Melbourne indie-pop songstress Georgia Fields joins forces with fellow singer-songwriter Phia for a live re-imagining of each other's most recent albums.
Georgia released her sophomore album, 'Astral Debris', last year around the same time looping wunderkind Phia unveiled her debut full-length, 'The Ocean Of Everything'.
When the pair hit the road, each will be lending their own mark to the other's music. “We realise the tour's pretty much going to coincide with the one-year anniversary that both our records came out, because they came out a week of each other in August,” Georgia explains. “So it's a nice way to celebrate the anniversary.”
“We want to keep our national, music culture vibrant and that means going to [regional] places.”
The 'Sky & Sea' tour is in many ways a homecoming for the two Melbourne musicians, with Phia having spent the majority of her time in Europe while Georgia has recently returned to performing after giving birth. “It's been interesting because Phia spent so much time away from Australia working and playing in Berlin; I actually bumped into her and met her when I was in Europe,” Georgia says.
“I'd taken a break just before my record came out to have a kid and she'd just come back from Europe, so in a way it does feel like we were returning to the Melbourne scene together.”
The tour will feature Georgia and Phia on stage at the same time as they interpret one another's work. “It's a hybrid of sounds and our approaches to music,” Georgia says. “When Phia plays live she uses a loop pedal and a kalimba [African thumb piano].
“There will be live looping in that we perform songs live and hit record, so it's played back instantly. I'm playing a lot of guitar for this tour, which is fun because I don't often get the chance to play guitar.
“We're on stage the entire time together, there's harmonies and there may even be a little bit of audience participation; I'm really excited about how the set's coming together.
"I'm looking forward to doing the harmonies too because being a solo performer you don't often get to do that. It feels like being in a little band, it's really cool.”
Georgia and Phia's 'Sky & Sea' tour runs throughout July and into August with shows in capital cities as well as a number of performances in regional centres, which Georgia says is important to her as a solo, independent musician.
“I've realised from the past year of this album cycle that a lot of my work is centred in my home and I've realised how important it is for my own psyche to get out and be meeting with audiences and performing live, and having that interaction really buoys me, keeps me up,” she says.
“On another point of view, it's hard for independent musicians to get to those regional areas. But it's important because not everyone can afford to live in Melbourne and in capital cities artists are getting priced out.
"We want to keep our national, music culture vibrant and that means going to those places.”
Georgia Fields & Phia Shows
Thu 13 Jul - Smith’s Alternative (Canberra)Fri 14 Jul - Candelo Café (Candelo)
Sat 15 Jul - Tomerong Hall (Tomerong)
Fri 21 Jul - The Milk Factory (Brisbane)
Sat 22 Jul - NightQuarter (Gold Coast)
Sun 23 Jul - Brunswick Picture House (Brunswick Heads)
Thu 27 Jul - Oxford Art Factory (Sydney)
Fri 28 Jul - The Unorthodox Church of Groove (Newcastle)
Sun 30 Jul - Kirk's Place (Points Lonsdale)
Thu 3 Aug - The Toff In Town (Melbourne)
Sat 5 Aug - Baby Black Espresso Bar (Bacchus Marsh)
Sun 6 Aug - Old Castlemaine Gaol (Castlemaine)
Fri 11 Aug - The Wheatsheaf Hotel (Adelaide)
Sat 12 Aug - Glen Helen Homestead Lodge (Alice Springs)
