Seasoned young troubadour Sam Brittain will release his new album, 'Signal Lights', 3 June.
Alongside the anthemic first offering 'Stab In The Dark', Sam will be on the road throughout June. The folk-country singer-songwriter shares five of his favourite Australian troubadours.
1. Stu Larsen
I have known Stu for many years. We first met in late 2010 if I recall correctly. He was tour managing for Boy & Bear when they first came through Adelaide, but he himself was a very accomplished artist in his own right. There was another guy on that tour by the name of Mike, he performed under the name Passenger who caught my attention. By 2016 we all are fairly familiar with the story of Passenger; the only thing superseding his success is his humility, loyalty and authenticity and in turn the kinds of minds he attracts.From the shadows of side stage formed a brotherhood that surpassed music. Stu Larsen and Mike Rosenberg fast became great friends, musical confidants and set out on the tour of their lives. The pair having now traversed the globe dozens of times, busked every street corner worth busking, played all the small pubs that turn into small venues, then mid-size venues eventually six years down the road arriving on stages at Pink Pop Festival in Holland and Wembley Stadium.
Mike may be the name on every one’s lips, I mean Passenger and the hit single ‘Let Her Go' is basically a household name these days. However, behind the years or work and building the Passenger empire there was a long haired, bearded man, hailing from far-north Queensland waiting in the wings, ready to warm up every room at every single show, with his hat on and Martin OM28V in hand.
Stu has released a number of EP’s over the years and in 2014 his first, full-length album 'Vagabond'. A fitting album title for a man who at the time rarely spent more than three days in any one city. Stu has worn through the souls of his boots trudging down the road to his musical success more times than most could ever handle. His years of experience traversing every corner of the globe within his grasp shines through this latest offering. I’m excited to see what he does next.
2. Bryan Dalton
I was about to head out on tour in 2014 to promote the release of my second album and was on the hint for support acts all around Australia. Almost immediately I received a message on Facebook from Bryan offering to support my upcoming tour date in Perth. We had known of one another since I had first supported Mike (Passenger) in 2012 and spoken a few times. I recall the first time I heard Bryan's music; I was instantly floored. An Irishman with a gift for crafting words so poignantly while having incredibly infectious hooks. He seemed the perfect fit to open up the show in his adopted home town of Perth/ Fremantle.There is a particular quality and characteristic I look for in music, a visceral rawness to the playing and unapologetic slice of clarity like someone has just dumped a bucket of ice water over your head un-expectantly. The performance just had to hit you hard between the eyes and leave you stunned. Bryan has that quality, and he has got it in excess.
The marks of a man who has cut his teeth playing anywhere and everywhere from busking shopping malls to late-night bars, clubs, pubs and festival stages. He appreciates music for what it truly is: a source of joy and entertainment. It doesn’t matter if the song happens to be an upbeat number or a soul crushing, folk ballad, at the end of the day it’s about evoking an emotion in your audience and I have come across few who do this better than Bryan.
I was fortunate enough to be in Dublin when Damien Rice performed his first show there in eight years alongside the release of his latest album, ‘My Favourite Faded Fantasy’, at the prestigious Iveagh Gardens. I was elated when I saw Bryan’s name as the support act for the show. We met for a pint to discuss the gig and it comes to light after knowing the man for years now that the pair are cousins. What a talented family.
More impressively, Bryan never once brought up this fact or used the connection to further his own career. He chooses to stick to his own path and earns his bones independently to that family fame. This man works hard and he will give you the same intense performance in front of ten people in a small bar as it does to eight-thousand screaming fans in one of the greatest concerts I have ever seen. A world-class act. If you haven’t seen him before… I think you better make it a priority.
3. Luke Thompson
Packing up his bags, selling his home and clearing all assets Luke Thompson has literally thrown it all in to chase his dream of playing music in Australia. Put a wife and young family in the mix and the upheaval from normality is a challenge not for the fainthearted. Their approach though: pack their lives into a caravan and let the summer holiday never stop; oh and along the way Daddy is going to be playing a whole bunch of incredible shows.I have seen Luke perform countless times on multiple trips and there is no doubt in my mind he is one of the finest songwriters of his generation. His most recent venture to Australian shores was as a support act for Passenger earlier this year (are you beginning to see a common thread developing?). The opportunity to see him perform in larger rooms like Melbourne’s prestigious Palais Theatre gave birth to an entirely new level of stage presence and musical prowess. The set ebbed and flowed and passed by in the most wonderful, hypnotic way that is very much a part of Luke’s signature.
The highlight for me was him sitting down, picking up an electric guitar and hearing that familiar voice backed by a far darker pattern of chords and finger picking. Luke is an artist to keep an eye out for in your travels; you’ll never really know where he is going to turn up. But his songwriting and approach to creating music is intrinsically unique and he is well versed in the rules of the road. Captivate at all costs, Luke has it covered.
4. Jed Appleton
If you haven’t heard the name Jed Appleton yet I think your about to. One of the young, rising stars of the nu-folk revolution, Jed has been hard at his craft for years. I first met Jed while on tour in Hobart the winter of 2012 with my first album ‘Our Shining Skin’. Jed, another mutual friend of the Stu Larsen/ Passenger connection, was supporting my Tasmanian date at a little venue called The Alley Cat; I don’t think it exists anymore.Jed was often jumping from gig to gig, playing multiple stages in the same night all while being underage and not technically allowed in the venues at all. His passion for his craft and relentless drive has seen him tour Australia and Europe multiple times and he is currently holed up in Linear Studio’s in Sydney recording a new album, which I for one am very eager to hear.
Jed is a force to be reckoned with; an infectious energy that you can’t help but fall in love with regardless if you come across him busking at Salamanca Markets on a crisp Saturday morning in Hobart or playing beautifully intimate shows all over the world. You only get out what you put in, and Jed’s manic dedication to performing will no doubt see him achieve even greater heights in years to come.
5. Ryan Oliver
I have had the fortunate pleasure of growing up with Ryan Oliver. We we’re both originally from small towns not even ten minutes from one another in the Barossa Valley in South Australia. Over the years we went to the same primary and high schools at different points and as our love for music progressed we had many opportunities to shared stages with our very first bands.It’s one of the things I treasure most to still be sharing this music life with him now. Currently fronting indie/ folk-rock outfit Oliver’s Army, Ryan has been performing, writing and composing music for as long as I can remember and believe me it shows. Currently based in Melbourne he is fast gaining a reputation as one of the hottest keys players around.
With a musical intuition like no other he can sit in with any band, no matter the genre, key or approach and perform as if he has been playing the songs for years. He is one of those rare breed instrumentalists that can take a good band and turn them into a serious musical ensemble. With Ryan it’s not about the notes he plays, it’s about the notes he doesn’t, the spaces in between and the sensibility to know exactly when a song will explode and then fall over.
His years of dedication to his craft have taken him all over Australia and internationally and has seen him share stages with some of our countries elite touring acts. His work not only shines on the latest Oliver Army offering, ‘Nothing Ever Really Stays the Same’, but his unparalleled level of musicianship can be heard live and on records from Traveller & Fortune, Tom West and Stella Angelico just to name a few.
However numerous his successes, the truly special trait that sets Ryan apart is his generosity of spirit and unwavering love for all great music regardless of the genre. I am certain his moral and musical compass will continue to see him traverse the globe writing and performing his brand of intricately woven and lyrically poignant songs that will only become greater as the years roll by.
Sam Brittain Tour Dates
Sat 4 Jun – The Gov (Adelaide)Wed 8 Jun – Brighton Up Bar (Sydney)
Wed 15 Jun – Ellington Jazz Club (Perth)
Thu 23 Jun – The Toff In Town (Melbourne)
Sun 26 Jun – The Milk Factory (Brisbane)
