Earlier this year, Melbourne rockers Kingswood delivered their third studio album, the unabashed rock & roll of 'Juveniles'.
While 2020 has scuttled any form of touring to promote the new material, the band have not stood still.Rather, they've channelled their inner Americana, bluesy rock selves (as evident on their second album, 2017's 'After Hours, Close To Dawn') to record a companion piece to 'Juveniles'.
Bringing the songs of 'Juveniles' into a more intimate and nuanced sonic space, swapping the harder rock sounds for Americana-flecked, blues charm, the band present 'Reveries'.
Recorded across four days at North Melbourne's Newmarket Studios during lockdown, Kingswood worked with Emmy-winning engineer Guus Hoevenaars (Woodes, Scissor Sisters) in Melbourne, as well as their 'fifth Beatle' and Grammy-winning engineer Eddie Spear (Brandi) on mixing and mastering out of his Nashville studio.
A product of the band diving into the music they've always loved and thrived upon, here the band's frontman Fergus Linacre shares a few anecdotes about the new material.
HEART CAROUSEL
A fine gentleman named Shane Reilly met me into the studio to play pedal steel on a few tracks.We poured him a whiskey and talked about Nashville as we watched him set up a series of hooks and levers linking the pedals to the guitar – it was beautiful to watch.
Once he was fired up we played him the first song, 'Heart Carousel', so he could learn the song and get his head around the changes. We also pressed record, and I kid you not, what you hear is the first and only take Shane did on this song.
It was truly awe-inspiring to see him work, someone who is one of only a handful considered the best in the world. This track has such a good energy and is a positive celebration of good love, perfect way to kick off the record.
OUT OF COLOUR
This track found its way into, let's call it a gypsy sway; it's a little meditative or hypnotic. We let the songs tell us where they wanted to go rather than trying to take a song in a preconceived direction.Al [Laska] would pick up a guitar or banjo or sit at the piano, or just sit in silence until a song showed itself in a new light.
IF THERE'S A LOVE
We wanted this record to feel quite raw and live, minimal tracks and only a few passes singing each song. For guest players it was the same, a few run throughs to learn the song and then mostly one take; we wanted imperfections.In this song both Al and I sang one take each, a few songs were like this. We had already toured 'Juveniles', so when it came to singing them in the studio we were able to focus solely on the emotional performance.
Although they didn't take long, I feel some of the vocals on this album are the best we've ever done.
INFINITE TENDERNESS
One of Al's finest string arrangements paves the way for one of the emotional highlights of the record. Everything melds together perfectly in this track, to create a really beautiful cinematic piece.This song had such a powerful energy on 'Juveniles' and I thought it would be hard to capture it again, but I think I may like this version better.
TELL ME YOU LOVE ME
No word of a lie; we were recording this song when an email from some fans came through requesting a stripped-back version of 'Snakepit' for the first dance at their wedding.It's probably the heaviest and darkest song of 'Juveniles' so we were a little shocked, but also found it quite serendipitous that were were already way ahead of them.
We replied simply with "give us a few days". I'm not sure when the wedding is, but we will make sure there is a video of the dance for us all to see.
TWO HEARTS
Here we reintroduce the banjo and take you to a country fair, with all that cotton candy, Ferris wheel goodness. A love story in dreaming, the departure lends more to the escapism of this song.Perfect for waltzing around the kitchen with a loved one, or perhaps just by yourself.
A LITTLE DEATH
We arrive at side two of the record, in grand fashion. In this version of the song, we let the vocal shine so you can better absorb what I feel are some of the lyrical highlights of the record. I mean who gets "whoopsie" in a song? We do.MONROE
The party over, it's just the two of you left, leave the clean up for tomorrow, pour one more glass and put this track on, dance your way into the bedroom. That's what this song is for, go for it.Or, if you can play piano and sing, this moment will most certainly be enhanced by a private performance.
You'd need to have a piano in your home, but then you can't really do two things at once so you couldn't really hook up to the song. Unless you performed it, then put the record on, but that's insane. Don't do that, you'll figure it out.
COTTON PINK
I love the Neil Youngness of this track, dark but beautiful. Esther Henderson's playing draws you into the dusty corner of the bar and adds just the right amount of madness.
REMEMBER
Definitely one of the highlights of the record for me, and probably the most laborious arrangement for Al, but it paid off.It's got the focus of 'Eleanor Rigby' yet maintains the power of its Dad on 'Juveniles'. I also love Al's vocal performance. I remember being in the control room and flipping out, overcome with emotion at such a beautiful accomplishment.
KITE IN A STORM
This is the most fun you will have on this record, and it's important to have fun whenever you can.We drew on the Cole Porter world; lyrically it was already in his stylistic realm so it was the perfect fit. I think I even tried my best Ella Fitzgerald to get the right vibe.
The only guitar solo on the album. How's that? A Kingswood album with only one guitar solo. What has the world come to?
TAKE ME OFF YOUR BIRTHDAY LIST
A fitting finale to the album, this track is a goodbye, a farewell. It was written as a break-up or post break-up song.To take someone off your birthday list is to abolish them from your contacts, to erase them not from your memory but to ensure you never speak to them again.
However, soon after the song was finished my Grandmother passed away and the song took on a whole, new meaning for me. Similar in finality, to know that you will never speak again.
