Matt 'Magpie' Johnston has found his happy place in the debut album 'Sanctuary' from his own band Magpie Diaries.
Known as the operator of Hunter Valley property/live music venue Dashville, which presents great events such as The Gum Ball and Dashville Skyline, Matt started Magpie Diaries in 2012 to help come to terms with the loss of a close friend.
The album is a collection of songs Matt has been working on over the years.
“'Sanctuary' is an eleven-track album we've now been working on for the past three years in various places – up on the north coast, down here in the Hunter Valley and in Nashville as well,” Matt says.
“It's a whole bunch of songs I've been writing since back when I was 18 and 20-years-old through to now. It's a bit of a snapshot of who I am and where the band comes from... it's a bunch of stories I've collated.”
Though largely kept busy year-long organising Dashville's extensive schedule of events, it has been a long-term goal of Matt's to write, record and release his own music, and 'Sanctuary' will be the first record produced on the eponymous Dashville label.
Click here to read our recent interview with Matt 'Magpie' Johnston.
“If you asked me how long it would take to put out an album when I was about 18-years-old, if I knew it was going to be this long I probably would have given up,” Matt laughs.
“But that's the most important thing about music, is that it keeps you driving and that you constantly want to be better. I'm definitely not a perfectionist, but I've definitely worked hard and there's a lot of people who do a similar thing.”
'Sanctuary' recounts Matt's story via smooth soulful folk country, with subtle flourishes of psychedelic rock 'n' roll attributed to great acts like Grateful Dead, Neil Young and Van Morrison, melded with modern influences such as Cat Power and My Morning Jacket.
In celebration of releasing 'Sanctuary', Matt dons his performer's pants for a tour touching on metropolitan and regional centres starting with Woodford Folk Festival at the end of the year.
Magpie Diaries Album Tour 2018-19
Dec 29-Jan 1 - Woodford Folk Festival (Sunshine Coast)Thu 3 Jan - Nimbin Bush Theatre (Northern Rivers)
Thu 3 Jan - Byron Bay Brewery
Fri 4 Jan - Federal Hotel (Bellingen)
Sat 5 Jan - Flow Bar (Old Bar)
Fri 11 Jan - Brass Monkey (Sydney)
Sat 12 Jan - Sly Fox (Sydney)
Sun 13 Jan - Hardys Bay Club
Fri 18 Jan - Moonan Flat
19-20 Jan - Tamworth Hotel
Sun 20 Jan - Junkyard (Maitland)
Thu 24 Jan - Servo Food Truck (Wollongong)
Fri 25 Jan - Tomerong Hall (Jarvis Bay)
Sun 27 Jan - Quarterdeck (Narooma)
Thu 31 Jan - Stag And Hunter (Newcastle)
Thu 7 Feb - The Old Bar (Melbourne)
Sat 9 Feb - Bridge Hotel (Castlemaine)
