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| 14
April 2003 Arrive at Brisbane airport for a
4-week holiday. Come to see Christian Dunham, an old
friend from London. He’s living in a shack made
out of wood, tin and potato sacks on a goat farm up
in the hills behind the Sunshine Coast. I’ve been
living in a one-bedroom, first-floor flat in London.
I’m supposed to go back there in 4 weeks time
and get an office job. Somehow Christian persuades me
to stay for 3 months and make a record instead. This
is the making of ‘Stranger Place’. |
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Pix
Records Studios, Conondale, Sunshine Coast Hinterland,
Queensland, Australia |
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Pix
Vane Mason [engineer] and Christian Dunham [co-producer/bass
player] |
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| July
2003 Just got back from 3 weeks on the road
with Christian who’s touring with Kevin Borich.
Got 7 days and nights to record ‘Stranger Place’
before my visa runs out. Move in at Pix Records studios
with Pix Vane Mason, our engineer and host extraordinaire.
Recording day and night. Brother B turns up from Crystal
Waters to do drum tracks with Christian on bass. Endless
cups of tea, not much sleep. Finish the last track at
4am on the last night before mad dash in the bus back
to the shack. Pack in 5 minutes flat and arrive at Brisbane
airport with 10 minutes to spare. |
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All
a bit of blur, as you can see |
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Taking
a break |
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| 12
July 2003 Arrive back in London with CD desk
mixes. See Doug Cooper about 2 solo tracks for the album
we recorded at Goldcrest studios in Soho last year.
Spend 2 months with friends and family. Book ticket
back to Australia and pack up the flat in London. |
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| 2
October 2003 Back in the ‘back of beyond’.
The shack now has a bathroom with walls and a roof.
Still no hot water but it’s nearly summer anyway.
Spend the next few months rehearsing and gigging with
Christian and Brisbane drummer Shane Nesic. Hear ‘Love
Song’ on the radio for the first time. Make a
bathroom floor from river stones. Start a veggie garden.
Try to overcome snake phobia. |
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Shack
with a view… |
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| 31
December 2003 See in the New Year playing at
Woodford Folk Festival. |
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| Feb
2004 Back at the studio recording vocal, guitar
and cello parts. Love playing the cello again. Record
2 new tracks with Shane Nesic on drums. |
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Crystal
the cat & cello |
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| March
2004 Move into Pix’s place to start mixing
the 12 tracks for ‘Stranger Place’. He and
his girlfriend Kyla have the patience of saints. Tea
on tap. |
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Editing… |
Editing… |
Editing… |
|
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Listening
to mixes with Christian...obviously can’t smile
at the same time. |
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| 13
April 2004 Finish 3 weeks of mixing. |
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Finally
smiling, though possibly delirious with lack of sleep. |
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| 2
May 2004 Back to playing live music again...
up at Maleny Wood Expo on the Sunshine Coast. Album
being mastered by Daniel Fournier at Digital Archives
Network. Book 3 days holiday on the coast with TV and
hot water. Bliss. |
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Photos
by Christian Dunham, Kyla Cobe, Arkin Mackay [STOP
PRESS Visual Media], Duncan Coleman and Emily Maguire. |
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