Loene Carmen's songs offer a compelling authenticity and fearlessness, drifting and rolling like wood smoke through country tinged arrangements, soul styled laments, and post punk variants of what may once have been blues styled rock.
With showstopping fourth album 'It Walks Like Love' this remarkable Oz songstress has created a true musical niche for herself.
'It Walks Like Love' is a rewarding, epic and surreal journey through ‘lingering lyrics and Nashville mastery’, with anthemic lullabies, indie pop finery, psychedelic hymns and fragile folk turns cooked up with co-conspirators from her current live outfit, featuring members of raw noisemeisters Holy Soul and young punks The Scare, recorded by producer Burke Reid (The Drones, Jack Ladder, Mess Hall) at Sydney’s BJB Studios. Radio single “Oh Apollo!” is a garage soul duet, performed and penned with long time collaborator AMP winner Mess Hall's Jed Kurzel.
Renowned pianist (and Carmen's father) Peter Head, lends the album a distinctive hand, while Tex Perkins and Bridezilla’s Holiday Sidewinder contribute some heartbreaking oohs and aahs.
On occasion Carmen performs alone, a captivating chanteuse standing stage centre, electric guitar in hand, plaintively opening her heart and songbook for the ever-attentive audience.
More often, this sonic adventuress performs with an ever-changing backing band that can feature guests from fellow Australian outsiders the Bad Seeds or the Dirty Three, the Mess Hall, legendary Australian rockers X, or underground French experimentalists Dimi Dero Inc/Youpi Youpi Yeah.
Look out for upcoming shows with album collaborators Sam Worrad (bass) from The Holy Soul with Brock Fitzgerald (gtr)and Sam Pearton (drums) from The Scare.
Carmen is touring solo throughout September and October with Renee Geyer and Kill Devil Hills.
We are finally ready to start promoting my 'I Surrender' single with my album, 'Ella Trip' coming right after -yey!! What d'ya think to the video teaser?
We are finally ready to start promoting my 'I Surrender' single with my album, 'Ella Trip' coming right after -yey!! What d'ya think to the video teaser?
Simone and i loved to bits your appearance on the Kwiz ! Great energy, beautiful presence ! Thank you Loene for that sum of talent, generosity, authenticity, kindness, fun and more. So refreshing !
Me too Loene. I'll be wearing that beautiful brooch. By the way, both nights are sold out so get ready to show off you 'wares' and we'll sell Merch together. Love, RG x (ps: I'm coming in at 4pm...we have a new drummer and we'll probably be having a bit of an extra rehearsal for him.) We love your song and I want to do it eventually but we had to teach this guy so much that we'll save it for the dates up in NSW. On my Birthdy (9/11??!!!) we're playing at the new Lisottes in Newcastle and Brian Lisotte (who's known for his gourmet delights) asked if I wanted to create a 'Renee Bithday Menu' specially for that night. After conferring with the boys...we decided on 'Prawn cocktail for entree and some kind of fancy Beef thing for dinner AND a chocolate cake for dessert. If your a vego... they've got heaps of things you can pick from but everyone HAS to have some Birthday Cake! x