Jac Dalton
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Jac Dalton

Band Country Singer/Songwriter

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"Billboard Magazine Executive Review"

03/08/07

Growing up in North Carolina, it's not surprising that Jac Dalton grew up immersed in a mix of jukin' country, Dixie blues and maverick boogie squeezed out through soaring guitar lines. But being a self confessed "military brat" ( whose family followed his father from army base to army base) and a sense of adventure which saw him travel around the world on a cruise ship, there were more textures to his music. His debut album "From Both Sides" equally has touches of early '70s British rock like Free and Led Zeppelin, and West Coast/ East Coast troubadours like Jimmy Webb and Jackson Browne.

What is also endearing is that his lyrics are "every day folk". They range from lauding special people who make you feel special ("I Want Love"), to oppressive domestic situations ("Good Bad Girl"), to catching up with the belle of the ball at high school reunions ("The Boy's In Love") to down home boy entering a sleazy new city like Las Vegas for the first time ("Down And Dirty)" to romantic notions of the Wild West ("Wanted Dead Or Alive"). These are blue collar working class stories which are easy to identify with.

There's something refreshing about Jac Dalton's music. No wonder when he moved to Adelaide eight years ago, some of Australia's best musicians -- including past and present members of Rose Tattoo, the Angels, AC/DC and the Robert Plant Band -- took him under their wing and worked on his music.

We need more music like this coming from these shores.

-- CHRISTIE ELIEZER, Australasian bureau chief, Billboard Magazine
- Christie Eliezer, Australasian Bureau Chief, Billboard Magazine


"New Music Spotlight - Junior's Cave Magazine"

New Music Spotlight: JAC DALTON

Are you looking for something that is a little bit of country and a little bit of rock & roll? Are you looking for something with some substance or meaning behind it? Then this next performer is perfect for you. Jac Dalton is what is needed in the music industry at the moment; music that is actually good. With a ton of music focusing on degrading women and promoting sex and violence, Jac Dalton and Company are making music that just makes us feel good and makes us think. And the truth of the matter is that there is nothing wrong with that approach.

The Band:
Lead Vocals: Jac Dalton
Drums/Percussion: Mark Chewy
Bass/Vocals: Paul Dogherty
Guitar/Vocals: Doobie Whitehorne
Guitar/Vocals: Chris Hart
Keyboards/Vocals: Darren Mullan
Backing Vocals/Percussion: Louise Messenger

Check out this recent online interview that Jac took the time to complete for Juniorscave.com.

Q. What aspect of making music excites you the most right now?

A. The longer you play and write and perform the farther you move away from the screaming-child that is your head, and the closer you sidle-up to matters of consequence as a true artist. Music is the language of the soul (even thrash-rock and heavy metal express something deeper than blind shock and 'sticking it to the man') and as the true expression of our hearts, she eventually nudges us to become more aware and sensitive to aspects of our lives that are worthwhile - aspects that might enable those who hear us to be a bit better for our efforts.

I started out not aspiring to write gut-wrenching, hip, pop/rock epics, but by distancing myself from all the flashing lights and white-noise of screaming crowds - sitting quietly, deciding what aspects of my life - so far - were most worth remembering. The easiest way I've found to express these 'lessons' is by writing them down in the simplistic verse of children’s' stories. The first time I attempted this, it was the hardest thing I'd ever tried, as it takes tremendous focus and effort to cut away every last shard of fat from the raw flesh of your sentiments. Eventually though, I came to realize that if you can cram all you wish to convey into a short, half-page, simplistic tale, you can write songs that matter too.

Q. What excites me most right now?

A. Knowing I am able - better than ever - to share through the language that is common to us all, things I've found to be worthwhile. And if I'm lucky, perhaps they'll be worthwhile to someone else as well.

Q. What aspect of making music gets you the most discouraged?

A. How difficult it is getting songs 'out there' where they can be heard and judged for their 'merit' by the masses. With TV and radio converging quickly towards a singular media entity, the only criteria that seems to matter is not artist abilities or what you have to say, but how much sex appeal you have to attract corporate dollars - or how much you yourself can pay to 'buy' popularity.

It is a frustration to see real talent and artistry quashed and unsupported while mindless, formula songs saturate the airwaves for the main purpose of separating monies from teens who have allowances but no expenses. Of course, it is a music 'business' - but more consideration needs to be given to 'tomorrow' and the consequences of this not-often-enough-thinking, not-often-enough-feeling generation. Perhaps if more songs inspired us to think, feel - reflect - and were heard alongside the pop/advertising tunes, there'd be more effort at leaving some sort of legacy for those following in our stead, instead of carelessly sucking it all up for ourselves.

Not so long ago, talent and heart played the decisive roles determining what songs were played for the masses. You don't have to think too hard to recall artists - average as air to look at, without a nickel to their names - who had songs on the radio that are still classic and popular today because they had something worthwhile to say. How many songs over the past 10 years have actually 'touched' you - not just appealed physically via flashing videos or gotten mindlessly into your head from repetition - but left a footprint upon some part of you that mattered? It's the difference between shooting stars and sunshine.

Q. What are you up to right now, music-wise? (Current or upcoming recordings, tours, extravaganzas, experiments, top-secret projects, etc).

A. Living in Australia in the driest state of the driest continent on the planet, water and rain concerns are always important. At present, the drought here is the worst in recorded history. Farms that have supported up to 4 generations of family are going under, and it will only get worse before things get better. No water - no farms; no farms - no food and towns; no towns, no jobs. And the big cities can only support so much overflow.

My band and I have spent the past several months writing and recording a song of hope and encouragement for the who - Junior's Cave Online Magazine


"Home Grown - JAC DALTON - Audio Technology Issue 55"

HOME GROWN

Country Rock. Now there’s a genre we’ve not covered yet! How do you make a slick mainstream, catchy-as-hell, skirt-lifting yet God-fearing album. Let’s ask producer Darren Mullan. He’s made an exceptional classic in good ol’ Adelaide, South Australia with a new true talent, Jac Dalton.

What happens if you cross a hunky, soulful singer from North Carolina with some seriously seasoned Oz Rock legends? Pretty tough and dirty music – that’s what! Oh, and a lot of jaw line in the promo shots…

Ladies and ladies, meet Jac Dalton, an Adelaide-based legend in the making. His album ‘From Both Sides’ presents an abundant quantity of polished and might country rock – courtesy of his strong voice, mature classic songwriting and a legacy in American music. Oh, and a cast of a thousand Aussie rockers!

These include: Mark Evans (ex AC/DC), Russell Morris, David Moyse (Air Supply), Paul DeMarco (Rose Tattoo), Rockin’ Rob Riley (Rose Tattoo), all four members of The Angels, Paul Wetton (Robert Plant Band), Gwyn Ashton (Mick Fleetwood, BB King) and Trevor Warner (Lee Kernighan, Kasey Chambers).

And whose job was it to convert some early demos (created using a cheap Sony Stereo microphone plugged directly into a PC laptop) into a highly produced and acclaimed CD? Similarly Adelaide based producer and keyboard player, Darren Mullan. And although Jac’s music is straight-down-the-line, the production process was far from it.
- Audio Technology Magazine - Issue 55


Discography

'From Both Sides' - Album
Released Independently October, 2007
Various tracks are presently being played globally by hundreds of FM and online stations.
Several kickin' tracks as well appear as soundtracks in adventure/action productions across the globe. Presently Harely-Davidson Motorcycles are considering one of the tracks for use in global ad campaigns.

Photos

Bio

Originally from North Carolina, this renegade Southern gentleman arrived upon Aussie shores with but a notebook full of killer tunes and humble, heartrending lyrics aimed at the 'every-man' inside us all. Shopping around for just the right mix and sound, Jac attracted the attention of some of Australia’s most noted rock icons. These include: Mark Evans (AC/DC), Russell Morris, David Moyse (Air Supply), The Angels (John and Rick Brewster, Buzz Bidstrup and Chris Bailey), Rose Tattoo (Paul DeMarco and Rob Riley), Gwyn Ashton (BB King, Mick Fleetwood) and UKs Paul Wetton (Robert Plant Band) and are the mates featured with his band on the album.
With a world-class six-piece band logging more than a 125 years experience between them, finesse, maturity and passion are the silver bullets in vocally-driven, gut-wrenching power ballads like ‘Fire Burns’ (a song about coming of age) and ‘Exhale’ (written for survivors of the World Trade Centre); while the heart-thumpin’, ass-kickin’, skirt-liftin’ classic backbeat of songs like ‘Dirty Mean and Nasty’, ‘Til We Run Outta Highway’ and ‘Good Bad Girl’ leave no doubt who it is brandishing the smokin’ gun of this brand new rock & roll style. Country too wears a brand new hat in Jac’s classy, hard driving, songs like ‘Down and Dirty’, ‘I Want Love’ and ‘Cut to the Chase’ – timeless reflections amidst all the spit and polish of this exceptional International act successfully straddling ‘Both Sides’ of the fence.
Though each song was written to stand on its own, the journey of the album is epic – as rare indeed these days do we stumble across an album that is absolutely ALL guts and NO filler. And regardless of whether Jac Dalton plays unplugged or full-bore, you’ll wanna dance; you’ll wanna listen - you'll want more.
If it’s been awhile since last you were ‘wow-ed’ … you’re about to be!

I am perhaps best represented by an interview I recently gave to an online magazine... here are my responses to the poignant queries of the interviewer...

Q. What aspect of making music excites you the most right now?

A. The longer you play and write and perform the farther you move away from the screaming-child that is your head, and the closer you sidle-up to matters of consequence as a true artist. Music is the language of the soul (even thrash-rock and heavy metal have something deeper than blind rage to convey) and as the true expression of our hearts, she eventually nudges us to become more aware and sensitive to aspects of our lives that are worthwhile - aspects that might enable those who hear us to be a bit better for our efforts.

I started out not aspiring to write gut-wrenching, hip, pop/rock epics, but by distancing myself from all the flashing lights and white-noise of screaming crowds - sitting quietly, deciding what aspects of my life - so far - are most worth celebtrating and remembering. The easiest way I've found to express these 'lessons' is by writing them down in the simplistic phrase of children’s' stories. The first time I attempted this, it was the hardest thing I'd ever tried, as it takes tremendous focus and effort to cut away every last shard of fat from the raw flesh of your sentiments. Eventually though, I came to realize that if you can cram all you wish to convey into a short, half-page, simplistic tale, you can write songs that matter too.

Q. What excites me most right now?

A. Knowing I am able - better than ever - to share through the language that is common to us all, things I've found that mean something to me. And if they mean something important to me, they're bound to be worthwhile to someone else as well.

Q. What aspect of making music discourages you the most ?

A. It is a frustration to see so much true talent and artistry quashed and unsupported these days while mindless, formula songs increasingly saturate the airwaves for the sole purpose of separating monies from teens with large allowances and few expenses. Granted, it IS a music 'business' - but consideration needs to be given to 'tomorrow' and the consequences of this not-often-enough-thinking, not-often-enough-feeling generation being created. Perhaps if more songs inspired us to think, feel - reflect - and were heard alongside the pop/advertising tunes, there'd be more effort at creating some sort of legacy for those following in our stead, instead of carelessly sucking up all we can get from their pockets right now.

Not so long ago,’talent’ and ‘heart’ played the decisive roles determining what songs got played for the masses. You don't have to think too hard to recall artists - average as air to look at, without a nickel to their names - who had songs on the radio that are still classic and popular today because they had something worthwhile to share. How many songs over the past ten years have actually touched you? Not just appealed physically via flashing videos or gotten mindlessly into your head from repetition - but left a footprint upon some part