In late 2008 Dead Letter Chorus quietly released their debut album “The August Magnificent” on independent label CodeOne. What followed this humble release was a frenzy of hype and reviews not to be expected by anyone. The Sydney Morning Herald called it “Epic” and gave it 4-and-a-half stars. Rave Magazine and Rip It Up both gave it 4 stars calling it “an outstanding album” of “sprawling majesty and epic intensity”.
The following year saw Dead Letter Chorus invited to some of the nations biggest festivals including Woodford Folk Festival, Playground Weekender and Peats Ridge Festival. The band played host to some touring acts including Hey Rosetta! (CAN) whom they took on an East-Coast Tour, they also had Gregory Page (USA) and Jill Barber (CAN) support them on select dates. This led to support slots with the likes of The Panics, Whitley & Clare Bowditch to name but a few.
At present Dead Letter Chorus are working on the follow up to The August Magnificent, the first single of which will be released by the end of this year.
The August Magnificent by Dead Letter Chorus
Take enough twang to comfortably wear the spurs of country. Drag it urgently down a bleak and moody path of post-punk morbid fascination, and then rescue it with coquettish balladry and triumphant choruses. Top it all off with a big hunk of energetic Aussie self-produced indie credibility and you have a record that is simply massive.
On their first tilt at a full-length release, Dead Letter Chorus have managed all of this and more to produce an album of sprawling majesty and epic intensity. The type of album you don’t just need to hear… you need to inhabit.
The August Magnificent gets much of its scale from the emotional range of singers Cameron Potts and Gabrielle Huber. Alternating vocal duties either between songs or between verses, Potts and Huber each shift seamlessly from charm to menace to world-weariness and back again, turning each track into its own emotional journey. Even the corny lyrics on the shuffling hoedown of Magnolia Farm, which include ‘you can be the flower, I will be your stem’, are somehow elevated from cheese to charm. Matching the singing for range, the music is breathtaking.
The constantly shifting instrumental dynamics of the album come courtesy of the orchestration of the five band members and no less than 22 guest musicians. It’s a careful blend of reckless abandon and control that frequently empowers but never overwhelms.
But despite the abundance of instrumentation, the must-hear showstopper would have to be Modern Faith. An acoustic rendering of a conversation with God, Modern Faith calls to mind the poetry, lyricism and humble musicianship of the great balladeers of bygone eras.
Not just a great debut, an outstanding album by any measure. Buy it. Listen to it. Live inside it.
Discography - CLICK TO BUY!!
The August Magnificent - CD ALBUM 2008
1. The Peaceful Sleep Of Death
2. Magnolia Farm
3. Down In Your Valley
4. Chasing Hearts
5. Fight The Morning
6. Oscar Moland
7. 11th Dream About Aeroplanes
8. The Long Goodnight
9. Modern Faith
10. Silly Little Man / Kill The King
11. Misery's Widow
12. Fathers and Daughters
Listen Carefully (we shall say this only once) - CD EP 2007
1. Wait All Night
2. Laces Bound
3. Drifting Along
4. Fred Astaire
5. Sally In Red
6. Winter Solace
hello :) wonderful set at newtown festival, was so so so so so great to see you again!! :) new song sounded cool too (second time round anyway :P) and the thought of a new album caused my inner child to do a little happy dance! can't wait for a day in the park! :) -Louise xxx
Hello all DLC, listening to "down in the valley" you could have written it for me, I do feel I've cashed my last token and the flowers are blooming! Its the Hunter Valley and the town I'm in is in a true hole, every way you leave is up! Absolutely brilliant song anyway, like every other! May you go from strength to strength in 2010!
Hey Lee (and of course the rest of The Chorus), nice meeting you at Dave's launch the other week. Would love to do some shows sometime. avagoodweekend!
Hi DLCs -where am i? I have been all over the place, But i am in Berlin now.
what am i doing? all sorts and music of course.
who am i doing it with? thats a bit personal dont u think? haa!
why are they doing it? its instinctual!
when will we see you again? quite soon!
We Miss You...but dropping by your page brings back some sweet sweet memories. - your page does the same for me. we had good times playin around syders. has it changed much? peaces x
Bout bloody time hahahaha! Why thats ok, it's lovely to hear from you guys again and thankyou very for the kind regards! In a couple weeks i hope very much so to book some studio time and record a few songs and the full finished version of society. Then people can see where i'm coming from alot more, which is rather exciting for me ;) then move to the next part of the road of playing some proper gigs, once it's together enough, not to far away hopefully.
Get your fine selfs down to melbourne soon boys and girly!
This THURSDAY...come so this free little haven don't get stopped! Shiny people playing tunes in the sun in a fucking rad courtyard drinking cheap drinks and it's free!
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