As I write, it’s early evening in Hobart, already dark and overcast. It’s been unseasonably warm the last couple of days, very welcome after days of frost. It’s currently about 12 degrees C (54 F for those of you in the US) and I’m fairly well rugged up for an evening of reading and writing.
However, tonight I’ve got an eye on other things. My beautiful son is by now on the other side of the world in sunny Rome. At the moment it’s about midday there and a balmy 25C (77F). Although he’s probably jet lagged and sleeping it off, I’m envious! He’s in his early 20’s and has gone off to explore places he discovered in history classes and catch up with friends in Europe and the UK. I won’t see him until late September but I’m sure I’ll hear plenty about the weather, the great food, the people, the amazing architecture and the history when he returns.
Apart from the prospect of better weather than a Tasmanian winter, I think I’m just getting itchy feet to go travelling again. I’m planning a couple of weeks in New Zealand at the end of the year, something I’ve wanted to do for many years but never got round to. At this stage it looks like I’ll be playing at least a few gigs while I’m away but I’m hoping to do some house concerts while I’m there. I love the intimacy of playing to a small listening audience and in my experience, you meet the nicest people at these kind of shows.
If you know of or run house concerts in New Zealand please contact me, I’m keen to learn more and ease these itchy feet!
Love to you all, wherever you are on this beautiful planet……
As the snow piles up on the mountain and the days are getting noticeably shorter, it’s really good to have lots of projects on the go.
The Woman on the Edge of the World is foremost in my mind now, the art is kinda sorta in place and the liner notes are written. However, knowing me I’ll find something to edit in the next few days. Interestingly, I’ve maintained the original art work I produced to tag the digital download version, including my cover, featuring the Currie lighthouse on King Island.
Inner sleeve, ready for liner notes!
It’s going to be a very limited run, 150 copies only (numbered and signed), so please contact me here or via the comments if you want to go on the pre-order list.
And today, I’ve just had a lovely lunch and meeting with friends, discussing a game project I’m writing narrative/screenplay for. It’s all in it’s very earliest stages, but really exciting, working with some very talented men and women who are equally passionate about games, art and storytelling.
Looking forward to a busy winter here in Tasmania!
Well, last night saw the Australian Songwriters Association – Tasmania‘s final gig at Irish Murphy’s in Salamanca Place. It was a raw night to be out and about – the weather here in Hobart has been typically Winter (with a capital W) since last month’s plunge into single digit temperatures. However, kudos to all the brave folks who came out on such a night to support and perform – you are all diamonds!
It bears noting that the opening act was emerging songwriter, Cassie O’Keefe, who has really improved as a performer – so much so that I let her use my Seagull guitar last night!
Cassie has really come into her own in the last year or so, thanks in part to the amazing support of her wonderful family and friends – and shows like the ASA, which provide a wonderful avenue for new writer/performers to share the stage with proven hands like Tony Brennan, myself and the consummate professional, Ian Paulin.
I’m therefore very pleased to tell you all that I’m taking Cassie down to Belfry Studio next month, where she’ll be recording with my favourite engineer in all the planet, Malcolm Battersby. It’s an incredibly gratifying experience to see someone grow from an uncertain child into a powerful young woman, who can turn a pub crowd on a Monday night into a listening audience, and hold them in the palm of her hand. It’s every teacher/mentor’s dream and inspires me to keep doing what I do 😀
Also, I must mention the fine work by the ASA Tasmania coordinator, Matt Sertori. His job has been so difficult over the last few months, with people pulling out at the last minute or turning up late for their set. Seriously, organising musicians is like herding cats, and not for the faint hearted – we are a difficult mob! Matt has kept his temper and his outrageous sense of humour well intact and I thank him for all his support and unwavering friendship over more than ten years of ASA shows.
I’m not sure where the ASA will be heading next, there isn’t a venue lined up at the time of writing – but that in itself is kind of exciting and makes me wonder what we can do next!
Watch this space and stay safe and well, wherever you are on this beautiful planet ❤
Being a jobbing musician usually conjures up images of late nights in clubs and hotels, in seedy areas of cities – something straight out of film noir. In truth, there’s been probably too many late nights and the nature of the work has put me in some fantastic situations, often with really wonderful people, affording me many wonderful (and a few not so wonderful) experiences – and I wouldn’t change a minute of it!
However, one of the biggest issues I see is the lack of accessibility for younger people to live music. This became particularly noticeable with the Australian Songwriters Association gigs that I’ve supported here in Hobart for over a decade. Being a music teacher, I often have teenage students who are ready to go out and play but are under age, presenting problems for venue operators, parents and organisers alike. We get around it with the ASA, having younger performers on earlier and ensuring there are parents/guardians with them.
So, it’s really refreshing to play two shows in quick succession that are really family-friendly. Last weekend I played a very fun unplugged gig for World Record Store Day at R & R Records in central Hobart. A friend from uni brought her two young daughters along and it was really novel for them to see someone making real music right in front of them.
This Friday evening I’m playing at Cafe 54, which is not only a family space but also out of the city, at Northgate Shopping Centre in Glenorchy. Every Friday night for the past few months the proprietor, John Robb, puts on a music night, featuring various players from all over, but mostly local talent. John is passionate about music and providing good food as well as a lovely space to play.
Music Night #14 at Cafe 54 features Ben Dunk (from Denmark), local duo Zac Henderson & Rueben Reeves as well as me. The show starts at 5:30pm and as well as being licensed for BYO, there are $10 mains and $5 desserts – and kids are welcome!
I’m really looking forward to it – and hopefully seeing some of my younger friends and their parents 🙂
Just a reminder wherever you are on this beautiful planet, go out this Saturday and support your local record store – it’s World Record Store Day! It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a turntable or even a CD player. The reality of running a bricks and mortar business in the 21st century means that you can buy not only CDs and vinyl at stores but also t-shirts, posters, books about musicians and other music related things.
I’m heading to one of Hobart’s hidden treasures, R & R’s Retro Music and Clothing Shoppe in the Imperial Arcade, off Collins Street in the city (shop 8/138 Collins Street, Hobart TAS 7000). The owners, Ross and Rhonda are much more than just business people. They’re truly passionate about music and in particular, supporting local Tasmanian artists. They have things in their shop that hark back to my misspent youth and my earliest times exploring the Tasmanian music scene as well as new work by emerging and established musicians. If you live outside Tasmania, call them to ask about their extensive catalogue (03) 6224 4891 or 61+3+6224 4891 if you’re overseas.
Anyway, Ross and Rhonda have kindly agreed to not only open their store this Saturday, but also host a showcase of very talented local musos – including me 🙂 If you’re in Hobart, I recommend you call in. It’s around the corner from my favourite book shop, Cracked and Spineless New and Used Books, who will also be open – just watch out for Mike and Richard dancing along with the rest of us 😉
For locals, if you’ve got any Wild Pumpkins at Midnight recordings, posters or memorabilia, please bring it along and I’m happy to sign it, coo over it and generally reminisce. Hopefully, see you there!
Sometimes, things fall in your lap that are wonderful. And throughout my life, I’ve been lucky enough to have a lot of these treasures come my way.
Meeting Kirsty, then Sara and playing in Straddlepuss with them has certainly been a treasure. Not only are these two great emerging musicians and songwriters but also amazing young women, who I’m really proud to call my friends. Saturday 21st March, we are incredibly pleased to be playing at GRRL Fest 2015 in Melbourne.
So, It’s more than a little bittersweet to announce that I’ve decided to leave Straddlepuss – but other exciting projects are starting to get very pressing!
I’m really pleased to announce that The Woman on the Edge of the World will be going ahead as a CD release later this year. Remastering is scheduled for mid-late April, artwork is in the final stages, and it will be limited to only 100 signed and numbered copies. Also, it will only be available through me. I’m happy to take pre-orders but holding off a little until I find out the retail price. Trying my best to keep this little collectable affordable! Plus, The Lucky Six covers EP which was first mooted as a recording project in 2013, looks like it will happen as (at least) a digital download later this year. At present, we’re considering mastering, release options and licensing, all the important – but often tedious – stuff that makes the music industry go round.
Meanwhile, the All At Sea project with documentary maker, Josh Troy and the inimitable Matt Sertori from Butterscotch Pony is still forging on. Lots of footage for me to look at now apparently! And we still have to look at recording options for this beastie too……. so much work to do!
And amongst all of this, my university studies continue. I’m doing second year Screen Studies units now through Griffith University and it’s really making me work. Nevertheless, I’m really enjoying the challenge. It’s so different to anything else in my life.
Honestly, I’ll really miss playing in Straddlepuss but I look forward to my other projects and new challenges. I’ll still be going to their gigs in the future and cheering on these truly fabulous women ❤
I feel like I’ve lost a couple of months somewhere, it’s been so hectic and now I realise that spring is here and I haven’t done half the things I meant to this calendar year. But I have managed a few that I wasn’t expecting!
The university experience has been wonderful so far although I won’t pretend I’ve enjoyed every unit. At the moment, I’m preparing papers on two of my favourite things – Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds and the personal still camera. And I’ve had to watch classic films such as Rear Window and Citizen Kane. Yes, I’m loving my units this semester!
But today I’ve been distracted from study. Tomorrow night I’m playing at a House Concert in Hobart with wonderful Queensland singer/songwriter Francesca de Valence and Hobart duo Butterscotch Pony in one of their all-too-rare live shows. However, instead of doing a solo set or playing with the wonderful girls in Straddlepuss (more on that next time!) I’m doing a special set with dear friend (and half of Butterscotch Pony), Matt Sertori.
We’ve been friends for a long time and decided early in the year that we wanted to do a music project together that included a documentary about our personal process and the creative world that we inhabit. We’ve done some filming already but will be adding to it at this gig. Meanwhile, our trusty doco guru, Josh Troy put this little gem together to promote this event. I hope it makes you laugh as much as it did all of us!
Please note, there’s some bad language at the end 😉
And we really did decide to call it ‘All at Sea’. The moral of the story is Matt has the attention span of a flea………… ❤
It’s been way too long since I posted anything, but life habitually gets in the way of blogging!
Meanwhile, a quick post to hopefully make you all think about supporting something really worthwhile…….
A musician friend and fellow singing teacher, Rachel Taylor has put up a Pozible crowd funing campaign for her project, The Green Album
The incredibly talented Rachel Taylor
In itself, this is a pretty big deal, as Rachel is a performer and writer I’ve known and admired for many years and this is her first solo recording. But I think the really big deal here is that she wants to make a sustainable album. I’ve known Rachel since she was a young girl, I actually met her through her parents. Her father Alan is also a fabulous musician and gifted poet – in fact her whole family are pretty wonderful!
Rachel performing with her father Alan
Wherever you are on the planet have a look at her proposal and if you like the idea as much as I do, please get behind it. There’s a Facebook event page ‘Make “The Green” Album Pozible‘ with news and updates. Also, I highly recommend having a listen to her previous work on SoundCloud. She is a very talented performer worthy of notice – Tasmania has so many – and I’m so pleased she’s doing this!
After six months with just my trusty mobile phone, I’m extremely happy to announce that I’ve got a home broadband connection again. Despite having the WordPress app on my phone, it’s just not the same as this interface on my laptop.
It’s good to be back – but now the big job of catching up begins! So much has been happening this southern summer, and as always, some of it’s been good and some of it’s been really bad.
On the “utterly brilliant” end of the spectrum, I’ve finished my first fully online unit through Griffith University. Despite only having my mobile for connection, I managed a surprising high distinction and I have to thank some beautiful friends in Hobart for letting me leach their net regularly to stay on top of things. Thank you Lauren and Patsi ❤ you two are wonderful! I’m well into my second unit now and starting to really enjoy the challenge of study again.
In the next few weeks, I’ll be finalising digital stuff for my most recent recording and playing catch up with getting cd’s out and about. And for those of you in southern Tasmania, I’m playing at the next ASA show on Wednesday, 9th April. Once again, we’re at The Night Owl in Liverpool Street, Hobart.
I’ll also have details to reveal soon about a new songwriting/recording/documentary project, plus a live, all-girl punk band I’m playing with called Straddlepuss.
And finally, being back online with a fibre connection means I can at long last offer Skype music lessons to you all. I can’t believe it was October last year when I first wrote about this and it’s taken until now to get it off the ground! If you’re interested, fill out the contact form – and the first lesson is free 😉
There’s been sadness too but I’m not dwelling on that today.
To begin with, irrespective of what you believe (or don’t believe) I wish you all a peaceful, relaxed holiday season. I’ve been having a great time, taking some time off with family and friends. But I’ve been pretty lax with keeping up with my blog – sorry!
Probably one of the best presents I’ve ever had was dumped in my lap recently. As a mentor and music teacher, you always wish the best for your charges but this is just outstanding 🙂
For those of you outside of Australia, this is something to truly celebrate, I really can’t begin to describe how proud I am of this up and coming artist! The song she’s uploaded “Swallow” is a really excellent pop song with quite a mature, dark lyric. This young woman is an inspiration to us all, to stick at it and follow your dreams!
I encourage you all to go to the site and have a listen – “Swallow” is available for free download.
Meanwhile, play nicely, stay safe and have a great end to 2013!
Debra Manskey 