'Black Across The Field' band -
Hamish Stuart - drums, Dave Symes - bass,
plus special guests Stephen Magnusson - guitars,
Heath Cullen - guitars, and Chris Abrahams - piano
'Where Night Birds Call' band -
Heath Cullen - guitars, Phil Collings - drums,
Frank Di Sario - bass, Tom Hall - guitars
Influences
Elliott Smith, Chan Marshall, Nic Jones, Pieta Brown, Sun Kil Moon, Joni Mitchell, Will Oldham, Rickie Lee Jones, Towns Van Zandt, Bob Dylan, bell hooks, Leonard Cohen, Bruce Springsteen, Bjork, James Baldwin, Martin Carthy, Gillian Welch, Roy Orbison, Marc Ribot, Chris Whitley, Karen Dalton, Sam Cooke, Prince, Joan Wasser, Kazuo Ishiguro, Tom Waits, Eric Beach, Aretha Franklin, The Black Keys, Ed Kuepper, PJ Harvey, Bill Frisell, Elizabeth Cotten, Guy Clark, Alice Walker, Thomas Bernhard, AC/DC...
Lucie Thorne's new album 'Black Across The Field' out now through Little Secret / Vitamin Records.
“Without exaggeration Black Across The Field is as good as anything I’ve heard this year… Growling with warm tube overdrive, stinging like Neil Young… this is a diverse, profound album… with nuances subtle and breathtaking” Martin Jones, Rhythms Magazine
"This is one of the finest female vocal albums released by an Australian in the last few years. The whole album - from her band, to production, to the songs - is first-rate...make the effort to seek this fine album out". Readings Monthly
Black Across The Field is the exceptional new album from
Lucie Thorne, who has earned her place as one of the most striking lyricists and voices of the recent indie rock and roots scenes. Brimming with her intricate guitar work, Black Across The Field combines Thorne’s spacious, gritty rock n roll with startlingly original dark-folk.
Like the best writers, Thorne uses her songs to distil the poetic from the everyday, and each new song opens onto an unlikely world of stories and characters. It’s this breadth and depth of writing that makes Black Across The Field feel a little like a favourite book: the moment you finish, you want to read it again from the beginning.
And throughout these narratives there’s that voice – a voice that draws you in, and makes you lean closer. Thorne’s songs are compelling in their intimacy. As Bernard Zuel (SMH) writes, this is a voice of “languidness and urgency” that bristles with undeniable authenticity.<>
Black Across The Field was recorded during the winter and spring of 2008. After demo-ing many of the songs at home, Lucie was introduced to legendary drummer Hamish Stuart, and that’s when things started to shift. Stuart and Thorne then joined forces with bass player Dave Symes (Sarah Blasko, Missy Higgins, Sleepy Jackson) and with the three of them deciding to co-produce the album, the chemistry of Black Across The Field was born.
Most of the album was tracked live in a Sydney studio in just three days. Lucie then took the sessions home to her cottage on the far south coast, and let the songs grow from there. Inspired to continue expanding her horizons, Lucie invited some of her other favourite musicians to guest on the record. To her delight, they were as keen as Stuart and Symes to be involved – resulting in stunning cameo performances by stellar heavyweights Chris Abrahams on piano, and Stephen Magnusson on guitars.
The finished product is an extraordinary collaboration. The strength and substance of Thorne’s unique voice and songwriting are primary, traversing soundscapes that are sensitive and beautiful on some tracks as they are dark and foreboding on others. Black Across The Field brings to mind the cycling sparseness and biting slow rock of Low and Sun Kil Moon, the punch and sexiness of Cat Power, and the poetic simplicity of Will Oldham.
"There are only two people in the room when you're listening to this album:
Lucie Thorne and you. There is such an intensity of feeling here...moody folk,
country noir...a collection of stories that speaks small but resonates much bigger. Thorne marks out her space with some fabulous sensuality." Bernard Zuel, Sydney Morning Herald. Feature Album, March 2009
"Thorne's songs are exquisite miniatures of distilled emotion, her melodies and harmonies are sublime, and the way she pits grinding guitars against that ethereal, sensual voice is like watching a thunderstorm in the distance. By turns dark and tender, *Black Across The Field* is a beautiful album." David Curry, The Canberra Times, April 2009
"This is music that can be tender and taut, full of the subtle nuances of real life as opposed to the black-and-white world of simple pop. There's tough guitar
and autumnal shades, haunting slow-mo rock, Neil Young-esque guitar
lines... And right up front is a voice with a quality that keeps drawing the
listener in." Noel Mengel, Courier Mail. Feature Album, March 2009
"Thorne cuts her own niche from the acoustic masses by specialising in
gently percolating nocturnes that could be penned by PJ Harvey after waking in a Tasmanian poppy field. A bright star rising, and one worth all the
attention she receives." Andy Hazel, Inpress
"The production of the voice is a giant close-up of delicate emotional expression; every murmur, tongue flick and gentle pulse is significant. Thorne also has a gift for melody and, for the complete trifecta, writes thoughtful, intelligent lyrics that, as with Joni Mitchell, leave you pondering shades of meaning. Thorne's electric guitars paint gorgeous swaths in the stereo field... this is an album that deserves to be widely heard." Ian Cuthbertson, ****, The Australian, April 2009
"With the slow burn rock of Sun Kil Moon and the depth of voice of Joni Mitchell, Thorne is insidious in her ability to borrow down into your psyche, drawing you closer...she knows exactly what is required and when." Chris Peken, Alternative Media Group
"A spellbinding dark-folk storybook" Sarah Howells, JMAG
"Thorne writes some of the most simple and beautiful songs you will hear." ****, The Age
Lucie's albums are available in stores and online through Vitamin Records:
Black Across The Field
Released 2 March, 2009
CDs and high quality MP3’s
available now from VITAMIN RECORDS
For more info, touring schedule, photos, contact details etc visit:
http://www.luciethorne.com
Thanks for adding us Lucie :-) How is the tour going? We share the same taste in drummers :-) How good is Hamish! he is perfect for your music...full of tasteful space and he listens. We have a new song "Billy's Dream" on our space. Hope you enjoy it and that we get to see you soon. Love and Peace. Tony and Kris
thanks for the lovely show in Bellingen the other night. realised ive seen you four times now, so thanks for passing through all the little places ive found myself over the years, its been sweet every time
Hey Lucie how's it going? I love the songs If you have facebook & want to keep updated on my work you can join my art group. Just simply click on the image below and then click 'join group'.
Hey Lucie! Great set you played in Townsville the other night =D. Although I felt like giving you a great big hug after that guitar string broke =(. But you handled it like a true professional - Bravo!
Shame I hadn't brought any extra cash with me, I'd have bought all your CD's in a New York minute! But please, come again and I'll surely be adding your music to my collection =].
I'm really excited to have uploaded to myspace my first
video! It's called 'A Day At The Country
Show'. I'd love you to check it out and
let me know what you think.
Ciao Lucie ,Thank you for the add and the friendship. you are very good, I like your stupendous music a lot,and stupendous voice. you are fantastic ..really. talk to you soon, and all of my best wishes to always listen to your good music. all the best.. from italy neal
Ciao Lucie ,Thank you for the add and the friendship. you are very good, I like your stupendous music a lot,and stupendous voice. you are fantastic ..really. talk to you soon, and all of my best wishes to always listen to your good music. all the best.. from italy neal
HI! tnx 4 the add... I hope all is well with U... I..ve finished my first album "A la media noche"... It's nice 2 meet good musicians.... Keep in touch... I give my best wishes to U from Santa Ana Querétarock!!!.
