When that first trumpet sounds, the world will know These Are End Times – not by a hail of fire and blood, but by the long-awaited arrival of a new album by this Ipswich-based septet. Their glacial work rate might indicate they don’t necessarily believe we are living in the end of days (or that they are fashionably indifferent) but their monolithic post-rock orchestrations would make the perfect soundtrack for those of us left behind. These Are End Times make few public appearances, so we are delighted to welcome them to the Smokehouse, where they will be launching their new album, ‘Humanity Arrives, Hand in Hand with Trouble’.
“Challenging, uncompromising and compulsive” – Scanner.
Doomed Bird of Providence
Doomed Bird of Providence is an Anglo-Australian folk collective, delving deep into the dark heart of Australia’s colonial past. Their previous releases have been characterised by Mark Kluzek’s snarled narratives, but their critically-acclaimed third album ‘Burrowed into the Soft Sky’ eschews lyrics entirely for two abstract instrumental interpretations of literary works. The title track draws its inspiration from Patrick White's novel ‘Voss’, and charts Ludwig Leichardt’s final journey into the Australian interior. The concluding piece, ‘The Blood Dimmed Tide Is Loosed’, takes its title from ‘Exclusion, Exploitation and Extermination - Race Relations in Colonial Queensland’ by Raymond Evans, Kay Saunders and Kathryn Cronin. It is unsurprisingly bleak.
The band will play ‘Burrowed into the Soft Sky’ live, in its entirety, for the first time.
“An extraordinary visceral dissection of colonialist evils.” – The Quietus.
Polly Preacher
Polly Preacher is wonky folk troubadour Ashleagh Hurren. Singer of wistful, idiosyncratic songs, imbued with otherworldly innocence and subliminal menace. Her new single “Oh No, Oh Dear” is available on Lucky Listen Records.
“…crepuscular, witty electric folk with a homemade feel and a few echoes of lo-fi indie rock. There are a few shades of Kristen Hersh, perhaps even a little Lupen Crook, but for the most part a Polly Preacher song follows its own pattern." – Misfit City.
