Dom Turner

Dom Turner is best known as guitarist/ vocalist of the Australian group, Backsliders. Dom also performs as a solo artist as well as in collaboration with a number of international artists.

The Milk Carton Kids

THE ASH & CLAY, Grammy-nominated for Best Folk Album 2014, out now.

VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE
The Foreword to The Ash & Clay by Joe Henry

The good doctor William Carlos Williams famously wrote that “the pure products of America go crazy;” and it should surprise me not at all that the thought would find me a trembling but easy target alone in a hotel room, late of an evening, in the city of Hiroshima, by the Inland Sea.

This town has a way of stopping time and then re-animating it like still images in a flipbook, its stick figure dancing halting circles upon an endless sky. It invites you into a frozen past that flashes forward like a lost silent movie of our future already in progress.

Of course, the demands of travel have a beautiful way of skewing all perception, rendering it liquid and wholly unreliable–but in the way that keeps hard facts from obscuring the elusive truth: night becomes day; seasons arrive disguised as others; the living and the dead take up together in your mind like lonesome wallflowers at a Sunday Social; I phone my wife and she answers me with breaking news from the closed book of yesterday; I relearn to speak my own name...

Songs have the same power to confuse, seduce, stop time and re-animate it; to skin the lion and to leave it both spread on the floor and still stalking you from a ghostly crouch, the blood of your dreams already on its jowls. Because songs are in motion–and only fully realized in mid air and real-time— they are as untouchable as they are insistent.

It is here in room 922 of The Mitsui Garden Hotel that I have my first encounter with The Ash & Clay by The Milk Carton Kids. And whereas for as long as I have known them I have always perceived the twin voices of Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale as disappearing into one, I now hear that single and distinct character rising to speak for many...

For within these songs is a man himself in motion –a traveler who dances in silent, halting circles. And what he does is quietly bear witness like a weathervane, to the carnival of souls by the wayside, his eyes cornered but his face always pointing forward, his voice in our heads. He moves through love but is alone; laughs at the wreckage, weeps with lust; throws and sweeps confetti, stands at cold gravesides; raises a hand in promise, then picks your pocket and slips quietly back across the border. He slides outside the law, bound by honor and duty, the pure product of a mad country working with all its heart at fevered cross-purposes.

In the end it is mercy he is after, the character in this play—the kind of mercy that attends grace when truly living in spite of the inevitable, when singing the unspeakable to the unlistening. And from Hiroshima to Graceland, this character knows that the whole of human foolishness must be witnessed, loved, and forgiven for that mercy to be ratified.

Like Jesus and Harpo Marx, he does this for us all.

Joe Henry
Hiroshima, Japan
10 October, 2012

Kate Rusby

Skerryvore

We're turning 20 next year!!! Come and help us celebrate at SKERRYVORE XX - Floors Castle, Kelso - 31st May 👉 https://linktr.ee/skerryvore

Grace Petrie

Brett Newski

Eleanor McEvoy

Jeff Lang

Welcome to the official Jeff Lang Facebook page. For more info: http://www.jefflang.com.au

Ron Block

Microwave Jenny

Freebo

Alice Howe

Stiff Gins

Stiff Gins, the dynamic musical duo comprising the talents of Wiradjuri/Yorta Yorta woman Kaleena Briggs and Yuwaalaraay woman Nardi Simpson, are marking a significant milestone in 2024 as they celebrate twenty-five years of harmonious and culturally resonant music-making. Renowned as Australia’s foremost and longest-performing all-Indigenous female group, Stiff Gins have transcended borders and captivated audiences on a global scale, from the vibrant stages of the US, Canada, UK, Asia, to the heart of Africa.

From humble beginnings at the Eora Centre in Redfern back in 1997, Stiff Gins have not only solidified their position within the Australian music and artistic community but have also become cultural ambassadors, sharing the essence of their music, language, and heritage wherever their melodic journey takes them. With a discography boasting three studio albums, three impactful single releases, and a theatrical production that resonated with audiences, their musical prowess has garnered accolades, including the prestigious Centenary Medal for ‘Outstanding Service to Indigenous Music’.

While their last commercial release dates back to 2011, the creative evolution of Stiff Gins has been nothing short of remarkable, with both members, Kaleena and Nardi, embarking on individual musical ventures that have further enriched their collective artistry. Evident in their collaborative synergy is a refined complexity and depth in their songwriting and performances, reflecting a newfound creative zenith that has attracted collaborations with esteemed musicians from diverse musical realms.

Beyond their musical endeavours, Stiff Gins remain deeply committed to nurturing emerging First Nations talents, with Kaleena spearheading initiatives as the First Nations Development Coordinator with Music NSW, and Nardi actively engaging as a cultural teacher, artist, and mentor at the esteemed Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

In this current phase of their illustrious career, Stiff Gins stand at the precipice of musical ingenuity, where their craft continues to evolve, intertwining cultural depth with artistic sophistication. Through their empowering partnership, Stiff Gins not only affirm their cultural legacy but also forge enduring connections with world-class musicians across diverse musical landscapes, solidifying their resonance as trailblazers in the contemporary music scene.

The journey of Stiff Gins is emblematic of resilience, creativity, and unwavering dedication to fostering cultural pride and musical innovation—a testament to their enduring legacy in the global music landscape.

And looking to the future, their followers can anticipate a new album due for release with a string of breathtaking performances on the horizon.

Kristina Olsen

Gusto Gusto

West Preston's Best Dressed Dance Band.

Dom Turner

Performers