After strutting their stuff off-shore in some of the music industry’s most exciting cities and venues – including New York, London and California – December 2008 will see The Boat People, The Seabellies and Washington return to Australia to unite for their collective ‘Home Sweet Home Tour’.
With a combined list of 2008 highlights and accolades as long as your arm, it should be no surprise that Triple J has recognised these three bands as being amongst the country’s finest and most exciting young bands, selecting them to embark on this eight-date tour.
2008 has seen the return of The Boat People, launching their second album Chandeliers earlier this year, on the back of the successful, infectious first single ‘Awkward Orchid Orchard’. The second half of the year, in particular, has seen the band leap to the forefront of the Australian indie music scene with endless and near-flawless reviews of the single, the album and their charismatic live shows. Currently overseas with a busy schedule and a flurry of shows, the band are now taking their unique brand of indie-pop to the world. Included on the long list of dates in both the US and UK, are such footholds as The Viper Room (LA), a live to air on KCRW and several appearances in New York at the CMJ08 Music Marathon.
Also featuring at NYC’s CMJ08 Music Marathon, The Seabellies were uncovered at last year’s V Festival and have been relentlessly carving out a bulletproof name for themselves in the local and international music scene since. After much Triple J love throughout 2008, the ‘Bellies will be releasing a new single – ‘Feel It Leave’ – to coincide with the ‘Home Sweet Home’ tour. The track was produced by Dave Parkin (Snowman, Jebediah), is their third for 2008 and bridges the gap for an eagerly awaited debut album.
With ‘ten fingers in ten pies’, the busy and talented Washington was discovered as backing vocalist for Old Man River but has since decided to do her own thing. Having conquered such feats as recording a concept-driven album with Paul Grabowski, winning the ‘Jazz Vocal of the Year’ award at the 2008 Bell Awards and putting a new spin on a Kings Of Leon track, she was last seen singing with Woody Allen’s band in NYC before heading back to our shores to release her debut single ‘Clementine’. Her diversity has set her apart as one to watch.
Set to be, not just another tour, but a rare opportunity to see three of the country’s most captivating bands performing on the same bill, the tour will close out the year, being some of the last shows for the acts before heading into what looks to be an even bigger and shinier 2009.
