova. We decided to write a song together and it’s coming along very nicely. We recorded the first parts last week with J.Walker. We will release it later in the year but for now, to keep your ears satisfied, here is a little ditty from an old ep I released in 2008.
I wrote this song when I first moved to Melbourne from the Kimberley. It was the middle of winter and I spent 2 months alone snuggled up in an apartment on Sydney Rd in Brunswick. I was homesick for warmer weather and the familiarity of the Kimberley but I was also excited to be starting my new life and learning new ways to record music. This version of the song was recorded in that very apartment and features the talented David Bramble on double bass. I engineered and mixed the whole thing! It’s not perfect but I’m pretty proud of it. Hope you like it.
East Coast Tri-State Residency June 2011
Some of you may have been hearing rumours that I am trying to bump up my frequent flyer miles so I can get into Qantas Club. Well that’s not the main reason for my June Tri-State Residency but it’s gonna be a nice perk. Five shows a week for Three weeks in June! Madness you say? Not at all, It’ll be fun! Each week I’ll be showcasing one of the amazing bands I have found along my travels to the east coast in the past year.
Tash Parker Tri State Residency
3 weeks in June with special guests
7th to the 26th of June 2011
More details on the gig page…….
Well folks that’s all we have time for. Hope you have a splendid Easter and I look forward to catching you all at a show soon.
Take care till then
Cheers
Tash
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Three’s Company Tour
Hey Folks,
I’m playing my first headline show for 2011 in a few weeks. I am going to have a full band again and would really love to see you there. Keep an eye out for our sexy posters by the amazing Kat Kallady that will be going up in the area next week. Spread the word.
Cheers
Three's Company Tour Poster
In the first week of May, The Rescue Ships (Sydney’s Elana Stone & Brian Campeau), Scott Spark (Brisbane) and Tash Parker (Melbourne) will ricochet between their home cities for the Three’s Company tour. The idea’s simple – three acts from three states play three shows, three nights in a row, with each artist headlining in their own city.
PRE-PURCHASE ($10) below (or $12 on the door)
Thurs 05 May – Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy, Melbourne
Fri 06 May – The Globe, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane:
Sat 07 May – Spectrum, Darlinghurst, Sydney:
The Rescue Ships fuses Elana Stone’s jazz influenced rock with Brian Campeau’s multi-layered experimental folk, influenced by Sufjan Stevens, Owen Pallett, and the Dirty Projectors. Brian’s latest album was called “genuine genius” by Drum Media, and Elana has been described by the Age as “one of the best singing voices in the country.” The pair join Tash and Scott after a string of shows internationally, and are in the midst of recording their new album.
Unearthed by triple j early last year, Scott Spark released his debut album ‘Fail Like You Mean It’ in September and toured countrywide with Washington, ending 2010 with two Christmas shows with Tim Rogers. Aside from writing plenty of new material for his sophomore album, Scott’s also co-writing the anti-musical OMFG. His sound is some kind of threesome between Randy Newman, Fiona Apple and ELO.
Please sign up on the facebook event so we know you are coming
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March Newsletter – West Coast Adventures
Thank you so much to all of you who have signed up to the mailing list in the last 5 days. It’s been a whirlwind of musical and non musical adventures but I am now sitting in the loft at Lost Lake Wines, (nursing a foggy redwine hangover) in Pemberton with Max the black Labrador. Hair of the dog I think is the best cure, no not you Max, another glass of Picardy Shiraz. But first there is more pinot to plunge. Here’s a pic of me having a go. I’m really not strong enough to do this, perhaps I’ll stick to music……….
My first show was on Friday at the Fly By Night supporting the blissful red headed beauty Clare Bowditch. What a stunning venue! The sound was fantastic and the crowd were devine. This was by far the best show I have played this year. Fremantle you’re great!
In an unlucky turn of events, to counter the amazing show, I got a little lost on my way home and was directed through a booze bus in my Dad’s V8 Tray back Landcrusier. Needless to say I looked completely ridiculous in my electric blue dress driving this gianormous vehicle. Unfortunately for me I had had a sip of beer before I left the venue (my only drink all night) so when they tested me I blew over and had to sit in the booze bus till 1am – (4am melbourne time) so that my reading went down and I could drive home.
A solid 4 hours sleep later I was on my way to Nannup Music Festival 3.5 hours south of Perth. I arrived just in time to jump onstage at the Town Hall to play my first of 3 shows. It was a huge success but I was so tired so it was off to Kate and Happy’s (my host family for the weekend) to have a kip.
In the evening I had another show. I arrived early to find a little backstage room with my name on the door. Inside was an incredible spread of food, wine, mirror and wash basin and 5 kg of fresh locally grown stone fruit. I felt like a star! All this for me?!
I was performing first on the main stage just before Shane Howard and The Pigram Brothers. It was an incredible line up and I had a great set, but the best part of the night was as I was leaving the stage, I walked down the stairs and standing at the bottom was Jimmy Barnes! “Hey Tash, that was a really great set” he said, “You have a lovely voice”. “Thanks Jimmy” was what I said but in my head it sounded more like “Holly Shit!!!! Jimmy Barnes!!!! Can I get your autograph?”
Shane’s set was amazing and Jimmy joined him for a song as well as Joining the Pigram Brothers for a song too. Not often invited to Folk Festivals, Jimmy, was there to show his support for the Pigram Brother’s as one of the brothers had lost his wife very suddenly last weekend. It was a heartfelt evening with tears all round and lots of little ones hanging around the back stage area. It was a beautiful evening and they played so well even with the sorrow that was in their hearts.
On a brighter note the next day saw me play my last set at The Playground stage and then I was free to go and check out some music for myself. I saw Rachel and Henry Climbed a Hill (PER), Fergus Brown (SYD), Husky (MELB), Passenger (UK), Clare Bowditch and then it was time to stagger back to Kate and Happy’s to get some sleep.
I’ll be in touch with more adventures very soon.
Take care till then
Tash
Supporting Ajak Kwai
I am so excited to be sharing the stage with this incredible woman on March 30th at The Wesley Anne. Those of you who haven’t heard of her Ajak Kwai is originally from Southern Sudan but has lived in Australia since 1999. Her voice is so unique and contains so much emotion. Here is some more info about her musical career.
Ajak Kwai brings an exciting African vocal style and repertoire, given a contemporary treatment by the local musicians who work with her. In performance, She is a thoroughly engaging artist with a compelling vocal style and a delightfully wry sense of the absurd!
Ajak sings the traditional songs of her Dinka heritage in southern Sudan and her own contemporary work, reflecting on issues of life in the 21st Century. Her history includes childhood immersion in the traditional musical culture of her village, adolescence and early adulthood in exile, in Cairo, followed by humanitarian migration to Australia. Ajak has seen a lot of life, – much suffering and much affection. It’s all good material for a songwriter.
Ajak Kwai and Sarah Blasko have co-written and recorded a song for the album The Key of the Sea, which is an album of collaborations between key Australian artists and artists who’ve brought their incredible musical cultures to Australia. It is a record of a creative process, a searching for common ground between musicians from vastly different cultural backgrounds. A document of shared music and stories exchanged. http://www.keyofsea.com.au/
Listen here: http://www.myspace.com/ajakkwai
February Newsletter
How did that happen? Right there’s a lot to cover in this edition so I’ll just get straight into it…….
The last 2 months have seen me xmas shopping, cooking, gardening, visiting the Melbourne Zoo (highly recommend this if you haven’t been before), and of course playing shows and promoting my album.
Past Shows………..
Photograph by James Bryans
In January I played two amazing shows. Supporting Wally for his first Gotye show in Australia in 3 years at the National Theatre in Melbourne. All I can say is WOW! This was by far the biggest and best venue I have played in my short career. I was joined on stage by Gideon Brazil (Flute), Atilla and Karoline Kuti (Violin and Cello) and of course Wally (Vocals and shakers).
That wasn’t all, in the same weekend I played the main support for Missy Higgins at the Trak Lounge Bar in Melbourne. The purpose of this show was to raise awareness of the government’s massive industrialisation plans for the Kimberley region, (specifically the James Price Point – Browse Basin area) and also to raise funds to help Evirons Kimberley (a non for profit organisation fighting to protect this incredible wilderness) save the Kimberley, on behalf of the people of the area. It was a huge success raising much more than expected, over $30,000, which is a credit to Missy and her amazing team. I was so glad to be part of it and felt very homesick for the next few days.
Laneway Festival……………..
February has seen me in a different role in the music industry. I have just come home from the Laneway Festival National tour with the Gotye team. I brought in the new look, ‘Tech Shick’. Likened to Cat Woman at the Melbourne Laneway (No photo’s exist sorry) I was very proud to be part of the touring party.
Writer’s block…………
Alright…….so I have to admit that the last couple of days I have been a little down. I have all this great stuff coming up (to skip my self indulgent winge, head to the upcoming shows heading) but I haven’t written any new music since last April. Being a person that draws my inspiration from the melancholy, living a blissful rock and rollers life leaves me without the creative spark I need. I call upon you, my faithful followers, to send me nasty messages or sad stories for the next two weeks to see if you can pull me out of my writers block. I won’t hold it against you…….if I do, you will probably get a song dedicated to you so you can’t loose.
I’m coming home…………
The wonderful team from Mellen have invited me back to be part of the 2011 Ord Valley Muster. From the 12th – 22nd of May I will be playing two main shows and a handful of local restaurant gigs. I will also be doing some workshops on songwriting and music industry for the local school kids. More details on this in the coming newsletters.
New pressing of the album……………
Thanks to all of you who have bought copies of my album at shows and online over the last 3 and a half months. I have sold out of the first 1000 and just had another 500 copies of the record pressed. This new pressing now includes a sticker with some great press quotes as well as the ‘printed on %100 recycled card’ logo that I forgot to put on the first lot of artwork. It’s available at all good cd stores around Australia and New Zealand, iTunes and from the website store.
Thanks again for tuning in
Seeya
Tash
Merry Xmas!
Howdy Folks,
Why the country twang you ask? Well I am from the country and I am playing a show tonight with a great alt country band from Melbourne ‘The Paper Kites’. Read on to find out more about my own country singing career back in the day.
The recap for the last few shows……
(Brisbane)
House Concert – Live Stream! But unfortunately the sound didn’t work. What a bummer. Anyway we had a great night, I even played ‘Falling For You’, third song I ever wrote and track one on my unreleased album from 2003. Yep that’s right, the country album, Life Ain’t For The Faint Hearted – Kasey Chambers eat your heart out!
FREE SONG
Tell you what, Merry Xmas – here it is just for you guys to either enjoy or giggle at, or both.
Falling For You
(Byron Bay)
If in Byron over the xmas break, get your bottoms down to The Tree House. After careful consideration this my favourite venue of the whole tour, and they do Gluten Free Pizzas!
(Rye)
It was just divine to come home to an appreciative home crowd. There was even an unexpected audience participation element when about 4 people sitting at different tables simultaneously sang/squelched a percussion part from the recording of Move Around.
(Pure Pop)
Despite the incredibly strong paint fumes that wafted into the cosy courtyard causing my lips to tingle just a little, it was another lovely show. Not sure if the audience was attentive or having some psychedelic trip but they all clapped at the appropriate junctures so I count this as a success. Note to self, pack gas mask into gig bag.
(Organic Shuffle xmas party)
Played to 4 incredibly appreciative adults and one little girl wearing a large purple dragon tail, still recovering from my Pure Pop gig I think, and then spent the rest of the afternoon drinking local wine and listened to Kings Of Convenience)
http://www.kingsofconvenience.com/
The perfect gig I tell you!
The Paper Kites @ The Corner Hotel – Last night.
It was just devine hearing the layered faultless harmonies of the Paper Kites http://www.myspace.com/thepaperkitesband and sweet gypsy swing of Tinpan Orange. http://www.tinpanorange.com/ Great crowd for a Monday night too.
Thanks again for tuning in and look forward to catching you all in the new year.
Ps: I was looking up strange facts to go into my home made christmas crackers this year and this one I have to share. Mum- don’t look or you’ll spoil the surprise.
True: It’s physically impossible for you to lick your elbow.
Have a fantastic Christmas.
Cheers
Tash