Sometimes a sabbatical is needed to breathe new life into a career.
This was especially the case with Lanie Lane as she stopped touring and – for the most part – writing music for half of 2015 to concentrate on other creative pursuits. “I moved to Yeppoon [Sunshine Coast] and have been focusing on my art for nearly four months,” she says.
“I haven't been writing. I think I’m in a part of my life where I’m not writing. This setting doesn't affect my songwriting much because I haven't really been writing much this year to be honest.
“This year I’ve written maybe four songs, but I’ve definitely been creating more art. Yeppoon affects me more visually. My experience of creativity always seems to flow in different directions, rather than one direction, and it permeates all of life.”
Only a few months after releasing her sophomore LP ‘Night Shade’, Lanie unexpectedly announced her decision to stop touring and recording. At the time she said the “uprootedness” of the rock & roll lifestyle was no longer for her and the ambition – which she believed was a prerequisite to success – of cultivating fame/ attention completely left her.
“I personally found myself not liking who I was becoming under stress and difficult circumstances. It felt like a lot of the time I was either depressed or anxious, so I've begun to change the circumstances of my life to be back in the flow again.”
She’ll get “back into the flow” with an opening night slot at the Woodford Folk Festival planned. “Woodford actually called me and asked if I wanted to play, which I'm so happy about because I've never played Woodford before. I’ve never even been to the festival. If it wasn’t for Woodford reaching out to me I doubt I would have started touring again.
“I’m doing a little tour for myself down the east coast [after Woodford]. I don't have management anymore so I've been busy planning all of that. I've also been selling my artworks, which is really exciting because I've never done it before.”
These are a lot of ‘firsts’ for the performer who first came to the attention of the wider community in 2011 with her unique re-imaginings of swing and rockabilly. “One of the early recording sessions I did was with Jack White, which was incredible. I did a single with him and spending the day with him was amazing.”
For someone who came late to the game, her depth and knowledge of the genre is remarkable. “I didn't listen to heaps of rockabilly or swing music growing up. I definitely had a wide array of musical influences growing up from rock to jazz and everything in between. Old-school music wasn't really an influence on ‘Night Shade’, definitely not as much as ‘To The Horses’ [Lane’s debut LP].”
The upcoming Woodford show and her east-coast tour will see Lanie reunited with her original band members: Paul Derricott, Sarah Belkner, Aidan Roberts and Zoe Hauptman. “I've always played with this band. We're all friends who are comfortable with each other. There is a freedom and trust I wouldn’t get with other bands. I always feel safe when they are playing with me and I feel really lucky to have them as my band.”
Lanie Lane plays Woodford Folk Festival 27 December.
Written by Conor Hughes
Lanie Lane Tour Dates
Sun 27 Dec - Woodford Folk Festival (Sunshine Coast)Wed 6 Jan - No. 5 Church St (Bellingen)
Fri 8 Jan - Commercial Hotel (Milton)
Sat 9 Jan - Narooma Quartereck (Narooma)
Wed 13 Jan - Canvas Coffee & Providore (Barham)
Thu 14 Jan - Sutton's House Of Music (Ballarat)
Fri 15 Jan - The Gasometer (Melbourne)
Fri 22 Jan - Lizotte's (Newcastle)
Sat 23 Jan - Hydro Majestic Hotel (Blue Mountains)
