Dead Letter Chorus return with “Covered By Snow”, the first single from their as yet untitled forthcoming sophomore release. Having spent over 6 weeks touring Canada, the band comes home amidst large success in Canada where their previous record, The August Magnificent, was received with open arms inciting some critics to call them “the best band outside of Canada in the past 5 years” and “Australia’s answer to Arcade Fire”. Furthermore, the band held the number 1 record spot on CIUT college radio charts, were the first ever non-Canadian band to be featured on CBC3 national radio, and played to packed houses during Canadian Music Week and East Coast Music Awards festivals. Their 14-date national tour culminated in a sold-out headline show at Vancouver’s legendary Railway Club.
“Covered By Snow” will be available as a limited edition 7” single and accompanying high-quality digital download through ABC/Universal late May and will be the bands first release for their new label. The single will also feature a b-side written by the band’s Gabrielle Huber and their Canadian touring partners Two Hours Traffic. This song was written together in a hotel room in “the other Sydney”, Cape Breton, Canada, and features both bands contributing their unique styles to the song.
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. Miseries Widow
12. Fathers and Daughters
The August Magnificent is here
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 May.
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.
hello lovely people! thankyou very much for a wonderful shows at brass monkey! The new songs sounded amazing, looking forwards to the album!! :) see you at sando, can't wait! -Louise xxx
Lovely show at The Harp last night dude/tte-s! Hope the "audience participation" wasn't too heckle-y. We don't let Gordo out of the house much. ;) (Really, there was a birthday, and tequila..... 'nuff said?!!)
i got given your August Magnificant album for my birthday and when i started playign it i instantly felt like going on a roaadtrip whilst playing your music loudly with the windows down...which is a very very good thing =)
I fell in love with you guys last night!!! Amazing show at LEE's Palace in Toronto. We need more bands like yours in this world. Your energy is captivating and contagious. Cameron: you must buy a bike and explore the city. I am thrilled that you all were able to find Kensington market :) Gaby: you are adorable and your voice is truly beautiful.
