Mr Rascal

Bio:

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MR RASCAL are a contemporary folk collective from Brisbane, Australia. Combining eclectic instrumentation and a musical repertoire ranging from ‘confessionary gospel’ to ‘ramshackle barnyard grumble’ the group’s music is described by Time Off Magazine as ‘songs that sound like old friends even before you’ve heard them’.

Mr Rascal’s latest release ‘My, What a Big Black Cloud!’ is an experiment in song-writing and musicality. Written, recorded and completed in 30 days the release captures the energy and vitality of live performance with the types of universal experiences that can affect any individual in the space of a month. The release has already received glowing reviews, described by Scene Magazine as ‘rather beautiful!’

Mr Rascal’s story began in late 2006 when the group’s founder Christian Duell began writing songs in a tree-house in the inner-western Brisbane suburbs. These songs came about through experience and existed by necessity as a testimony to an era of change in Christian’s life. The greatest change was to occur when Christian took these songs from the safety of his tree-house to an audience of family, friends and later the wider community. From the first collaboration, performing these songs with a few like-minded friends, the concept of Mr Rascal began to take shape. Since this time Mr Rascal has gone from strength to strength, enlisting various musicians and performers with new interpretations of the songs and the stories they portray. The pinnacle of this success to date has been the release of the debut Mr Rascal album, ‘A Pocketful of Smoke’.

‘A Pocketful of Smoke’ was recorded over the course of 9 months from late 2007 and features 16 musicians ranging from bagpipes, soprano vocals, pedal steel guitar, brass, strings as well as the core rhythm section of the band. The release was launched in style at Brisbane’s ‘Queensland Performing Arts Complex’ to a sell-out audience of over 300 people. A unique and ambitious undertaking for a local band’s debut release, the event was received with overwhelming praise, described by a Time Off Magazine reviewer as ‘the most complete, well-rounded and ambitious show this reviewer has had the pleasure of witnessing in some time’.

With a previously ever-changing sea of faces, the time has come for Mr Rascal to consolidate their achievements and focus on the future. And certainly this is a group with a future of promise. Today Mr Rascal comprises a permanent core of multi-talented musicians Christian Duell, Michael Nix, Rebecca Karlen, Grant Davis and David Lee. Together this core band is building on the strength of their previous success to develop a consistency and focus to the sound of Mr Rascal. While maintaining the opportunity for the chance musical encounters and friendships that occur through guest performers, today the strength of this new pool of creative minds is their ability to convey the songs and stories of Mr Rascal with clarity, energy and emotion.

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PRESS

‘Having a show at the Cremorne Theatre in Brisbane's QPAC is an ambitious undertaking to say the least for a local band of any level. However Mr Rascal's Christian Duell clearly has a vision to launch his record 'A Pocketful of Smoke' in style. Little do we know that 'style' will ultimately be the greatest of understatements. In a nutshell, this is the most complete, well-rounded and ambitious show this reviewer has had the pleasure of witnessing from a local artist, no, any artist in some time’.
Ben Preece, Time Off

'My, What a Big Black Cloud!' is the product of Christian Duell's 'album in a month' challenge. As an emotional recount of his experiences, it is evident within the tracks that Christian was grieving, healing and looking ahead. Other tracks are just deliciously cute. With an array of amazing instrumentals and gorgeously tender vocals, his sound comes off as rather beautiful!
Sam Seljak, Scene Magazine

‘Mr Rascal, from the band’s name through to its loose-roster of blow-ins, is a concept full of charm….’
Simon Topper, Rave Magazine

‘These are songs that sound like old friends even before you’ve heard them’
Matt Thrower, Time Off Magazine

‘We could be witnessing the birth of something significant here ’
Matt O’Neil, Time Off Magazine

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FOR BOOKINGS OR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT chrduell@gmail.com or 0421 621 007

Member Since:

August 07, 2006

Members:

Christian Duell
Michael Brian Phillip Nix (aka Redbeard)
Grant Davis (aka Salinger)
Rebecca Karlen
David Lee

Sounds Like:

MY, WHAT A BIG BLACK CLOUD! album (2009)