With the recent release of their second album, 'The Valiant And Brave', Starboard Cannons are set to showcase their new music this weekend as part of the Brisbane Fringe Festival.
The alternative folk/ Australiana roots duo consists of Ash Bell and Matt Bone from Mullumbimby, who are excited to start playing shows after the May release of the album. "We've pretty much been sitting on our hands since [the release of the album], allowing it to get a little bit of traction," Ash says.
"Now we are starting to do some shows … starting with this Brisbane show and then we've got quite a number of shows up until the end of the year. We haven't actually gone away on tour for quite a while so we're looking forward to it."
The band has received plenty of support from their local community, who have encouraged the duo and their music since the release of their debut album in 2012. "The local area has really supported us," Ash says.
"They see us as a local band they can really get behind. Because we identify as a bit of an Australiana band, heaps of community stations have rallied behind us just because it is something they can identify with that stands out from just all the other music.
"There's music from all over the world where you can't really tell where it is from. Because we are able to be identified a bit more as an Australian band, we get a lot of focus put on that. Community radio has been amazing to get us out there."
The guys love playing in Brisbane and are looking forward to being involved in the Brisbane Fringe Festival. "Brisbane is our closet metropolitan city. We've played [Brisbane] a little bit but we don't really have much of a profile there. But we do play a few shows in the folk scene. We are not so much in the mainstream of regular gigs, but we are really trying to get into Brisbane.”
Ash says audiences can expect a diverse set as they intersperse different musical elements, combining folk music with rousing storytelling through the lyrics and music. “We we will probably do two sets that are quite different dynamically,” he says.
“Our stuff ranges from bush ballads to full band, and we just have bush hoedowns. We try and separate them and do two shows basically, but all in one, and it works really well.”
When he's not on stage, Ash has a rather leftfield occupation — a parachute packer. “I just sort of fell into it a few years ago. It suits my lifestyle and allows me to hangout with my daughter,” Ash says.
