``Where
do we take it from here?'' sings Vikki Thorn on Day Dreamer, one of the most uplifting
moments on The Waifs' extraordinary sixth album, Temptation, in store March 4th
independently through Jarrah Records (the label The Waifs co-own with John Butler)
and MGM Distribution.
It's a question the much-loved Australian band has
asked itself several times in the 19 years since Thorn, her sister Donna Simpson
and guitarist Josh Cunningham set off on their incredible journey.
A trip
that began in a van in 1992, with the three troubadours playing gigs anywhere
in Australia that would have them, has led The Waifs to multiple ARIA awards,
platinum albums and successful tours across the world. The hard yards in those
early days paid off in terms of their career, but also bound the three of them
together as friends.
Josh, Donna and Vikki have all moved on in their personal
lives since those formative years, whether through relationships, having children
or relocating to different parts of the world, yet The Waifs' journey continues.
That ever-evolving trip, and the bond that has developed between them, is very
much central to the emotion, sentiment and spirituality of the 11 songs on Temptation.
The
title track, for example, which has been on the band's live set list for a few
years, is a rousing, gospel-tinged ballad, one of three Cunningham contributions
to the album. All three songs are inspired by his recent embrace of religion,
``I can only write about things that are close to my heart, that are real to me,''
says Cunningham. ``To find faith ... that's a pretty powerful experience for a
person to go through.''
Then there's Buffalo, a beautifully stark and melancholy
song by Thorn that allows the strength and subtlety of her voice to shine through.
In contrast, but still embracing those familiar, rootsy Waifs characteristics
is the first single, Falling, an effervescent few minutes of country pop that
highlights the sultry voice and songwriting skills of Simpson.
Temptation
is the follow-up to 2006's Sun, Dirt, Water, which the band recorded in Nashville
and which reached No.2 in the ARIA album charts. That album represented a natural
progression for The Waifs, one on which they expanded and experimented with their
sound.
Temptation sees them stripping back, returning to their roots and
playing an assortment of acoustic and electric instruments, joined once again
by the established rhythm section of drummer David Ross Macdonald and bassist
Ben Franz.
There's also a re-shaping of songwriting input this time. While
the bulk of the material for Sun, Dirt, Water came from Cunningham, on Temptation
the songs are more equally spread.
For Simpson, who wrote seven of the
songs on the band's classic multi platinum, 2003 album Up All Night, it was an
opportunity to approach a part of her craft she'd been neglecting for several
years. She rose to the challenge, penning four songs, including the infectious
opening track, the raw, shuffling blues I Learn the Hard Way.
Temptation
was recorded in November last year at Underwood Studios, a ramshackle old house-cum-studio
in Simpson's adopted home city of St Paul, Minneapolis.
There's an almost
tangible chemistry at work; an irresistible groove. As Thorn says, it sounds like
a band that has been playing together for a long time. ``That's how it felt in
there,'' she says.
All five musos lived together for two weeks above the
basement studio, cooking, reminiscing and finessing each of the songs that had
been brought to the table. ``You just went downstairs when it was your turn to
do a take,'' says Cunningham. ``It was a great atmosphere to make an album in
and I think you can hear that on the recordings.''
What contributed to
the atmosphere was that for the participants it was a reunion as much as it was
work. While Simpson and her young son call St Paul home, Thorn is based in Utah
with her husband and two (soon to be three) children, while Cunningham, who got
married in January, has lived in California since 2009. Macdonald flew in from
his home in Canada and Franz from Australia. ``It was the most enjoyable experience
of recording with the band I have ever had,'' says Simpson. ``I'm so proud of
the record and I've never said that before.''
Not that she shouldn't be
proud of what The Waifs have achieved over the past 19 years, all of it as independent
artists. The sisters left their home in Albany, Western Australia in 1992 as the
duo Colours. They met Cunningham in Broome, WA and became The Waifs.
The
group forged their way on the Australian live circuit for most the 1990s, releasing
albums such as their self titled debut in 1996 and Shelter Me in 1998, selling
them mostly at shows. The third album, 2000's Sink or Swim, raised their profile
and allowed the band to perform in Canada and the United States, attracting rave
reviews in the process.
The biggest turning point came with the EP London
Still (2002), which gave the band its first Australian hit. Followed in 2003 by
the Lighthouse EP and the album Up All Night, which has gone double platinum in
Australia and earned them four ARIA awards. That same year they toured Australia
with Bob Dylan, who subsequently invited them to join him on his North American
tour.
Further hits, such as Bridal Train and Stay, have followed, along
with live albums, more awards and ecstatic reviews for their live performances.
With a national tour under way from February 22 and the album release to follow
on March 4, there is every sign that 2011 will bring them further success.
There's
a wealth of great new songs on Temptation to help that process along, such as
Cunningham's Moses and The Lamb, a seven-minute delight that starts off like a
southern church sermon, complete with pump organ and banjo, before evolving into
a blustering country-blues complete with three-part harmonies, Thorn's spiky harmonica
and driven by Macdonald's rumbling toms.
The beautifully atmospheric Drifting
Dreaming allows the sisters' voices to gently connect and feed off of each other.
On Some Days, Thorn lets her melancholy run riot on a strutting, folky
lament with a twist ``I got a man and a family that loves me/Sometimes I have
to ask myself what the hell it's all for''. In that same vein, the delicately
funky Beautiful Night is about finding time to reflect with the ones you love.
That,
it could be said, is what Temptation is all about - a band that has been on an
amazing journey, through good times and bad, that has come together for the love
of music and each other. ``We're a family and we love playing music with each
other and over the years I think we've contributed something ... made a difference,''
says Cunningham. ``We've made simple songs that resonate with everyday people.
That's all we can do. There's value in keeping that going.''
TOUR DATES
2011
Tuesday 22nd February Moruya Memorial Hall MORUYA NSW
Page
Street With Mama Kin
Tickets from www.heatseeker.com.au & Planet TX Music
Store 02 4474 5000
Wednesday 23rd February Anita's Theatre WOLLONGONG NSW
264 - 270 Lawrence Hargrave Drive, Thirroul With Mama Kin
Tickets from www.ticketek.com,
132 849 & www.gobookem.com
Thursday 24th February Canberra Theatre
Centre CANBERRA ACT
www.canberratheatrecentre.com.au Civic Square, London
Circuit With Mama Kin
Tickets from CTC Box Office 02 6275 2700 & www.canberratheatrecentre.com.au
Saturday 26th February Enmore Theatre SYDNEY NSW
www.enmoretheatre.com.au
With Mama Kin
Tickets from Venue: (02) 9550 3666, www.ticketek.com 132 849
Sunday
27th February Civic Theatre Newcastle NEWCASTLE NSW
Tickets From: Venue 02
4929 1977 or www.ticketek.com 132 849 With Mama Kin
Tuesday 1st March The
Northern BYRON BAY NSW
Tickets From: Venue (02) 6685 6454 www.thenorthern.oztix.com.au/
www.oztix.com.au 1300 762 545
With Mama Kin
Wednesday 2nd March Nambour
Civic Centre NAMBOUR QLD
www.nambourciviccentre.com.au Centenary Square, Currie
Street With Mama Kin
Tickets from NCC Box Office, www.nambourciviccentre.com.au
or (07) 5475 7777
Thursday 3rd March The Tivoli BRISBANE QLD
Tickets
From: The Venue (07) 3852 1711 www.ticketek.com 132 849 With Mama Kin
Saturday
5th March Old Broadwater Farm BUSSELTON WA
Tickets from: www.heatseeker.com.au
With Tinpan Orange & Big Old Bears
Blue 62, Prince Of Wales Hotel, Star
Surf, Mills Records, Planet Video.
Sunday 6th March Castelli Estate DENMARK
WA
Tickets from www.heatseeker.com.au With Tinpan Orange & Big Old Bears
Denmark Liquor Store, Southern Sound, Star Surf, Mills Records & Planet Video
Doors
Tuesday 8th March Performing Arts Centre MANDURAH WA
Tickets from
www.manpac.com.au MPAC Box Office 08 9550 3900 With Tinpan Orange
Wednesday
9th March Fremantle Arts Centre FREMANTLE WA
1 Finnerty Street With Tinpan
Orange & Big Old Bears
Tickets from www.heatseeker.com.au
Star Surf,
Mills Records, Planet Video & Venue 08 9432 9550 Doors 5.30pm
Thursday
10th March Astor Theatre PERTH WA
www.liveattheastor.com.au Beaufort Street,
Mt Lawley With Tinpan Orange & Ruby Boots
BOCS Tickets 08 9484 1133 www.bocsticketing.com.au
Sat 12th & Sun 13th March Port Fairy Folk Festival PORT FAIRY VIC
Tickets From: www.portfairyfolkfestival.com
Tuesday 15th March The Gov ADELAIDE
SA
Tickets From: www.moshtix.com.au (08) 8340 0744 & www.venuetix.com.au
(08) 8225 8888
With Mama Kin
Wednesday 16th March The Forum JUST ANNOUNCED
MELBOURNE VIC
www.forummelbourne.com.au Cnr Russell & Flinders Street
With Mama Kin
Tickets from www.ticketmaster.com.au & 1300 11 1011
Thursday
17th March The Forum SOLD OUT MELBOURNE VIC
www.forummelbourne.com.au Cnr
Russell & Flinders Street With Mama Kin
Tickets from www.ticketmaster.com.au
& 1300 11 1011
Sat 19th & Sun 20th March Blue Mountains Folk Festival
KATOOMBA NSW
Tickets from www.bmff.org.au/
Monday 21st March Moncrieff
Theatre BUNDABERG QLD
Bourbong Street With Special Guests (support TBA)
Tickets From: Venue 07 4130 4100
Wednesday 23rd March James Cook University
Uni Club TOWNSVILLE QLD
James Cook University Drive With Special Guests (support
TBA)
Tickets From: www.moshtix.com.au & usual outlets
Thursday
24th March Tanks Arts Centre CAIRNS QLD
With Special Guests (support TBA)
Tickets From: Ticketlink www.ticketlink.com.au 1300 855 835 & Venue www.tanksartscentre.com
SATURDAY 26th March Darwin Ski Club DARWIN NT
With special guests
Tickets from www.heatseeker.com.au <http://www.heatseeker.com.au> and the
venue (08) 8981 0039
SUNDAY 27th March Mangrove Resort Hotel BROOME WA
With special guests
Tickets from www.heatseeker.com.au <http://www.heatseeker.com.au>
and the venue (08) 9192 1303
'Temptation' will be available from
4 March.
