Dead Letter Chorus: Magnolia Farm

When we arrived at Peace Park with Sydney band Dead Letter Chorus, the park was quiet. But when the band started setting up and tuning, the neighbourhood came to life – skateboarders stopped to listen, parents came and sat on the grass with their kids, and residents stood at their open doors watching. It was hard to tell who were having a better time – the musos or the impromptu audience!

Dead Letter Chorus: Oscar Moland

Dead Letter Chorus: Down in Your Valley

www.myspace.com/deadletterchorus

About six months ago I was listening to FBi 94.5, a great independent Sydney radio station. A song came on called “Making Plans”, it was a man and woman singing charming, funny, sweet lyrics about a relationship in which schemes go awry (“We’re going to run a marathon/Are we?/Let’s get in training./I lost my headband./Sorry!”).  I loved the song, and the fragile and vulnerable voices of the singers, so I tracked down the musicians, Jeff and Beth.

The Desks: Elephant or Lion

Turns out Jeff runs an indie label called Cabinet Pin out of his bedroom, where he also records all his songs.  “Making Plans” is by one of his projects, Commas and Dots, but Jeff and Beth don’t really perform as Commas and Dots (“We don’t know how to play those songs live”, they told us). Jeff did have a separate band, The Desks, and he was happy to do those songs – short, playful, and idiosyncratic – so we planned a shoot.

The Desks: To the Supermarket

It took us a while to arrange a date, and when we finally did, it nearly turned disastrous!  We had found a fantastic burnt out house right near Jeff and Beth in Summer Hill, and when we met them, they turned out to be very much like their music. We took our equipment, our instruments, and a trusty red milk crate and got set to film. But before we’d even set foot in the house – we couldn’t get the microphone working.  We tried to fix it with everything from a foam earplug to a plastic bread clip, but nothing worked.  Finally, just as we were packing up and apologising to our new friends, the microphone started working again!  We headed into the house fast as we could, a bit afraid that we were going to get kicked out and a bit afraid the mic would give up on us at any moment.

Neither of those things happened, and we were able to record some lovely songs.  Hope you like them as much as we do.

- Jonathan & Shoot The Player

www.thedesks.net
www.cabinetpin.com
www.myspace.com/desks

Podcast

Henry Wagons is not a New Zealand Hollywood director, he did not make The Awful Truth, and though he sports a dashing headband, he is not a known tennis player.

He is Henry Wagons, the latest player in front of the camera, entertaining us late one evening in the traditionally Italian neighbourhood of Sydney.

Henry Wagons: Never Been to Spain

Kate and I met Henry in a house where he was staying in Leichhardt. We didn’t have much of a plan and with little light, we needed to think creatively about a location. Norton St, the area’s main drag, was buzzing with the usual spill of diners, drinkers and late night shoppers, so a hushed back ally seemed a better choice. We parked behind a restaurant and angled the headlights of my car against a wall of bright grafitti; the scene was set – a strange desert ghetto. We warned Henry about the possibility of planes overhead and when they came, he was good humoured and ready for them.

With Man Sold completed, we went in search of a new backdrop. Highly entertained and perhaps a little overconfident, we braved the not-so-beating-heart of Leichhardt; The Italian Forum. It was late and we were tired, so i bought a round of lattes and Henry settled into the center of this faux European “town square”. With caffeine, an eager audience of two local kids, and the background sound of a tacky fountain, Henry indulged us in an old Elvis Presley song, Never Been To Spain.

Amelia & Shoot The Player

www.wagonsmusic.com
www.myspace.com/wagonsmusic

Kate Cooper and Damon Cox are An Horse.

We recorded an An Horse cover with Kaki King backstage at the Acer Arena earlier in the year, and the plan had always been to film the original in a similarly backstage location. Kate loved the idea. We texted. We emailed. We met at The Hopetoun in June, and in August we filmed.

An Horse: Listen

An Horse write songs with great lines; “Like that good Hole album I can Live Through This, I can live through worse” and “I’m putting on jackets way too thin, to fight against cold way to thick” – the plight of an Australian in the Northern Hemisphere perhaps? Maybe.

As I write this, a little over a month since we filmed these videos, An Horse are back in Sydney again this time supporting The New Pornographers. Whether you’re in Adelaide, or Utah, or Melbourne, or Oklahoma, keep an eye out for An Horse as they trot around the globe, and check in with us later in the year when we catch them returning the favour, and covering Kaki King.

- Amelia

www.myspace.com/anhorse

Young Werther: Cornish Green

We took Young Werther (known to his mum as Mick) down by the waterfront. To one side, a young couple with their child in tow made several attempts to fish from the choppy waters. Elsewhere on the grass, dogs and their owners savoured the day’s end. It seems we weren’t the only ones to make the most of this sunny point. Encroaching upon us from the decks of the aptly-titled fun boat were the strains of something unquestionably, unintentionally hilarious. Laughing, Mick and I recognised the voice of Diana Ross immediately, echoing out across the water.

Young Werther: Around the World

Young Werther: Come On Back Here

We took it as a good sign – Mick’s first song completed, we moved to make the most of the afternoon light and set upon a sculpture overlooking the harbour. His gentle, folksy ballad matched perfectly with the ebb and flow of the water, lapping against the shore wall. Unreleased, previously unrecorded track ‘Around the World’ made the most of the marine setting, his lyrics unexpectedly echoing our surrounds. Finally, we set upon a wooden structure for our final shoot, marveling at its ability to enmesh itself firmly in the gnarly tree branches around it. With batteries running low and the light fading fast, Mick squeezed in one last song, and with that, the shoot was over. Later that night, Mick performed in a church along Darling Street, and undoubtedly won his audience over with his languid, beautiful songs.

- Lexy

www.triplejunearthed.com/youngwerther
www.myspace.com/michaelyoungmusic

The first time we were meant to film Jack Ladder was at a chicken shop on Marrickville Road. Ladder was recording his new album at the time and the band had scheduled a lunch break at an iconic fluorescent dive. I had imagined, like a scene from a 70s musical, we would turn up and the whole shop would erupt in a spontaneous outburst of song – milkshakes would whiz down the counter, kids would twist on swivel stools, and Ladder would take center stage singing into his chiko roll. It didn’t work out that way in the end and it was 6 months before I heard from Ladder again.

Jack Ladder: Counterfeit Bible

Jack Ladder: Good Luck

The dog races was Ladder’s idea. Tucked behind the city and the sea, Wentworth Park was oddly perfect. The vast amphitheater flushed with lights and the dedicated regulars who ambled around made for an energetic and patriotic setting. Ladder mentioned he was moving to New York in a matter of weeks; what a send off.

Jack Ladder: Black Hole Blues

- Amelia

www.myspace.com/jackladder
www.spunk.com.au

I saw Des perform this cover to an intimate crowd at Dean’s Cafe for book club night; Even Books. I was hooked. It was amazing. Wuthering Heights struck me as such a seemingly un-coverable song, and yet Des did it. Clutching at hazy lyrics and stumbling through the verses, this unlikely cover has become a bit of a staple for the Sydney based performer.

Des Miller: Blue Collar Man

www.myspace.com/desmiller
www.brokenstonerecords.com

We met Ned at Darren Hanlon’s place. It was a windy afternoon and Darren was having one of his ‘Under The Clothesline’ backyard gigs. Ned was younger than I expected, and I while I controlled my inner dorky starstruck admiration, we roamed aimlessly around the block looking for a place to film.

We settled on what I thought must have been the most boring option. A house. A boring typically Sydney terrace house. Great. Jonathan began shooting and I cursed my lack of planning and the bland suburban streets of Petersham where I grew up and where we now stood.

Ned Collette: Laughter Across The Street

But The Country With A Smile was a one take wonder. Shoot The Player is all about spontaneity and improvisation – and when i saw his band creep in on cue, the kids begin to dance, and Ned’s lyrics soar as the sun set – it was magic. Unique. A favourite for us.

- Amelia

www.nedcollette.com
www.myspace.com/nedcollette

Des lead us into the balloon shop owned by his friend; an Aladdin’s cave of kitsch delight. Yet-to-be-inflated plastic hearts and spheres stocked neatly on shelves, feebly capturing the tenderest of human moments; ‘I Love You” and ‘It’s a Boy’. He claims several connections to the shop, he has supplemented his income over the years with stints as a balloon delivery driver, and recorded much of his recent album ‘On the Surface of Solitude’ in the shop’s basement.

We turned off the glaring overhead lights and he and his partner Lucy nestled themselves in the shop window under the golden glow of the night-time display lamps. They chatted amongst themselves, sorting out how to best perform his songs without the usual heavy arrangement that characterises the recorded versions.With their backs to the snarling traffic humming past on Parramatta Rd, together they played a couple of the standout melancholy romantic ballads from Des’ latest album. Des usually plays with a full band, creating a boisterous and energetic country rock sound.With only his guitar and Lucy’s gentle harmonies to accompany him, Des’s performances for us allowed the textures of his baritone voice to come into their own.

On stage, “Knife Edge” is usually bursting with all the pleasure and vigour of a precarious passionate relationship. In the shop window, he and Lucy evoked the tender pain of lovers on the edge. For “Borderline on Fire”, they sat down amongst the floating balloons to again bring a quiet warmth and intimacy not afforded by regular venue performances.When we had finished shooting we kept the cameras rolling as we milled around the again luminous balloon shop, the couple continuing their playful banter. Check out Des Miller performing a Kate Bush cover in a tree house in DES MILLER #2.

- Josephine

www.myspace.com/desmiller

www.brokenstonerecords.com

It began rather unexpectedly like this: I met Via Tania in the old armchairs of the 2ser lobby. Tea in hand, she had an air of holiday about her and was relaxed about a total stranger asking her to make a video. Phew. We swapped numbers and she suggested we meet tomorrow morning before she had to see her mother for lunch. No problem, I said, Why don’t I pick you up and we’ll drive you to where you have to meet her, we can make a video in the car on the way. Maybe stop off in the park if there’s time? She was excited.

Via Tania liked the idea of driving. But the moment I suggested it, I was nervous. What an idiot! Engines and car horns would totally ruin her sweetly rambling melodies! And what if it rained? All that stormy noise! It was raining now… it was going to be a nightmare!

Via Tania: The Beginning and True

But the next day was nothing but moody magic. Rolling through the wide terraced streets of Stanmore and Camperdown, past public schools and local parks, we chatted and laughed about living in Sydney and growing up just a few streets from where we now filmed. (Tania has lived in Melbourne and Sydney and now lives in Chicago.) We drove steadily through the dappled light of fig tree canopies and she smirked her way through a wrong turn onto a bustling Parramatta Rd. In between songs we discussed her journey to America and the bitter Chicago winter she had left behind.

Via Tania: Howcome

Tania’s albums are characterised by layer upon layer of sound, from the pulse and throb of electronic beats, to the light angelic sounds of bells and xylophones, to the dreamy reverberation of vocals and pianos. These films present her music in a new way we hadn’t expected. The gentle plucking of her largish ukulele coupled with her silky Australian/American drawl, gives audiences fresh access to the questioning and longing inherent in her storytelling. Her warm romantic lyrics surface with an intimacy not usually experienced at a show on from an album. As she disappeared into the crowd at King St Station, we were left feeling that something special had been captured in the car, from the streets of Stanmore to Newtown; where her mother was patiently waiting.

-Amelia

www.viatania.com
www.myspace.com/viatania