Famous Blue Raincoat

FAMOUS BLUE RAINCOAT

Their name should have already alerted you to the fact that this is a band that knows its music history – and who wouldn’t want to name themselves after a song by Leonard Cohen? The fact that the two core members have a little history themselves should also alert you to expect quality in the CD that accompanies this press release – and why not? Singer/songwriter Wayne Gillespie has been making quality music in Australia since CBS released his second album New Locations here back in 1987, and was already a favourite son back in his native New Zealand for a few years before that, while drummer/percussionist Rob Grosser has fired the engine room of more than a few records since he emerged from Adelaide, having worked with some of Australia’s best musicians including the late Pete Wells of Rose Tattoo, Jimmy Barnes, guitarist Tim Gaze and as well as overseas artists such as Bob Margolin (ex- Muddy Waters) and Deep Purple ‘s Jon Lord & Ian Gillian.

So, how did they become Famous Blue Raincoat? Back in ’95, Wayne and Rob were playing together in a three-piece called Passionfish, releasing an EP, Love Comes Down and promoting Gillespie’s third album Living in Exile. When the bass player moved on, the musical chemistry suggested Wayne and Rob stay in touch. They started jamming and recording what came up. It was a new way of writing for Wayne, accustomed to being the solo acoustic singer/songwriter with folk-rock roots, yet strapping on an electric guitar and crafting melodies and lyrics around the grooves Rob laid down made perfect sense.

Life inevitably got in the way, relationships fell apart, new ones blossomed, children arrived, as did new, surprising non-musical careers. Next thing you know ten years had passed. However by now the jam tracks had been obsessively honed into real songs by Wayne and enhanced with Rob’s engineering and production skills. Also with additional spices added by a few old friends like sax player Ric Robertson (dig/eon/Baecastuff), with whom Gillespie had played back in New Zealand, as he had American guitarist now Zealander Nigel Gavin, who’d played in Robert Fripp’s League Of Crafty Guitarists, while bass player Goby Catt, now living in Vancouver, Canada, was a pal from the Slide McBride Band, and another kiwi, now one of Ireland’s musical treasures, Brendan Power on harmonica.

So the Famous Blue Raincoat EP - the chilling hypnotic groove of Confusions (about psychosis), the rock-edge reality check of Slow Down, and the cheeky surrealism of the jazz groove Bananas. Three songs to tempt the taste buds, each delivering a sample of the flavours we can expect from this unique duos forthcoming album.