After a two-year pause, swooping season is back as Americana, indie folk band Magpie Diaries return to the road for a run of NSW dates.
These shows will act as a test run of new material ahead of the annual pilgrimage to Dashville Skyline, the cosmic country festival that Matt 'Magpie' Johnston curates at his family property over the October long weekend.Very much a family band, Magpie and wife Jessica, who also run the unique outdoor music venue Dashville, have spent sporadic time hibernating in the Dashville studio over the last year or two, enjoying the consummate distraction of family life, writing and recording new material.
The moments fleeting, with Jess often having their little bubba magpie strapped to her back, in order to nail that perfect drum take with her trademark vibe that lends towards Magpie's soulful lyrical approach, their harmonies the final ingredient, which delivers the smooth country sound that is the Magpie Diaries.
Performing a bunch of new material and songs from their debut release, 'Sanctuary' (2018), on this run Magpie Diaries will be performing in Dungog, Pacific Palms, Hunter Valley, Newcastle and Sydney before finishing off at Dashville Skyline.
Here, Matt shares five things that are better outdoors than inside.
1: A good fart inside can still be a horrible experience, whereas farting outside in the great outdoors, whether it's yours or another's, is mostly a liberating experience.
2: Outside it's much easier to understand what the birds are saying. Bonus is they can also see that you're listening.
3: Outside air might not always be cleaner than inside, though the crisp morning air is of a higher class velour, and if exhaled meaningfully, can be very good for the soul.
4: After extended periods, young persons can get very obnoxious inside, so it's best to leave them outside, but not for too long. A bit like a potted rainforest fern.
5: Swimming. Best options for swimming exist outside. It's rare that you will find somewhere inside to swim that doesn't melt your eyeballs.
Magpie also supplied a bonus top 5. . . five reasons to make friends with magpies. Bless.
1: They're black and white. No coloured bull sh.t.
2: They can sing, and it's unmistakable.
3: If you're family, then you are protected.
4: Never under estimates the value of soft, shiny things.
5: Two syllables 'Mag-pie'; it's such an easy name to remember.
Magpie Diaries 2022 Tour Dates
Fri 12 Aug - Royal Hotel (Dungog)Sat 13 Aug - Bungwahl Hall (Pacific Palms)
Sun 14 Aug - Grand Junction (Hunter Valley)
Wed 17 Aug - Midnight Special (Sydney)
Fri 19 Aug - The Stag and Hunter (Newcastle)
Sun 21 Aug - The Brass Monkey (Sydney)
Sat 27 Aug - Tamworth Hotel (Tamworth)
Fri 2 Sep - Dashville Skyline (Hunter Valley)
