Montgomery Church - Sue Foley - Dot Allison
Cielle Montgomery and James Church are Montgomery Church - a blend of acoustic folk, Americana and bluegrass influences, grown and distilled in the Snowy Mountain ranges of country New South Wales.
With their organic union of dobro and guitar, harmony vocals and thoughtful songwriting, this captivating duo are enthralling in their dynamic intimacy and offer up some of the sweetest darn sounds being heard around
Australia's alt. country scene right now! Since their formation, Montgomery Church have been quietly but quickly gathering a fan base who site their undeniable chemistry as a rare and beautiful thing to see live.
"Montgomery Church are like the Australian version of Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings but if Gillian was the daughter of Allison Krauss...sitting on a porch, with tea not whiskey... I'm a tad obsessed! The most graceful duo literally gracing stages right now!" - Fanny Lumsden
“The Great Divide” is written about a defining time in Australian history when strangers from all corners of the world emigrated to the Snowy Mountains of NSW to accomplish one of the greatest engineering feats of our time - the building of 'The Snowy Scheme'. This snapshot is seen through the eyes of a post-war immigrant worker who, along with over 100,000 others, risked their lives whilst enduring the harsh mountain climate and extreme working conditions to achieve this extraordinary conquest. Featuring Church’s hallmark sound on dobro & lead vocals as the centre piece of this track, it’s hard not to get swept up in the raw emotion and sheer magnitude of this historic tale.
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Stony Plain Records announces an October 22 release date for Pinky’s Blues, the new album from award-winning blues guitarist/singer Sue Foley. Featuring several Sue Foley originals, as well as songs from some of her favorite blues and roots artists, Pinky’s Blues was recorded at Fire Station Studios in San Marcos, Texas. Joining Sue Foley (guitar, vocals) for the recording sessions were Jon Penner (bass), Chris “Whipper” Layton (drums) and Mike Flanigin (Hammond B3 organ), who also produced the album.
To support the release of her new disc, Foley will embark on an extensive tour schedule that includes both an official showcase at the upcoming September Americana Music Conference in Nashville, as well as a set at the Kessler Day Party Showcase during the conference.
Pinky’s Blues is the follow up to Sue Foley’s breakout album The Ice Queen, released in 2018. Foley’s new album is a raw, electric guitar driven romp through the backroads of Texas blues, with Foley’s signature pink paisley Fender Telecaster, “Pinky,” at the wheel. She won “Best Traditional Female (Koko Taylor Award)” at the 2020 Blues Music Awards in Memphis, was nominated for a Juno Award (Canadian Grammy), and she took home the award for “Best Guitar Player” at the Toronto Maple Blues Awards. For the last few years Foley and her band have kept a rigorous touring schedule across the USA, Canada and Europe. Some highlights were appearances at The Beacon Theater (NYC), guesting with Jimmie Vaughan (opening for Eric Clapton) at Royal Albert Hall in London, Montreal Jazz Fest, Ottawa Blues Fest (w/ Buddy Guy), Moulin Blues (Holland), NPR’s Mountainstage (with Bela Fleck), Doheny Blues Fest, and the Jungle Show in Austin, Texas.
The disc’s first single, “Dallas Man,” also bears special significance to Foley. “I realized when I wrote 'Dallas Man' it was just about all these great guitar players from Dallas and right around there,” Foley says. "I've always been infatuated with Blind Lemon Jefferson and had been reading about him and working up some of his songs. Between Blind Lemon Jefferson and Frankie Lee Sims, and then working on some Freddie King and always watching Jimmie Vaughan came the idea of 'Dallas Man.' Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmie Vaughan, Freddie King, T-Bone Walker, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Frankie Lee Sims, Anson Funderburgh, Zuzu Bollin, Doyle Bramhall II, Denny Freeman and Derek O'Brien all came from that area. That's almost a whole album right there!”
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| Photo Maria Mochnacz |
From her first album release in twelve years Heart-Shaped Scars, Dot Allison premieres the tranquil new video for "One Love," the third single from the critically acclaimed album. "We ended up shooting the video on what turned out to be two piping hot days in July in and around Bristol & Wales " says Director Maria Mochnacz, (PJ Harvey's longtime visual collaborator). She adds, "We did keep an eye on the weather and move dates to fit to make sure we got good weather as the video was entirely weather dependent but had no idea it would be quite so hot!
It was myself, John Minton - wonderful low fi experimental camera man and all round one man band, and Honor and Hopey Parish - I've known Honor and Hopey all their lives, from before they were born! During one of the lockdown stages I went to sit in their garden - and they started doing a KPop dance - so I stored that memory away and asked them if they'd be up for being in this video...we drove off in John's car the four of us with my giant mirror ball packed in the boot and a whole host of other low fi lighting devices…"
"One Love" is about someone feeling unsure in a relationship, needing reassurance. "The flower metaphors are rare flowers used to signify a rare, precious, all encompassing love. Blood Camellia suggests flesh, veins and a pulse, Fire Lilies imbue a sense of passion and Juliette Rose seems to hint at Shakespeare,” Allison says of the single.
Heart-Shaped Scars gathers many threads of Allison’s broad interests – not just musical but literary, philosophical and her interest in science and nature are integral to Heart-Shaped Scars overall aesthetic.. Allison’s father was a botanist, and her mother a musician; eventually, the DNA of music took this former bio-chemistry student in a very different direction – and with good reason too.
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