Luminary giants of the Australian music scene Paul Kelly and Charlie Owen join forces touring their new album, Death’s Dateless Night.
Kelly and Owen decided on the album collaboration while traveling to a friend’s funeral last year; discussing the songs they had played at other such occasions.
“It’s interesting to look at the kinds of songs people request at funerals,” Kelly explains.
“They’re not always sad, of course. They tend towards the philosophical, wide and deep in scope.”
Songs on the album are largely covers from musical greats including Leonard Cohen, Hank Williams, The Beatles, Cole Porter and others, as well as some traditional songs.
Known for his influence and appreciation of Shakespeare’s literary works, Kelly guest starred at this year’s Sydney Writers’ Festival where he presented Seven Songs a Sonnet; an event that was live streamed direct from the Roslyn Packer Theatre to the Tanks Arts Centre in May.
Having being labelled Australia’s own bard, it is fitting that the name of the album is taken from Shakespeare’s Sonnet 30.
Recorded at Owen’s house in Arthurs Seat during a week in late February this year, the album features just Owen and Kelly with the odd vocal from family members including Kelly’s daughters Maddy and Memphis who are joining the duo on their November/December tour.
“We kept the sound live and sparse, just the two of us, except for the occasional vocal by my sister Mary Jo and my daughters Maddy and Memphis,” Kelly says.
Kelly stuck to singing and playing acoustic guitar, while Charlie, ‘was the swing man, playing dobro, lap steel, electric guitar, synthesizer and piano’.
“I managed to talk him into singing some harmonies too,” Kelly adds.
Charlie Owen is an Australian multi-instrumentalist, who throughout his illustrious career has played part in groups including The New Christs, Louis Tillett and His Cast of Aspersions, Tex, Don and Charlie, and Beasts of Bourbon.
Paul Kelly and Charlie Owen play the Tanks Arts Centre in Cairns on Friday the 16th of December 2016.
Tickets available through Ticketlink
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