Tell us about your new single/ album/ tour?
I’m finally releasing my debut solo single! It’s called Melbourne Bitter and will be available everywhere April 5, with a matinee show at The Workers Club in Fitzroy on the 6th to celebrate. It’s a song about disappointment, self-confidence, and living in another state to your family and all the feelings that go along with that.
What’s your favourite work at this point in time?
I’m really happy with Melbourne Bitter as it came out exactly as I intended it to: lyrics, music,everything was just the feeling I was trying to capture. But I also always look forward to playing my song Midday Movie, it’sa real moment in time I was writing about and it just has that rising and falling feel to it.
How would you describe your sound in food form and why?
Like a Workers Club parma (or is it parmi? I was born and raised in Perth so who knows) with a pot of draught beer. Just like the Workers Club there’s something for all music lovers, and it’s unpretentious.
Tell us a quick, on the road or studio, anecdote.
Recording Melbourne Bitter turned out to be a total surprise – literally! It was a birthday gift from my girlfriend and my parents so I wasn’t planning on doing it right then. And Luke Tierney was a pleasure to work with, when we were going through his guitars he mentioned that one of them (a white Telecaster) belonged to his buddy Chris, and that’s Chris Shiflett from Foo Fighters. He asked if I’d like to play it on the track and I couldn’t believe it, of course I said yes and that’s the electric you can hear on the track.
What, or who, inspires you?
It’s usually things that I don’t have words to describe so I write songs about them instead. It’s kind of like those feelings in between feelings that sometimes other languages have words for, so that usually inspires me to write some lyrics or pick up the guitar. Other times I have little stories that I invent to articulate something.
Which song do you wish you wrote?
So Far Away by Carole King. I remember when I first heard it I couldn’t move, it was that powerful. Everything about it just fits together perfectly and speaks volumes to me: the feeling of those first two chords, those lines like “There’s so many dreams I’ve yet to find”, that feeling of longing… it’s flawless.
What’s next for you?
I’d absolutely love to play some regional shows around Victoria then interstate. And definitely go and play in Perth/Fremantle again, it’s been far too long. Other than that I plan to record another single, this time with a full band.
What’s your scene?
With friends, watching live music. And it could be anything! Thankfully, Melbourne is a wonderful city for music, any mood or genre that takes your interest, it’s out there, every night of the week
Gordon Holland releases Melbourne Bitter through Ditto Music, April 5 2019.
Originally from Perth, Western Australia, Gordon made the move eastward to the musical shores of Melbourne and along with his musical partner started the Garage Rock/Psychedelic band The Naysayers. He started up his solo project a few years later as a way to play some of his other songs. These were more in the vein of 70ās singer-songwriters as well as Alt. Country, reminiscent of Paul Kelly or early Elton John – artists which he counts as major influences – along with the singalong style of 90ās Britpop. Originally playing solo and acoustic then adding a few friends as a band for live shows. He is at once confessional, nostalgic and humorous; writing about things both bright and wistful.
Melbourne Bitter is his debut single. Recorded in L.A. with Luke Tierney (Silver Jet, Chris Shiflett & The Dead Peasants) mastered by Tom Beard (Deluxe Mastering) and with lead played on a guitar owned by Chris Shiflett (Foo Fighters) ‘Melbourne Bitter’ is a country-tinged song about selfconfidence, disappointment and living away from family. It will be available on April 5th.
To celebrate the launch he will be playing at Fitzroyās The Workers Club at a matinee show on
April 6th. With support from fellow WA expat and Australiana-folk musician Marley Wynn and Melbourne Alternative acoustic duo A Rioting Mind.
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