TINPAN ORANGE (SINGLE LAUNCH) + MEL PARSONS (NZ)
7.30PM: DOORS
8.00PM: MEL PARONS
9.00PM: TINPAN ORANGE
Melbourne’s indie-folk darlings Tinpan Orange return with a brand new single ‘You’re Not There’, the first taste from their forthcoming fifth studio album to be released in early 2016, and announce a string of festival dates along with a very intimate single launch at The Melbourne Folk Club on Sunday December 13th.
Lead by the ethereal and mesmerising Emily Lubitz, with brother Jesse Lubitz on guitar and string playing virtuoso Alex Burkoy, ‘You’re Not There’ was co-written and co-produced with Harry James Angus (The Cat Empire). Angus helps to deliver a 70’s inspired alt-country folk song that takes you on journey with Emily’s distinctly angelic voice, coupled with Jesse’s harmonies and sensitive guitar melodies. ‘You’re Not There’ welcomes you back into the melancholic and heart-warming world that is distinctly Tinpan Orange.
Previous album Over the Sun (2012) was nominated for The Age Music Victoria Genre Award for Best Folk Roots Album in 2013, at the same time as Emily sang on one of the biggest viral sensations of all time, the famous Metro advertisement of Dumb Ways to Die, and the band won the Triple J Unearthed slot on Melbourne’s Laneway Festival, also in 2013. Moving forward into 2015 the band received two Australian arts grants, which helped them on their way to make their fifth album in their hometown of Melbourne with the album being mixed by Portland’s folk production king Adam Selzer (M. Ward, Monsters of Folk, Jolie Hollland, Laura Veirs).
Tinpan Orange have been lucky enough to share stages with Martha Wainright, The Cat Empire, The Waifs, Jen Cloher and Husky, just to name a few, along with performing at some of the world’s biggest music festivals including WOMAD, Woodford Folk Festival, Laneway Festival, Calgary Folk Festival and Winnipeg Folk Festival captivating audiences across the globe.
Now with new material and a fifth album slated for release in April 2016, TinpanOrange are looking forward to spending the Summer playing Festivals nationally across Australia.
‘You’re Not There’ is out on October 30th.
Well recognized as one of New Zealand’s established songwriting stars, indie-folk singer songwriter Mel Parsons’ star is on the rise. Following the success of both her debut album ‘Over My Shoulder’ in 2009, and sophomore offering ‘Red Grey Blue’ in 2011, Parsons is on the cusp of the release of her third full length record ‘Drylands’.
The Kiwi singer/songwriter and two time NZ Music Award (VNZMA) finalist for Folk Album of the Year, has just released the first single from ‘Drylands’ – the gutsy & rhythmic audience favourite originally performed with Fly My Pretties, ‘Far Away’. With a dynamite live show, solo or with her band, Parsons is an engaging performer with a natural emotive voice that allows the listener to become part of the story.
With home as a hotel room and a suitcase, Parsons has built up her fan base the old fashioned way – winning over audiences on the live circuit. The only New Zealand artist invited to showcase at Folk Alliance International in Kansas City, USA in 2014 & 2015, Parsons has also had recent tours in Australia, UK, Ireland, and Germany. She is also a cast member of Kiwi musical collective ‘Fly My Pretties‘, with tours and festival performances including the prestigious Byron Bay Bluesfest at Easter 2015.
Closer to home, along with her own shows, Parsons has double-billed sold out tours of NZ wool sheds with comedy duo ‘The Bitches’ Box’ performing over 100 shows together in some of the country’s most remote rural areas.
Her second album ‘Red Grey Blue’ was called “one of New Zealand’s finest releases”*, and spent 28 weeks in the NZ independent album charts. Parsons is signed to Australian-based publisher Native Tongue, and has released both of her records in NZ on Border Music & DRM.
An adventurer at heart, Parsons grew up on a farm at Cape Foulwind near the small West Coast town of Westport, and her adventures to date have taken her all over the world – highlights including a year living on the edge of the Atacama desert in Chile, and two years in the Rocky Mountains of British Colombia. When not on the road Parsons is currently based out of Christchurch.
