The Audreys

Artist Information

Biography

To label The Audreys as just another roots-folk band would be a tragic mistake.

Taasha Coates should have been a nightclub singer, crooning like Lena Horne before a starstudded crowd at the Cocoanut Grove in 1950s Los Angeles. Tristan Goodall, on the other hand, would probably choose to be reborn as a member of Crazy Horse rocking out Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere in 1969. (I once sent Taasha a Tom Petty compilation, knowing how much she detested Petty’s music. Tristan got the CD stuck in Taasha’s car stereo, where it tortured her for months. Tristan, on theother hand, couldn’t have been happier.)

The Audreys is the common ground where these two extremes collide and, extraordinarily, coalesce. It’s all there on the front cover of their debut record, Between Last Night And Us – the glamorous frock and gloves holding a delicate bird on one side; the crumpled suit and masculine hands offering a bird’s nest on the other. Prophetic symbolism.

To me, The Audreys has always been about the tension and beauty resulting from the union of extremes; the masculine and the feminine; the yin and the yang; the light and the dark; the classic and the modern. That tension is palpable every time the band takes to the stage, where I often get the feeling that Taasha and Tristan each have some wild secret they’re longing to publicly confess. Somehow each tempers the other for a greater cause – the music.

“I’ve gone a little bit country since I met you baby. I used to be so rock ‘n’ roll,” Taasha sings in one of the band’s earliest and most defining hits, ‘Banjo & Violin’. The song traces the genesis of The Audreys to a day in country Victoria back in 2003. Holed up in a winery (where else?) in wild weather, Taasha and Tristan joined a group of bluegrass players huddled around an open fire. As strings were plucked and caressed and harmonies soared, their long-suppressed love of old school country music suddenly seemed no longer anything to be ashamed of. Indeed, it provided a platform on which Taasha and Tristan could truly see eye to eye. “Blame it on the banjo and violin.”

Their musical partnership has endured plenty over the last ten years – countless miles on the road cooped up in vans; hundreds of shows (from tiny dives to the world’s biggest festivals); a series of immeasurably talented band members; crippling writer’s block; relocations between Melbourne and Adelaide; three albums, each of which won an ARIA Award for Best Blues & Roots Album (which has to be some kind of record!)

As if all this were not enough, Taasha and Tristan were once a couple. That their musical relationship has survived – and, indeed, thrived – in the face of their breakup and subsequent individual romances is possibly the ultimate testament to its strength. Presented with the opportunity to go back and journey through The Audreys’ collected recordings, I find it remarkable how fully realised the band’s founding blueprint was from the very beginning. Take ‘You & Steve McQueen’ or ‘Oh Honey’ as shining examples. It’s all there – the banjos and violins, the subtle rumbling rhythms, and the vocal melodies and harmonies floating above all with consummate grace, the romance and tragedy.

The Audreys have remained true to that founding sound over the past ten years and three albums, a sound that has been augmented by a number of invaluable contributors. I don’t think either Tristan or Taasha would deny the significance of the role that Shane O’Mara has played in fostering that sound as producer and engineer of all three records. Which isn’t to say The Audreys’ music has not evolved. Although Taasha announced, “There’s a big change coming,” in the opening lines of the band’s second album, When The Flood Comes, each consecutive album has been an exercise in refinement rather than revolution.

Interestingly, both When The Flood Comes (2008) and Sometimes The Stars (2010) were born from adversity. The former lived up to the “difficult second album” tag, with Tristan and Taasha finding themselves exhausted after touring the first album. It took a jaunt to New York’s infamous Chelsea Hotel to reignite the creative spark and produce the album’s ominous opener ‘Chelsea Blues’. When The Flood Comes simmered with a lyrical and musical eloquence that prompted me to observe at the time, “This is not the frivolous young rootsy pop band that I’m sure many hoped The Audreys would become.”

When it came to facing album number three, Tristan and Taasha found themselves without a band. After touring When The Flood Comes, everyone went their separate ways, unsure if there would even be an Audreys to return to. With Shane O’Mara’s guidance, the duo hand-picked musicians to suit each new composition for Sometimes The Stars. This resulted in easily the band’s most interesting and genre-defying work to date, producing some spectacular surprises like the barrel house blues of ‘Poorhouse’ featuring a tooth rattling piano performance by Paul Grabowsky.

Where to next for The Audreys? You’d have to ask Tristan and Taasha that, and even then you’d probably get a different answer on any given day. You can bet that neither of them expected to enjoy a triumphant ten- year career out of a little Adelaide band that formed over a love of banjos and violins.

- MARTIN JONES, MANAGING EDITOR, RHYTHMS MAGAZINE. APRIL 2012.

Instrumentation

Taasha Coates - Voice and Piano
Tristan Goodall - Guitar and Banjo

Discography

"Collected" 2012 (CD)
ABC Music / Universal Music Australia
A CD only box-set containing all three previous albums and unreleased bonus material

"Sometimes The Stars" LP 2010 (CD and vinyl)
ABC Music / Universal Music Australia
*Winner of the 2011 ARIA Award (Australia's Grammys) for Best Blues & Roots Album
*Debuted at #28 on the ARIA Top 50 Charts and #2 on the national Blues & Roots chart

"When The Flood Comes" LP 2008 (CD and vinyl)
ABC Music / Universal Music Australia
*Winner of the 2008 ARIA Award (Australia's Grammys) for Best Blues & Roots Album
*Debuted at #20 on the ARIA Top 50 Charts
*Featured in Australian Rolling Stone's Top 50 Albums of 2008

"Between Last Night and Us" LP 2006 (CD and vinyl)
ABC Music / Universal Music Australia
*Winner of the 2006 ARIA Award (Australia's Grammys) for Best Blues & Roots Album
*Certified Gold

Official Website

http://www.theaudreys.com

Links

• Facebook
• Twitter
• YouTube
• Store

Audio

• You & Steve McQueen
  Listen  
• Oh Honey
  Listen  
• Lonesome Valley
  Listen  
• Small Things
  Listen  
• Poorhouse
  Listen  
• Sometimes The Stars
  Listen  
• Lay Me Down
  Listen  

Lyrics

• You & Steve McQueen
• Oh Honey
• Small Things
• Lay me Down
• Poorhouse
• Sometimes the Stars
• Lonesome Valley

Video

Sometimes The Stars.mp4

Train Wreck Blues (Live at Bluesfest, 2012) 1080p.mp4

Photo Gallery

Press

• The Audreys - The Vanguard [+ Show ]
  

  Were you expecting to hear Bruce Springsteen on the banjo when you signed up to The Audreys’ tour? M...Were you expecting to hear Bruce Springsteen on the banjo when you signed up to The Audreys’ tour? Me neither. But, dear reader, what the people didn’t know they wanted is what the band delivered – and totally cool it was too. As part of an encore deal thing that saw them play a different Boss ditty every night of their 15-odd dates, tonight’s finale, Glory Days, was icing on an already very rich cake.
  
  Taasha Coates and Tristan Goodall took the stage together early and as their own main act and support, rounding up a ‘best of’ and ‘what next’ tour with a sleepy Sunday night. Beginning with Paradise City (or “Paradise Shitty” as they apparently once called it after multi-play fatigue), the spark was back. Over the next couple of hours (including a cocktail break for Goodall and a couple of lucky punters and what was likely a check on new bub break for Coates), the pair collected the best of their three discs to date. You And Steve McQueen, still a gorgeous thing; Anchor still a melancholy sea shanty; Susanne still heartbreaking; Comfort Me still beautiful if not bittersweet; Oh Honey still sexy and Poorhouse still perhaps a state of play for artists everywhere, but a damn fine-sounding place to be.
  
  While Goodall and Coates joked about the process of writing and promised versions that were once works in progress (including Train Wreck Blues, the single and album track that never was until now), tonight’s big hit was the guest spot by one-time Audreys collaborator Cameron Goodall (Tristan’s brother) on guitar and vocals. Lending both to the first-ever live performance of A Little More from debut, Between Last Night And Us, it soared with a growing melody and its freshness seemed to surprise all involved (including those on stage, who beamed throughout). After Cam left, the two continued with the promised “43 songs about loneliness” that would make up their set and, as the growing goodwill, but slightly sloshed downstairs audience kept count, it soon became apparent that sad songs still make great material for songwriting. While Coates joked that probably only Katy Perry was happy to write happy songs (and that the required performance in hotpants was not one she was up for), it’s important to make clear that songs about heartbreak make for a good night out when sung so sweetly. And when there’s a little Bruce Springsteen on banjo to round them out too.
  Liz Giuffre | 1 July 2012

• The Audreys - Collected [+ Show ]
  

  The Audreys are on one helluva hat trick. Over ten years they’ve released three albums, each one win...The Audreys are on one helluva hat trick. Over ten years they’ve released three albums, each one winning the Best Blues & Roots Award at that year’s ARIA Awards. Perhaps because of this or because getting a muso to pick their favourite song or album is a lot like asking a parent to pick their favourite child, they have come up with an easy solution. “Collected” draws together all three of their albums in one handy pack.
  by Natalie Salvo | June 27, 2012
  
  Faced with the task of reviewing such a comprehensive set is a tad daunting to say the least. Especially when you consider that there is bonus material (enough to fill at least one other disc) that is also available to be downloaded too. The latter offering boasts music
  videos plus rare tracks and b-sides including live, alternate and demo versions of their much-loved songs.
  
  Put simply, their debut, “Between Last Night & Us” boasts 12 smoky pop tunes. On their follow-up, “When The Flood Comes” the two principal songwriters and mainstays, Taasha Coates and Tristan Goodall battled “Difficult second album syndrome” and writers’ block. Eventually they would find the perfect inspiration at New York’s infamous Chelsea Hotel and would write that album’s opening song, “Chelsea Blues” about it. This one includes lyrics that ring true for this compilation: “There’s a big change coming down the highway” and “We’re all in this together,” while the remainder of the tracks are of the softer and slower, folk variety.
  
  Their latest album, “Sometimes The Stars” is the “mature” record. It still boasts the organic, homespun charms of its predecessors plus some weightless floating chords, soaring harmonies and rumbling melodies. It also features one impressive guest cast including Tim
  Rogers, Tripod and Michael Barker (John Butler Trio).
  
  Tristan Goodall has described his group’s sound as “Goodtime heartbreak music with banjo”. This “ultimate collection” certainly has many moments like this because often the numbers deal with raw emotions in an honest yet refined way. Plus, you know you’re onto
  something good when you’re an artist that produces a better cover of another band’s song than the original member’s most recent attempts (and by that I’m talking about their version of INXS’ “Don’t Change” which completely trumps the cut on “Original Sin”).
  
  “Collected” sees plenty of piano ballads, light folk numbers, some old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll plus more organic favourites. These also prove the perfect launch pad for Coates’ vocals. The latter are equally sweet and honeyed at some moments while at other times are
  quite sultry and sexy.
  
  The Audreys have been a blessed union of mostly two souls, a boy and a girl creating the right dichotomy between light and dark shades in their writings. Whether it is softer musical moments coupled with darker lyrics, vice-versa or any other combination of great things, it is often all about a cheeky juxtaposition. It’s a stellar formula that ultimately works and has provided a meaningful soundtrack not just for films and TV scenes but also to peoples’ lives in general. This collection coincides with their upcoming Bluesfest appearance and often plays out like a love letter to fans, thanking some for their support over the years while giving new ones the opportunity to acquire their entire discography in one fell swoop (and not have to pick favourites).
  
  “Collected” ultimately offers a little something for everyone and every mood because these are great songs that encompass emotions that are good, bad and in-between. These tunes are like clever laments that are often familiar, very attractive and polished to perfection. In short, it’s a mesmerising signpost to celebrate the past, present and future of a passionate and powerful band. A beguiling bookend to one chapter with a swag bag of more goodness still to come.
  

• When The Flood Comes [+ Show ]
  

  From the opening strains of "Chelsea Blues" (presumably named after the Chelsea Hotel, where songwri...From the opening strains of "Chelsea Blues" (presumably named after the Chelsea Hotel, where songwriters Taasha Coates and Tristan Goodall resided for a stretch while writing this album), it's clear that The Audreys' second is all about going deeper. There's humour in the emotion (such as the brokenhearted lyrical paradoy "Paradise City"), and a few unlikely hooks in the gorgeous, earthy arrangements ("Lay me Down") but When the Flood Comes defintely needs - and rewards - repeated listening. There's no "Steve McQueen" here, but there are richer pleasures, from the Welch-Rawlings harmony of "Here he Lies" to the bittersweet melody of "Small Things".
  Dan Lander | June 2008
  **** (Four Star Review)
  
  #39 Rolling Stone Top 50 Albums 2008 - Local & International Releases
  
  

• Could this be the one perfect release of 2008? [+ Show ]
  

  The Audreys are as original in the flesh as they are on CD - from Taasha Coates's brooding, ethereal...The Audreys are as original in the flesh as they are on CD - from Taasha Coates's brooding, ethereal vocals to Lyndon Gray's five-stringed double bass, from the sparsely plucked banjo and mandolins to the soaring, classically inspired string arrangements. Opening with Chelsea Blues, the brooding vocals and banjo lead in until the bass and drums kick in like a punch to the kidneys. The effectiveness of this arrangement is to be a permanent theme throughout the whole album. This LP should be the standard that all 'roots' music adheres to; this is the real deal kids. It's folk, it's rock, it's grunge, it's classical and it's blues, but above all, it's indescribably beautiful and stunningly original.
  To give a brief overview of the vibe of the entire album, let's look at the first single Paradise City, which saunters into the room in third place. A perfect single to encapsulate everything that makes When the Flood Comes such a fantastic release. The mournfully upbeat guitar leads in on top of some sludging drum work, paving the way for Coates to come along and, with complete disregard for the tone being set by her band-mates, jive a sorrowful tune of regret and disgust. The irony grabs at you and drags you into the sleaze - this is desolation city; this ain't no Paradise City.
  Man, this is good stuff. But it just gets better! After the first major crescendo, we're pulled back to reality with just drums and hoarsely whispered vocals, then it builds up again and launches us, with a quick detour through classically inspired string arrangements, into track four. It gets no better than this. Go get it. Words are not the medium for describing aesthetics. The Audreys are where it's at.
  
  Vincent Giles | May 2008

• Between Last Night & Us [+ Show ]
  

  Let’s cut right to the chase: this is as fine a debut album as I’ve ever heard. From Australia, The ...Let’s cut right to the chase: this is as fine a debut album as I’ve ever heard. From Australia, The Audreys deliver a sublime collection of alt-countryish, bluegrassy, folky songs that are fresh and new, yet manage to sound timeless.
  The sparse, melancholy arrangements of the Audreys feature a wonderful marriage of banjo, ukulele, guitar and violin, but it is all cemented wonderfully in place by the gorgeous, amazingly smoky and intense voice of Taasha Coates. It cuts straight to your heart. Banjo and Violin is a hauntingly performed standout, as is a beautiful cover of INXS’s Don’t Change.
  The Audrey’s are reminiscent of Po Girl, Nathan, the Wailin’ Jennys yet sound unique and fresh. If their live show is anywhere near the performances on this record look out, they’ve got it all. A gorgeous CD, run out and buy it.
  Les Siemieniuk | Autumn edition 2006

Setlist

TRACK LISTINGS

Between Last Night & Us
1. You & Steve McQueen
2. A Little More
3. Oh Honey
4. Pale Dress
5. Banjo & Violin
6. Long Ride
7. Nothing Wrong With Me
8. Where Are You Now?
9. Susanne
10. Come On In
11. Monster
12. Don’t Change

When The Flood Comes
1. Chelsea Blues
2. Head So Heavy
3. Paradise City
4. Lay Me Down
5. Closing Time
6. When The Flood Comes
7. Anchor
8. Sally & The Preacher
9. Small Things
10. Here He Lies
11. Songbird
12. More To A Sinner

Sometimes The Stars
1. Comfort Me
2. I’ll Take What’s Mine
3. Troubles Somehow
4. Poorhouse
5. Monster (part II)
6. Falling Down
7. Sometimes The Stars
8. Two States Away
9. Little Molly
10. Lonesome Valley

Basic Requirements

PDF Rider

Tech Specs/Stage Plot

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