A primary school teacher by day, Bendigo-based Mariah McCarthy is also a folk singer-songwriter who's about to release her debut album.
Four years removed from her debut EP 'Counting Sheep', Mariah has spent the intervening years quietly focussed on nurturing her own instrumentation while developing her lyrical voice.The result of these efforts is 'At Home', a nine-track collection of quaint, sentimental folk ballads warm with rich harmonies and delicate guitar strumming that tugs at the emotional feels.
"The name 'At Home' originally came from the line 'I feel at home' from the fifth track off the album, 'Old Picture Slide', which is a song very close to my heart," Mariah says.
"It was inspired by both my maternal and paternal grandparents who were both married for over 65 years; it is written through the eyes of my paternal grandfather as his memory and health began to deteriorate.
"I decided to run with that theme and my Nana was kind enough to let me take over her beautiful home for a few days taking photos and filming a couple of videos, which has made the whole album even more personal and special.
"'At Home' also reflects the strange few years we experienced staying at home throughout lockdowns. While the songs weren't written with a theme in mind there is certainly a theme of loss and hope for the future."
Ahead of the release of 'At Home' tomorrow (9 September), scenestr is thrilled to premiere the live music video for album track 'The Information Truck' today. Enjoy.
"'The Information Truck' is a very special song; I wrote it after a young student of mine passed away suddenly," shares Mariah.
"He had such a bright, bubbly personality and was so inquisitive with an amazing mind, so I tried to capture his personality into a song.
"This was a rare songwriting experience for me because almost the entire song was written in maybe ten minutes!"
The video also features a couple of Mariah's regular collaborators. "The video was filmed at my Nana's house with Ben Langdon and Cassie Ward accompanying me; it is filmed by High Voltage Studio.
"I am a solo artist, however I am often accompanied by Ben and Cassie playing as the Mariah McCarthy Trio, and they feature throughout my new album."
Mariah McCarthy 2022 Tour Dates
Sat 10 Sep - Brunswick Artists' Bar (Melbourne)Sat 17 Sep - Old Church On The Hill (Bendigo)
Sat 1 Oct - Heathcote Food And Wine Festival (VIC)
Sun 9 Oct - Daylesford Hotel (Daylesford)
Fri 14 Oct - Nimbus Rooftop Bar (Bendigo)* solo mode
Sat 15 Oct - Bendigo Winemaker's Festival* duo mode
Sun 16 Oct - Handle Bar (Bendigo)* duo mode
Sun 23 Oct - Shedshaker Brewing (Castlemaine)
3-6 Nov - Bendigo Blues & Roots Music Festival
