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SECOND LOVERS, FIRST TIME AROUND
From now on, I will be flying solo … Nick Batterham was
in a great band called Blindside when Howzat! first saw
him in the early '90s. He was also in The Earthmen, who
were signed to the ultra cool local label Summershine before
hooking up with Atlantic in the US and Warner Music locally.
Nearly two decades later, Nick has finally released his
first solo album. It's called Second Lovers and it's one
of the albums of the year. As he sings, Good sings come
to those who wait.
"It is a bit scary," solo Nick admits. "I've always found
it safer to hide behind other people or a band name. I've
never risked putting myself out there like this. When you
make something artistic with personal content, there's the
risk that folks will say it sucks and therefore you suck.
I'd love to be robust enough to not care either way, but,
of course, I do." Did Nick kick around other names for the
project? "I thought 'Second Lovers' would be a good band
name, but it made more sense as a title. Using a pseudonym
provides a veneer of protection, but what's the point? The
only way for punters to know this is my record is to have
my name on it. The songs are quite intimate and recorded
at home so calling it anything else would be chicken shit."
Second Lovers caps a busy year for Nick. He's also in Cordrazine
with his old high school buddy Hamish Cowan, who says, "If
it wasn't for Nick, I wouldn't be a musician." Nick produced
Cordrazine's beautiful new album, Always Coming Down, and
he's also been in the studio with Blackchords and Summer
Cats, and starred in a Nando's commercial. "I haven't been
waiting to make a solo record," Nick explains, "it just
happened that I recorded an album's worth of stuff without
much input from anyone else. All my long-time musical collaborators
now have grown-up lives so it's hard to maintain a band.
The last few years I've just pottered at home and called
friends to come and play when it suits them. That seems
to be working, so I'll try to incorporate that into the
live arena." For the album launch - at the Toff on Sunday,
November 7 - Nick will be joined on stage by buddies from
Blackchords, Cordrazine and The Earthmen.
The album - a captivating mix of soul, indie folk and dramatic
pop - has been released by Head Records. "I hassled a few
labels, but no one was interested," Nick reveals, "so I
convinced myself that labels were unnecessary these days
and resigned myself to putting out my own record. Then,
at a party, I met a friend's wife who works at Head Records.
I sent her a CD and she was into it. It's been fantastic
to have the energy and momentum that a label creates. I'm
not flash at social networking, it feels unnatural to me,
so having other people involved in plugging my music is
a great relief."
Second Lovers (the title is a homage to Townes Van Zandt's
Second Lovers Song) is an album filled with love and lust.
What wins in the end? "There is no winner," Nick says. "I
don't see love and lust as always being in direct competition.
They are different parts of the same thing. That's like
saying your genitals and your heart are not connected -
when, of course, they are connected by a long vein. They
take turns ruling the roost, but life is best when they
work together."
FIONA'S FRIGHT NIGHT
One of Howzat!'s favourite artists, Fiona Lee Maynard, is
doing a special Halloween show this Sunday at Spensers Live
(her Trio is playing with Brendan Gallagher and John Boy
Bliss' B!G). What is Fiona scared of? "Essendon winning
another premiership before Richmond do," she laughs. As
for her favourite scary movie, Fiona lists The Mothman Prophecies,
though she adds, "I don't much like being scared for entertainment's
sake, it can trigger my Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (from
being held at gun point) and my anxiety, so I only like
supernatural thrillers or horror movies about aliens. Zombie
flicks and gore horror can make me feel sick. It's a bone
of contention with my husband - James Lomas, guitarist for
FLM Trio, a total horror movie buff and Collingwood supporter."
Finally, what's the scariest thing that's happened to Fiona
in the music business? "Realising that music had very little
to do with the music business and that I would continue
to immerse myself in music regardless."
CHART WATCH
Former Sirens singer Zoe Badwi leaps into the Top 10.
Freefallin' ZOE BADWI (number nine)
Plans BIRDS OF TOKYO (19)
Planets SHORT STACK (20)
Get 'Em Girls JESSICA MAUBOY (24)
Rock It LITTLE RED (28)
Freak Tonight SCARLETT BELLE (32)
Jack's back - but he can't keep Kings of Leon out of top
spot.
Jack JOHN FARNHAM (number two, debut)
Down The Way ANGUS & JULIA STONE (nine)
The Very Best Of CROWDED HOUSE (11, debut)
Birds Of Tokyo BIRDS OF TOKYO (12)
Little Bird KASEY CHAMBERS (15)
Always & Forever MIRUSIA (17)
Midnight Remember LITTLE RED (18)
Running On Air BLISS N ESO (19)
iTunes Live: Live From Sydney ANGUS & JULIA STONE (26)
Marcia Sings Tapestry MARCIA HINES (28)
I Believe You Liar WASHINGTON (29)
Sometimes The Stars THE AUDREYS (33)
Immersion PENDULUM (34)
Angel Without Wings CAM HENDERSON (38)
HOWZAT! PLAYLIST
Everything You Need NICK BATTERHAM
Comfort Me THE AUDREYS
Save! CHARLES JENKINS
All The While THE WEEKEND PEOPLE
Nectarine GB3
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