The Whitlams Black Stump Band released their new single ‘Kate Kelly’, also featuring the stunning vocals of Felicity Urquhart. Tim Freedman yarns up on Big Brekkie this morning.
The Whitlams Black Stump Band was born in 2021, during the depths of Covid. It’s a surprising country detour for one of Australia’s most loved bands, featuring some of Australia’s finest roots musicians, namely Rod McCormack on banjo and acoustic guitar, Ollie Thorpe on pedal steel and electric guitar, producer Matt Fell on bass, and long-time Whitlams’ drummer Terepai Richmond on drums.
The 5 piece Whitlams Black Stump Band will be embarking on their ‘Big City Debut Tour 2023’ - Felicity Urquhart & Josh Cunningham will also be joining them on selected dates on this tour.
The Whitlams Black Stump Band releases its new single today, ‘Kate Kelly’, a gothic bush ballad about Ned Kelly’s little sister, Kate. The song has the intimacy of a violin and mandolin session around the campfire, with the dark energy of a Nick Cave murder ballad fluttering unnervingly through the ghost gums.
Kate Kelly - the historical figure - has always been overshadowed by her famous brother Ned, but the talented young woman was a popular public identity in her own right. She was 17 years old the day Ned was hanged in 1880, and she appeared that night in front of 1,000 paying customers at the Apollo Theatre Hall on Bourke Street, Melbourne.
In August last year, during the band’s first regional run from North Queensland to Southern Victoria, Felicity Urquhart and Josh Cunningham joined the tour from Gunnedah to Queenscliff to open on five shows. It was on these nights that they started experimenting with Urquhart joining the band on stage to sing and play the part of Kate Kelly.
They realised straight away that the addition of Urquhart’s voice gives the song an immediate emotional depth, as she becomes the female inheritor brooding over the Kelly legend. Our protagonist knows the damage that notoriety has wrought on her family, but still needs to use the Kelly name to advertise her Travelling Shows by which she supports her family.
The song was written by Tim Freedman and Northern Rivers identity Jimmy Willing, using a narrative inspired by Jean Bedford’s book, “Sister Kate”, a fictional retelling of the bushranger family’s legend through Kate’s eyes. They wrote it at the piano in Freedman’s house in Newtown, the site of many early Whitlams’ rehearsals. A few years later in a delightful coincidence, after Freedman had moved a short distance away, Jean Bedford moved into the very same house with her late husband, the celebrated crime writer, Peter Corris. Subsequently, the couple formed a friendship with Freedman in their shared street in Newtown.
Freedman says “The credo of the Black Stump project is to give Americana an Australian twist. We like recording songs with Australian themes and Australian senses of humour, and then play them in towns as far and wide as we can.”
The last two singles have fulfilled this mission statement by bringing Freedman’s protest song ‘Blow Up the Pokies’ back onto the airwaves at a time when the issue had returned to the country’s front pages, and by enlivening the East Coast winter’s sporting culture with a story of Waterloo and Redfern waking up on Grand Final day 1970 – ‘The Day John Sattler Broke His Jaw’. Both songs settled at around No. 30 in the Countrytown Top 50 airplay chart.
HISTORY The Whitlams Black Stump Band was born in 2021, during the depths of Covid. Tim Freedman had loaded his piano into the back of the car and headed out on a solo regional tour. While driving between Gunnedah and Mudgee, via Black Stump Way, he discovered that The Whitlams’ ‘Man About a Dog’ – a song about driving through the country after heavy rains have broken the drought – had been added to country radio. “I must admit it was a surprise to be played on Kix Country and Triple A Murri Country, but it was very cool,” says Tim, who vowed: “I have to get out of the city more.” In Mudgee, Tim hatched an idea. He called award-winning producer Matt Fell, who had worked on his solo album, Australian Idle. “Put together your dream band,” Tim said. “I think I want to make a country album.”
The result is The Whitlams Black Stump Band, a surprising country detour for one of Australia’s most loved bands, featuring some of Australia’s finest roots musicians, namely Rod McCormack on banjo and acoustic guitar, Ollie Thorpe on pedal steel and electric guitar, producer Matt Fell on bass, and long-time Whitlams’ drummer Terepai Richmond on drums.
This particular track also features the inimitable violin stylings of George Washingmachine, who has joined the band on stage for both of their Tamworth Country Music Festival concerts. Felicity Urquhart has been part of the tapestry of the Country Music Industry in Australia for three decades. With 8 albums, 13 Golden Guitar Awards, and countless festival appearances, she along with Josh Cunningham, will be opening on The Whitlams Black Stump Band “Big City Debut” dates in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane.
The five-piece band is playing capital cities starting on March 16, and the Black Stump Duo, Freedman and Thorpe’s piano / pedal steel configuration, plays a 20-date run from Pakenham up the East Coast to Eumundi in May and June, once again showing that The Whitlams Black Stump project is determined to spread the word, in person, all across the land. The first show announced in Port Macquarie sold out in three days.
THE WHITLAMS BLACK STUMP BAND Big City Debut Tour 2023 Thursday 16 March - Lizotte’s – Newcastle, NSW Friday 17 March - Lizotte’s – Newcastle, NSW SOLD OUT Saturday 18 March - The Garden – Adelaide, SA Friday 24 March - Thornbury Theatre – Melbourne, VIC * + Felicity Urquhart and Josh Cunningham Saturday 25 March - Memo Music Hall - St Kilda, VIC * + Felicity Urquhart and Josh Cunningham Sunday 26 March - Archies Creek Hotel - Archies Creek, VIC Friday 31 March - Factory Theatre – Marrickville, NSW * + Felicity Urquhart and Josh Cunningham Saturday 1 April - Princess Theatre – Brisbane, QLD * + Felicity Urquhart and Josh Cunningham
TIM FREEDMAN AND OLLIE THORPE Black Stump Duo Tour 2023
Friday 5 May - Black Duck Brewery - Port Macquarie, NSW Saturday 6 May - Black Duck Brewery - Port Macquarie, NSW SOLD OUT Sun 7 May – Bananafest - Coffs Harbour, NSW Thursday 18 May - Sooki Lounge – Belgrave, VIC Friday 19 May - Palais-Hepburn - Hepburn Springs, VIC Saturday 20 May - Cardinia Cultural Centre – Pakenham, VIC Sunday 21 May - The Shed @ The Pig & Whistle - Main Ridge, VIC Thursday 25 May - The Music Lounge – Wollongong, NSW Friday 26 May - Smokey Dan’s – Tomakin, NSW Saturday 27 May - Bendooley Estate – Berrima, NSW Sunday 28 May - Tallagandra Hill Winery – Gundaroo, NSW Thursday 1 June - The Junkyard – Maitland, NSW * + Perry Keyes Friday 2 June - Shoal Bay Country Club - Shoal Bay, NSW * + Perry Keyes Saturday 3 June - Pacific Palms Rec Club - Elizabeth Beach, NSW Thursday 8 June - Bowraville Theatre - Bowraville NSW Friday 9 June - Lennox Head Cultural Centre – Lennox Head, NSW Saturday 10 June - Brunswick Picture House - Brunswick Heads, NSW Sunday 11 June - The Regent – Murwillumbah, NSW Friday 16 June – The Brewery @ The Imperial Hotel –Eumundi, QLD Saturday 17 June – Empire Theatre – Armitage Centre – Toowoomba, QLD
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