TOURING AUSTRALIA FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER 10 YEARS

Tickets On-Sale Friday 30th April 2021 from 12noon (local time)

Following the release of their recent Australian Number One album ‘When You See Yourself’, Kings of Leon are delighted to announce their first full Australian tour in over 10 years. The set will include songs from all 8 of their albums.

The Australian tour kicks off in Sydney on Saturday 26th March 2022 before visiting Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.

KINGS OF LEON AUSTRALIAN 2022 TOUR DATES

➢ Saturday 26 March Sydney, Qudos Bank Arena
➢ Tuesday 29 March, Brisbane Entertainment Centre
➢ Friday 1 April, Melbourne, Sidney Myer Music Bowl
➢ Monday 4 April, Adelaide Entertainment Centre
➢ Thursday 7 April, Perth, RAC Arena

Caleb (guitar, vocals) said “As a band, we feed off the energy our audiences bring and the last time we toured Australia the atmosphere was electric. We can’t wait to get back down there and perform for you all again!”

Nathan (drums) added: “We’re so looking forward to getting back out on the road with our touring family: we still have the same sound man and guitar tech that we had on our very first show and we also have cousins that are part of our crew. But, most of all, it’s the shared experience of performing in front of our fans from all corners of the globe, in person, that we miss. Let’s all come together and celebrate the power of live music.”

Since Kings of Leon first captivated a global audience with the release of their debut EP Holy Roller Novocaine, back in 2003, Australia has been obsessed with this band of brothers (and one cousin). In 2008, Kings of Leon’s Only By The Night record – which contains the band’s three most-streamed songs in this country (the chart-topping Sex On Fire, Use Somebody (which peaked at #2) and Closer – was Australia’s best-selling album of the year.

These 4x Grammy Award-winning, multiple-Platinum-certified Tennessee rockers have sold over 20 million albums, and nearly 40 million singles, worldwide to date.

After honing their craft for 20 years, Kings of Leon have cemented their position as one of the world’s top rock acts, headlining international bucket-list festivals including Glastonbury, Coachella, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza’s in Chicago, Berlin, Sao Paulo and Santiago, to name but a few, along with a record breaking 4 nights at London’s Hyde Park.

Paul Dainty, AM President/CEO said, “Kings of Leon’s Australian shows in 2011 were nothing short of phenomenal and this time around the band will also be riding high after celebrating yet another #1-charting album in this country. We can’t wait to welcome Kings Of Leon back into Australian arenas.”

Don’t miss your chance to catch Kings of Leon LIVE!

TICKETING INFORMATION
General Public On-Sale for all Shows from Friday 30 April 2021 at 12Noon (Local Time),
Visit https://www.tegdainty.com/

TELSTRA PLUS TICKETING INFORMATION
Pre-Sale for all shows commences Wednesday 28 April 2021 at 11am (local time)
Closes Friday 30 April 2021 at 11am (Local Time)
Go to Telstra.com/music

IMPORTANT MESSAGE
DO NOT BUY FROM UNAUTHORISED RESALE SCALPER WEBSITES.
YOU RISK BUYING INVALID OR FRAUDULENT TICKETS

For more information visit
https://www.tegdainty.com/
OR
Kings Of Leon (whenyouseeyourself.com)

BLISS N ESO

ANNOUNCE NATIONAL AUSTRALIAN ‘SEND IT TOUR’ FOR JUNE/JULY 2021
NEW SINGLE ‘GOOD PEOPLE (FEAT. KASEY CHAMBERS)’ OUT TODAY

Illusive Presents and Frontier Touring announce Bliss n Eso ‘Send It Tour’
Bliss, DJ Izm & Eso (Bliss n Eso) will perform nationally for fans in Sydney, Adelaide, Fremantle, Brisbane and Melbourne throughout June/July 2021
Touring for the first time since 2017
Bliss n Eso have 3 x ARIA #1 albums to their name and over 400,000 albums sales
New single ‘Good People (Feat. Kasey Chambers)’ out today
Debuting new single on Music From The Home Front live at Melbourne’s Sidney Myer Music Bowl tomorrow, Saturday 24 April

Illusive Presents and Frontier Touring are pumped to announce a national Australian tour for one of the country’s finest hip hop acts, Bliss n Eso. The ‘Send It Tour’ will see the group bring their infectious energy and unmatchable flow to audiences in Sydney, Adelaide, Fremantle, Brisbane and Melbourne throughout June/July 2021.

The ‘Send It Tour’ kicks off Friday 25 June at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre, then heading to Thebarton Theatre Adelaide on Thursday 1 July, Metropolis Fremantle on Saturday 3 July and Eatons Hill Hotel Brisbane on Saturday 10 July, before wrapping up with two Melbourne shows at 170 Russell on Thursday 22 July and Friday 23 July.

The band are psyched to be returning with live shows:

“This is by far the longest break we’ve had from our home on stage. To say that we’re hungry for it doesn’t come close-we are gonna EAT that stage!! After 18 months of hell… who is ready to Send It!?!?” – Bliss n Eso

With 3 x ARIA #1 albums to their name and over 400,000 albums sold to date, this will be the Sydney heavyweights first major headline shows since 2017’s national ‘Off The Grid’ tour.
“Coupled with their lyrical creativity and verbal dexterity, they are formidable with a positive and uplifting message.” Adelaide Now

“Bliss n Eso have this amazing variety to their music and whether it’s rapping or a little more classical in their vocals, their voices and musical talents resonates perfectly with music fanatics. So the audience were drawn into the music with their hands in the air, it was quite an electrifying… albeit sweaty experience.” Impulse Gamer
Today marks another anchoring moment in the hip hop giants’ career with the release of their first 2021 single, feel good tune ‘Good People (feat. Kasey Chambers)’.

Featuring Australian country music royalty Kasey Chambers – ARIA Hall of Fame inductee with 5 x ARIA #1 albums to her name – ‘Good People’ is an emotive slice of pop-driven rap that drives home the value in surrounding yourself with truly good people.

‘Good People’ follows the success of last year’s ‘Lighthouse (feat. Jake Isaac)’, ‘So Happy (feat. SonReal)’ and ‘Send It’, which saw them excite fans with yet another television performance live on ABC’s The Sound. ‘Lighthouse’ has garnered over 1.2 million streams on Spotify and was the cover of the platform’s Gold Bars playlist for eight consecutive weeks.

Renown for their captivating live performances and boisterous energy – don’t miss out on tickets to see Australia’s finest, Bliss n Eso this June and July!

Enmore Theatre | Sydney, NSW 18+ On sale: Monday 3 May (10am local time) ticketek.com.au | Ph: 13 28 49

Thebarton Theatre | Adelaide, SA 18+ On sale: Monday 3 May (10am local time) ticketmaster.com.au | Ph: 136 100

Metropolis | Fremantle, WA 18+ On sale: Monday 3 May (10am local time) oztix.com.au | Ph: 1300 762 545

Eatons Hill | Brisbane, QLD Licensed All Ages On sale: Monday 3 May (10am local time) moshtix.com.au | Ph: 1300 438 849

170 Russell | Melbourne, VIC 18+ On sale: Monday 3 May (10am local time) moshtix.com.au | Ph: 1300 438 849

170 Russell | Melbourne, VIC 18+ On sale: Monday 3 May (10am local time) moshtix.com.au | Ph: 1300 438 849

Money Boys’ eponymous debut single is as endearingly cocky as it is catchy. Recorded in the brief period between Melbourne’s first and second lockdowns, the debut single ‘Money Boy’ from Melbourne outfit Money Boys perfectly captures the pent-up energy of four punk diehards, busting to hit the studio together. Recorded at the first word of restrictions easing, the song bursts out the gates with a frenetic guitar intro, pushing effortlessly forward through punchy and melodic verse and chorus.

Towards the end, you can almost hear beers spilling in the background as the whole band euphorically sing, “I wanna be your Money Boy” with an enormous dose of bravado and perhaps only the slightest hint of irony. As kids the four members met in Melbourne’s underage punk scene, both playing in bands and going to shows together.

Years later, they put together an Operation Ivy tribute band for a brief run of gigs and at one rehearsal, recorded a shitty demo of an original. With the boredom of lockdown in full swing, the song re-emerged and the hunger to write more became insatiable. Within three short weeks, an EP was written and in a single day recorded by Press Club’s Greg Rietwyk, seamlessly capturing both the restless energy and the band’s live-playing prowess.

You can catch the Money Boys supporting The Smith Street Band at Melbourne’s Croxton on April 8, 9 and 10th, ahead of their first headline show at The Curtin on April 30th when they release their debut EP No Wealth But Life.NO WEALTH BUT LIFENO WEALTH BUT LIFE – OUT APRIL 30TH www.facebook.com/MONEYBOYSSFor

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR ‘MONEY BOY’

CHVRCHES
RELEASE NEW SINGLE ‘HE SAID SHE SAID’
CHVRCHES today release their new single ‘He Said She Said’, available to stream and download now – listen here. Recorded almost entirely remotely on two different sides of the Atlantic, the song arrives after premiering as Annie Mac’s Hottest Record on BBC Radio 1, three years on from CHVRCHES’ acclaimed third album Love Is Dead.

“Like everyone, I’ve had a lot of time to think and reflect over the past year; to examine experiences I had previously glossed over or deeply buried. I feel like I have spent a lot of my life (personally and professionally) performing the uncomfortable balancing act that is expected of women and it gets more confusing and exhausting the older I get,” explains CHVRCHES’ frontwoman Mayberry of ‘He Said She Said’.

“Be successful but only in the way we want you to be. Speak up for yourself but not so loudly that you steal men’s thunder. Be attractive but only for the benefit of men, and certainly don’t be vain. Strive to be The Hot Sad Girl but don’t actually be sad in a way that’s inconvenient for anyone. Be smart but not smart enough to ask for more than what you’re being given.”

Mayberry continues: “‘He Said She Said’ is my way of reckoning with things I’ve accepted that I know I shouldn’t have. Things I pretended weren’t damaging to me. It was the first song we wrote when we started back up, and the opening line (“He said, You bore me to death”) was the first lyric that came out. All the verse lines are tongue-in-cheek or paraphrased versions of things that have actually been said to me by men in my life. Being a woman is f**king exhausting and it felt better to scream it into a pop song than scream it into the void. After the past year, I think we can all relate to feeling like we’re losing our minds.”

CHVRCHES are Lauren Mayberry, Iain Cook and Martin Doherty. Since emerging in 2013 with their breakthrough album The Bones Of What You Believe, the band have always projected an insularity and a left-of-the-middle approach, historically focusing on self-producing their work to find their unique balance between the dark and the light; between alternative and pop.

After self-writing-and-producing their first two albums, The Bones Of What You Believe and its 2015 follow-up, Every Open Eye, the band opened up the process on their 2018 offering, Love Is Dead, welcoming outside influence in the form of GRAMMY Producer of the Year Greg Kurstin. The band toured extensively until the end of 2019, returning home with the intent of going back to their insular beginnings to make new music.

A few months later, with the world in the grips of the pandemic, their plans changed – CHVRCHES ended up separated by the Atlantic Ocean, Mayberry and Doherty self-isolating in Los Angeles, Cook in Glasgow. They had to find a way to create almost entirely separately from one another. Through video calls and audio sharing programmes, the band began crafting something unique and special, but inherently CHVRCHES. ‘He Said She Said’ is the first fruits of their labour.
CHVRCHES – ‘He Said She Said’

Out now through Liberator Music

Buy/stream here

MUSIC FROM THE HOME FRONT 2021
ANZAC DAY EVE – SATURDAY 24 APRIL 2021
TELEVISED CONCERT ADDS EVEN MORE NAMES TO THE BROADCAST LINE-UP!

Watch our best local artists unite in a huge televised concert event this weekend on Anzac Day Eve
New artists added to the broadcast include: Abby Dobson, Augie March, Crowded House, Delta Goodrem, Kate Ceberano, Mark Seymour, Morgan Evans, Nikka Costa and The Australian Children’s Choir
Hosts for the evening are: David Campbell, Brooke Boney and Kate Gudinski
Purchase event merch to help our friends at Support Act
Watch on Channel 9 and 9Now at 7.30pm, Saturday 24 April
Stream globally on YouTube @ 7.30pm AEST, Saturday 24 April
Final tickets to the Sidney Myer Music Bowl are on sale now!

‘With Crowded House recently reunited and playing live in NZ it was a pleasure to be able to perform for Music From The Home Front again, this time all in the same room. We remember those who went before, who first summoned the ANZAC spirit, as it moves to a new level with free travel once more between our shores, hopeful signs … We also remember the originator of this gathering, the late, great Michael Gudinski’ – Neil Finn

‘It is an honour to be part of this great television event once again. Brilliantly conceived last year by our long-time friend Michael Gudinski, Music From The Home Front is both a powerful statement of respect for the courage and sacrifice of our war dead and a celebration of Australian songs in the Anzac tradition’ – Mark Seymour

‘In true Michael Gudinski, “Don’t wait for the dust to settle, strike a chord that will change the world” kinda attitude, he busted outta the COVID claustrophobia with Music From The Home Front last year and put Australian music right back, front and centre.! It was exciting to be on the first wave and now catching the next set! So grateful for his vision and support’ – Kate Ceberano
As Aussie music lovers prepare to commemorate Anzac Day, the Mushroom Group is proud to announce even more artists have joined the televised concert event Music From The Home Front 2021, happening Saturday 24 April. The mammoth TV broadcast will include live performances from Melbourne’s Sidney Myer Music Bowl along with stunning artist clips filmed at various iconic VIC locations.

Music From The Home Front will kick off on Anzac Day eve (Saturday 24 April), from 7.30pm on Channel 9 and 9Now and YouTube (7.30pm AEST).

The following incredible names will now also perform as part of the TV special (in alphabetical order):

ABBY DOBSON, AUGIE MARCH, CROWDED HOUSE, DELTA GOODREM, KATE CEBERANO, MARK SEYMOUR, MORGAN EVANS, NIKKA COSTA and THE AUSTRALIAN CHILDREN’S CHOIR.
These artists join an already announced, incredible line-up to be broadcast on Channel 9:

BEN LEE, DEAN LEWIS, GORDI, HAYLEY MARY, JESS HITCHCOCK, JIMMY BARNES, MAHALIA BARNES, SAM FISCHER, THE KID LAROI, TINA ARENA, YOU AM I

Meanwhile, your hosts for the evening can also be revealed: co-host of Today Extra David Campbell OAM, Today Show Entertainment Presenter Brooke Boney, and Talking In Common podcast co-host Kate Gudinski.

Mushroom is also proud to announce that Music From The Home Front is once again partnering up with Support Act. Fans can buy special event merch – either in person at the Bowl, or online – and 100% of profits will go to helping our artists, crew and music workers.

“It couldn’t be more fitting that the first major event following the late, great Michael Gudinski’s passing is Music From The Home Front, back for its second year,” said Clive Miller, CEO Support Act. “Last year’s event was a rallying call for everyone working in live music to have hope and optimism for the future, while remembering all those who served in defence of our nation. This year the message has added poignancy and Support Act is delighted to once again be the beneficiary of proceeds, which will support our efforts to provide crisis relief and mental health and wellbeing support for music workers who are doing it tough.”
VIC fans: don’t delay! FINAL tickets for the live MFTHF concert happening this Saturday night at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl are on sale now. Head to musicfromthehomefront.com to buy – prices start at $69 (plus booking fees), with decks available in groups of 4 or 6. Gates open at 5pm… see you there!

Fans who attend the Bowl’s live show will be treated to a night of special performances from (in alphabetical order):

AMY SHARK, BLISS N ESO FEAT. KASEY CHAMBERS, BUDJERAH, JEROME FARAH, LIME CORDIALE, MIA WRAY, TASH SULTANA, THE RUBENS, VANCE JOY and ROYAL MELBOURNE HOSPITAL SCRUB CHOIR.

Catch Music From The Home Front in person at the ticketed Sidney Myer Music Bowl concert in Melbourne, or watch the broadcast from anywhere in Australia on Channel 9 (TV) and 9Now, or stream it globally via YouTube.

MUSIC FROM THE HOME FRONT
SIDNEY MYER MUSIC BOWL
ANZAC DAY EVE – SATURDAY 24 APRIL 2021

WATCH ON CHANNEL 9 AND 9NOW (7.30PM) + YOUTUBE (7.30pm AEST)

musicfromthehomefront.com
#Homefront

LAST TICKETS ON SALE NOW
via frontiertouring.com/homefront

Select Music, Dot Dash Recordings & Maximillian Brown Present

Riding high off her sold out Sydney Festival show and to celebrate joining the famed roster of Dot Dash Recordings, Ngaiire is bringing her full band up the East Coast this May/June.

Having built a musical identity that effortlessly crosses genre and art form, her renowned vocals, tight beats and big pop sounds have seen Ngaiire acquire countless accolades including four National Live Music Awards, an FBi Radio SMAC Award for best live act, and the inaugural Australian Women in Music Award for Artistic Excellence. Not to mention has seen her grace the stages of Glastonbury through to Splendour and tour alongside artists ranging from Sufjan Stevens to Alicia Keys to Flume.

With a big year of releases on the horizon, come and join Ngaiire as she gives you a taste of the new stuff, along with some reimagining of the back catalogue.

TOUR DATES

MAY 28 – Corner Hotel (Melb)

• • JUNE 5 – The ZOO (Bris)
  • JUNE 12 – FACTORY THEATRE (SYD)

“Having first formed in Sydney’s West a few years ago, Avalanche have been making a name for themselves as purveyors of blistering Aussie hard-rock in much the same vein as those who came before them, with clear influences being taken from the likes of AC/DC, Rose Tattoo, and The Angels. On their latest track, these influences are clearer than ever, with Avalanche delivering a track that is evocative of all those artists who have spent their days practicing their craft with dreams of making it all the way to the top.” Rolling Stone

Sydney’s hardest-rocking four piece Avalanche have today announced their rollicking new single Second Hand Band, a powerful track that encapsulates what it’s like for a rock n roll band on their way to the top, out April 9. The band have also released a potent video to accompany Second Hand Band, an ode to the band’s beginnings, rehearsing in an old steel factory in Sydney’s west. Avalanche’s highly anticipated new EP of the same name is set for release on May 11, and the group will be heading out on a massive east coast tour to celebrate, kicking off at Crowbar in Sydney for Home Brewed Festival on April 9, then moving through Port Kembla, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Wollongong, Newcastle, back through Sydney, then wrapping up at The Basement in Canberra on August 14.

The new single, Second Hand Band, is evocative of the Aussie pub rock greats – AC/DC, Rose Tattoo, The Angels – but with a modern, unique Avalanche spin. The listener can hear the years of practice, passion and grind that has gone into this project, and anyone who has ever dreamt of a life as a musician will relate to the subject matter behind this heavy, gritty romp. Lead vocalist Steven Campbell says, “With Second Hand Band, we tried to capture our experiences as a young rock band in Australia and the way we kinda see ourselves and how others may see us in the industry; thoroughly used, gently bruised and in somewhat working order and trying to find our own voice, where all the music we play is influenced by what we grew up on, the music in our dad’s record collection and the dirty pub rock of Australia’s past, but played through our generation. Because when you’re first starting out as a band and you’re at the absolute bottom of the feeding chain, a good live show is the only thing you have, so you better make it fucking phenomenal. That’s what we learned very early on and we always work our arses off at every show to do that, and then we kinda worked backwards from there to get that on tape and in our songwriting, and so the single and EP was born.” The video for Second Hand Band captures exactly that – the exceptional live show that has been at the forefront of Avalanche’s practice since the very beginning. Dramatic, sweaty and exciting, the video demonstrates Avalanche’s commitment to true entertainment.

The EP is as dirty, hard-rocking and moshpit-filling as one might imagine after hearing the single Second Hand Band for the first time. Recorded at DEF WOLF Studios with producer and engineer Mark Matula, the EP is as hectic and brash as you’d hope for from a rock n roll band like Avalanche. It’s a full-body experience; guitars and drums right in your face from the get-go, with lead vocalist Steven Campbell’s voice punching through the noise. Speaking on the inspiration behind the EP, Steven reflects, “Well, this EP basically is about our experiences so far as a rock band and also just as people and where we’re at in our lives and jobs and all that. We have songs like Down in The Gutter, Permanent Ink and Spit in My Mouth that are very fast, aggressive songs, about life and fuckwits getting you down, not taking what others try to shove down your throat and not caring about what other people think. Then we have ‘Get Back (To Fuckwit City)’ which is basically just a fun, tongue in cheek ode to our home city of Sydney!”

The true Avalanche experience is to witness them live – and luckily for fans they will be heading out on an extensive Australian tour to celebrate the release of Second Hand Band in April through to August 2021. Giving audiences a taste of what to expect from their explosive live show, Steven says, “Our live shows are what we do all this stuff for and when people come they should expect a good time. They should feel like they’re at the craziest, wildest party they’ve ever been too, you know the one that ends up on the local news. The ones you can’t quite remember, but you’ll never forget. They should expect blood, sweat, piss and hell even some tears sometimes – our live show is what we’ve come to be known for and something you gotta experience to understand, and our new material encapsulated it better than ever.”

Second Hand Band (single) is out April 9. Second Hand Band (EP) is out May 11 and is available to pre-save and pre-order now.

Avalanche is Steven Campbell, Veronica Campbell, Arthur Divis and Ryan Roma.

AVALANCHE ‘SECOND HAND BAND’ EAST COAST TOUR

SAT 17 APR | CROWBAR, SYDNEY NSW | 18+ ‘Home Brewed’ Festival | Tickets available from Oztix

SAT 24 APR | THE ARTHOUSE CAFE, PORT KEMBLA NSW | ALL AGES ‘Artsville Unhatched’ Festival | Tickets available from Festival Director

SAT 22 MAY | PADDO RSL, SYDNEY NSW | 18+ Tickets available from Oztix | 1300 762 545

SAT 19 JUN | KING LEARS THRONE, BRISBANE, QLD | 18+

Free entry

SUN 20 JUNE | VINNIES DIVE, GOLD COAST, QLD | 18+ Tickets available from Oztix | 1300 762 545

SAT 26 JUN | HOTEL WESTWOOD, MELBOURNE VIC | 18+ Tickets available from Eventbrite

SUN 27 JUN | THE LAST CHANCE ROCK N’ ROLL BAR, MELBOURNE VIC | 18+ Tickets available from Oztix | 1300 762 545 | https://thelastchance.oztix.com.au/

THURS 8 JULY | LA LA LA’S, WOLLONGONG NSW | 18+ Tickets available from Moshtix

SAT 24 JULY | HAMILTON STATION HOTEL, NEWCASTLE NSW | 18+ Tickets available from Oztix | 1300 762 545

FRI 6 AUG | KELLY’S ON KING, SYDNEY NSW | 18+ Tickets available from Eventbrite

SAT 14 AUG | THE BASEMENT, CANBERRA ACT | 18+ Tickets available from Oztix | 1300 762 545

Montreux Jazz Festival and BMG today announce the forthcoming releases of ‘Nina Simone: The Montreux Years’ and ‘Etta James: The Montreux Years’ on Friday, 28 May 2021. The live albums, which will be available in multiple-format configurations, including double LP and two-disc CD editions, feature sublime collections of the musical icon’s finest Montreux Jazz Festival performances, including previously unreleased material, all restored to their full glory and more. The audio will also be available on digital download and streaming services.

Pre-order ‘Nina Simone: The Montreux Years’ and ‘Etta James: The Montreux Years’ here

Simone and James’ albums are the first releases of Montreux Jazz Festival and BMG’s brand-new collection series “The Montreux Years”. The collections will uncover legendary performances by the world’s most iconic artists alongside rare and never-before-released recordings from the festival’s rich 55-year history, with mastering performed by Tony Cousins at London’s iconic Metropolis Studios, incorporating MQA to capture the original sound of these special live performances. Each collection will be accompanied by exclusive liner notes and previously unseen photography.

Nina Simone’s story from the late sixties to the nineties can be told through her legendary performances in Montreux. Taking to the Montreux stage for the first time on 16 June 1968 for the festival’s second edition, Simone built a lasting relationship with Montreux Jazz Festival and its Creator and Director Claude Nobs and this unique trust and electricity can be clearly felt on the recordings.

Simone’s multi-faceted and radical story is laid bare on ‘Nina Simone: The Montreux Years’. From Nina’s glorious and emotional 1968 performance to her fiery and unpredictable concert in 1976, one of the festival’s most remarkable performances ever witnessed, the collection includes recordings from all of her five legendary Montreux concerts – 1968, 1976, 1981, 1987 and 1990.

Featuring rare and previously unreleased material from Claude Nobs extensive collection of recorded material (Montreux Sounds), Nina Simone devotees worldwide will be thrilled by the inclusion of the powerful I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free, poignant and fearless Four Women and Simone’s hauntingly beautiful performance of Ne Me Quitte Pas.

A spine-tingling version of Janis Ian’s searing and potent Stars, which Simone covered for the very first time during her 1976 Montreux performance, sits alongside her bold and electrifying re-imagine of Bob Marley’s ballad No Woman No Cry in 1990. The collection closes with the encore of Nina Simone’s final Montreux Jazz Festival concert and one of Simone’s most-loved and best-known recordings, the exuberant My Baby Just Cares For Me, showcasing the deep and multidimensional facets of Simone’s life and music.

The CD edition of ‘Nina Simone: The Montreux Years’ will also include Simone’s 1968 landmark concert in full, the first time the full concert will be available on CD.

‘Etta James: The Montreux Years’ is a treasure trove of timeless classics, powerful and electrifying performances and raw, soaring vocals by one of the greatest ever female vocalists. The collection, featuring recordings from James’ live at Montreux concerts in 1977, 1978, 1989 1990 and 1993, encapsulates and reflects Etta’s dynamic artistry and long-lasting impact. Spanning performances from across three decades, ‘Etta James: The Montreux Years’ offers deeply personal and intimate snapshots into James’ acclaimed musical journey, highlights and her phenomenal career.

From one of Etta James’ earliest successes, the infectious and endlessly elegant Something’s Got A Hold On Me, a medley that consist of At Last, Trust In Me and Sunday Kind of Love, which is a fusion of highlights from the early 60s, to the raw and emotional I’d Rather Go Blind and soulful horn-driven Tell Mama. The collection closes with Baby What You Want Me To Do, James’ homage to Jimmy Reed and the encore of her 1978 concert.

In 1975, Claude Nobs captured a significant moment of musical history – Etta James’ very first concert in Europe, performing at the festival’s 9th edition. The CD edition of ‘Etta James: The Montreux Years’ will include highlights of this special landmark concert, held at Montreux Casino on 11 July 1975.

Thierry Amsallem, Claude Nobs’ Universal Legatee, Chair/CEO of Montreux Sounds and Chair of Claude Nobs Foundation, says: “The Montreux Jazz Festival has always been a leading showcase for the international music scene, as well as a meeting place for musicians and music lovers. The magic of Montreux lay in the encounters between musicians. There were unique events that will never be repeated. The idea was to allow artists to get off the beaten track and avoid replaying their usual repertoire. But here, we treated them like royalty and offered them the best conditions in the world, in terms of sound quality and audio-visual recording technology.”

Mathieu Jaton, CEO of the Montreux Jazz Festival, added: “I am thrilled to be able to continue the fabulous history of albums recorded at Montreux Jazz Festival with the new collection “The Montreux Years”. And who better to launch this series than the incredible Etta James and Nina Simone, who both left their mark on the Festival! I am especially pleased that these albums will be released both in digital and analogue formats. I have always thought of the Montreux Jazz Festival as the vinyl of festivals, because of its exceptional listening quality and the authentic feeling it gives to music lovers. The Festival has also always been at the forefront of new audiovisual technologies. This is totally in line with our current strategy of a hybrid model between events and digital content.”

‘Nina Simone: The Montreux Years’ and ‘Etta James: The Montreux Years’ are the first releases of Montreux Jazz Festival and BMG’s upcoming multi-format live album collection series. Further “The Montreux Years” releases are soon to be announced.

‘Nina Simone: The Montreux Years’ is released on Friday, 28 May 2020

Melbourne-based artist Harper Bloom has today released her latest single ‘Shaky Bones’, produced by prolific Australian producer Benjamin McCarthy (G-Flip, Alex the Astronaut, Gordi); a barnstorming, rapturous, sing-along that embodies the warmth of a summer’s day, lifted from her forthcoming debut EP Faith, Sex & Skin out in June.

Harper says of the track, “This song was written in Torquay last year between lockdowns! It was a perfect sunny day, and I was sitting on the beach watching this couple who were behaving like friends that wanted to be lovers, but neither seemed confident enough to make the first move. It reminded me of times when I’ve been so in awe of people but too scared to ever let them know. I feel like you get so nervous and excited by the mystery of it all that it makes your bones shake. Well, it does for me anyway!”

To coincide with the single, she has teamed up with award-winning director David Hansen (Anija, Slingshot) to bring the song to life with a brand-new clip.

Describing the process, “I told David how I wrote the song in Torquay when I was people watching on the beach. So, we decided we wanted to bring to life a nostalgic and fun 70s style beach themed music video. We tried our best to incorporate scenes that we thought represented an ideal and timeless summers day in the 70s with the person you fancy!”
She has also announced a slew of East Coast shows that kick off in June to celebrate the release of her debut EP, with shows in Brisbane, Sydney & Melbourne. Details below:

FAITH, SEX & SKIN EP EAST COAST TOUR
PURCHASE TICKETS VIA HARPER BLOOM

THUR JUNE 24 O’SKULLIGANS BRISBANE
FRI JUNE 25 OAF GALLERY BAR SYDNEY
SAT JUN 26 THE WORKERS CLUB MELBOURNE

Singer-songwriter Harper Bloom writes vignettes of vulnerability, same-sex love, and self-acceptance.
Receiving glowing praise for her last two singles ‘Mary’ and ‘Walk My Way’ with national air play across triple j and community radio, she has also been selected as a triple j Unearthed Feature Artist and a BIGSOUND50 artist, and has performed to sold-out crowds including her single launch in Fremantle and a support slot for Hope D at her Melbourne shows – there are no signs of Harper Bloom slowing down.