Q&A Scene: Kim Salmon of The Darling Downs

Q&A with Kim Salmon of The Darling Downs

Tell us about your album
At the moment we’re still promoting our third album ‘ In The Days When The World Was Wide’. It’s essentially the same format – an acoustic guitar and Ron’s voice, that we’ve always worked with but this album has a little bit more orchestration: bass guitars, some drums, bongos and even piano on a track called ‘Saved’. We also use banjo on about 3 tracks.

How would you describe your sound in food form and why?
[pullquote]Our next record has to have full symphonic orchestration, a backing band, strings AND mellotron. [/pullquote]Our sound in food terms? It’s the food of love of course!   Well our name is actually shortened from KR Darling Downs so we’re basically named after an abattoir. It has been said that we’re a couple of hams. That’s not our music though. I’ll leave it up to those who consume our music to say what kind of food they’re reminded of.

Any on-the-road anecdotes?
What? Like when Ron staggered into our hotel room off his dial, mistook me for a groupie, stripped off and climbed into my bed? …. nah, don’t have any …

Where do you draw inspiration from?
It’s a complete mystery to us where it comes from …  and we like it that way. It’s pretty much just happened when we’ve decided to get together and make music and we try to mess with it as little as possible.  Isn’t that as close as you get to magic in real life? Why ruin it by trying to demystify?

What’s next for you?
Next for us. We’ve done it stripped back (musically and metaphorically only).  Our next record has to have full symphonic orchestration, a backing band, strings AND mellotron. Steel guitars triple tracked! The pledge campaign alone will be 5 years in the making.

What’s your scene?
Our scene is this big gorgeous wide world we live in all its majestic splendour!

About the Darling Downs

Ron S Peno and Kim Salmon are THE DARLING DOWNS.  A potent mix of folk, bluegrass and indie rock from two icons of Australian indie music.   Sometimes the most powerful music is the simplest.The Darling Downs is two men, one mission. A duo with the power of a band: Ron S. Peno’s majestic vocals (Died Pretty) beautifully complemented by Kim Salmon’s expressive banjo and guitar playing (Scientists / The Surrealists / Beasts of Bourbon). The pair take you to another place: In The Days When The World Was Wide.

“The Darling Downs’ world is vast and fertile.”  THE AGE 4½

Tour details

The Darling Downs play a special double headline show with Dave Graney & the MistLY at the Flying Saucer Club on May 23.