Iconic Australian blues band Backsliders are set to release their eagerly-anticipated new studio album Left Field Holler on October 20.
The new album, the band’s tenth, captures the tough raw edge of Backsliders’ live performances with an eclectic array of original and diverse tunes. From the opening track Duke – a tribute to a surfing legend – through to the hard punching F—k You Shock-Jock and the Mekong delta inspired – œAntihero’ and – œVietnam People’, this album is a mix of hard hitting, frenetic new blues anthems and poignant ballads. In what has become a signature trademark on Backsliders releases, two low-fi recordings of early 20th century blues songs are a welcome inclusion.
The distinctive powerhouse drum and low-tuned slide-guitar combination of Rob Hirst and Dom Turner is supported by the searing harmonica of two of Australia’s leading harmonica exponents on most tracks: either the legendary and much-emulated harmonica master, Brod Smith (Dingoes, Brod Smith’s Big Combo) or renowned ARIA award winning harp genius Ian Collard.
What will be of no surprise to fans is that Backsliders have again stretched the boundaries with Left Field Holler. Since the band’s first release in the late 1980s, Backsliders have strived for a uniqueness evolving the raw sounds of Mississippi delta blues melding them into their own original style. This album is no exception. This is Australian blues based on interpretation, rather than re-creation.
Recorded at Megaphon Studios by Guy Dickerson, Left Field Holler was mixed by Jim Moginie (Midnight Oil, Family Dog) and Brent Clarke (Ghostwriters) at Mum’s Studio and mastered by Steve Smart at 301 Studios.
Left Field Holler will be available from October 20 through Shock Records.
For fans on the East Coast, Backsliders will be playing the following dates:
September 29 – Narooma Blues and Rockabilly Festival (Narooma NSW)
October 5 – Brass Monkey (Sydney)
October 6 – The Vanguard (Sydney)
October 7 – The Vanguard (Sydney)
November 2 – Wangaratta Jazz Festival (Wangaratta VIC)
November 23 – Tank Arts Centre (Cairns QLD)
November 24 – Joe’s Waterhole (Eumundi QLD)
