Main Stage, Saturday August 30 - 8.30pm

Theatre, Sunday August 31 - 3.15pm

ADAM BRAND

In a recent documentary on the recording of Adam Brand's sixth studio album 'Blame It On Eve', the multi platinum recording artist reflected on the time he realized that his dream of a career in music might become a reality.

"There were moments when I wanted it badly but not many when I believed it was possible. It wasn't until the 1999 CMAA Awards when that first Golden Guitar for Song Of The Year for 'Last Man Standing' was read out… I went back to my seat and it was at that point…that precise split second…that I realized...wow!…I might just become a singer for a living."

It shouldn't have surprised Brand that he took home three awards that night in January 1999. They were a significant and validating symbol of recognition for his talent, hard work and commitment.

And it is those three elements…talent, hard work and commitment…that have fuelled Brand's remarkable success since June 1997 when he left his home in Perth to drive across the Nullabor in search of a break in the East.

Now, ten years, eight Golden Guitars, three platinum albums, two gold albums and two gold live DVD's later, Brand releases what is perhaps the most defining work of his career.

'Blame It On Eve' was recorded between Sydney and Nashville with long time producer Graham Thompson and many of the musicians that played on his previous album 'What A Life'. It covers expansive ground from the hard driving country rock of 'Get On Down The Road' and 'Down Home' to the desolate "Waiting On Sunshine' and the fragile 'Not So Strong' which features a vocal performance that is arguably Adam's finest to date.

If you listen to Brand's first few albums the themes are pretty consistent: Fun, family, friends and fast cars. These themes continue on subsequent albums but the naivety of the early albums gives way to an inevitable maturity…albeit with the essentials of reckless fun and frivolity still well and truly present!

It was the 'Get Loud' album, released in 2004 that first hinted at this shift. Though the title track became an anthem for the hard partying country crowd, it was on 'Get Loud' that we first heard Brand sing songs of desperation. Songs like 'Impossible To Do' and 'This Time Of Year' were in stark contrast to anything he had recorded before. They showed a shift from the third person narrative heard on songs like 'The Good Things in Life', written about a failed marriage for the 'Good Friends' album of 2000, to chilling accounts of broken relationships told in the first person.

If 'Get Loud' was a turning point for Brand, the recording of his subsequent album 'What A Life' was the next step in his growth as an artist, both in his songwriting and the sound of his records. And there were two key contributors to this evolution: a new studio band and a songwriter by the name of Travis Meadows.

"I met Travis Meadows at the start of the 'What A Life' album and we just got on… I suppose you could say we are kindred spirits. For 'Blame It On Eve' we planned well in advance to spend a whole heap of time writing together before going into the studio. We came up with some songs that I am really proud of ".

From this concentrated period of writing just prior to the recording of 'Blame It On Eve' three songs made the final cut: 'Not So Strong', 'Wasted Days' and 'Better Than This'. Travis also wrote the title track and the haunting 'What We Do To Ourselves'.

Producer Graham Thompson believes that the band that first appeared on 'What A Life' and returned for 'Blame It On Eve' also helped shape a distinguishable new sound for Brand. "I would say that Greg Morrows drumming, Mike Brignardello's bass playing, J.T. Corenflos's guitar playing and Dan Dugmore's lap steel playing has created a sound for Adam that is exactly what Adam and I wanted to hear. For me the most defining element is Dan's lap steel…it's all over the album…that man is an international treasure!"

Brand agrees…"Those guys are all guns for hire but they play with the enthusiasm of a garage band. To me they sound like a real band on the record and although they play on a lot of records, Graham gives them more freedom on my albums than they are normally afforded on Nashville sessions. They seem to appreciate that and give their best."

Adam also wrote with old friends Sam Hawksley ('Comin' From') and Mike Carr ('Waiting On Sunshine' and 'Right Here With You'). He also recorded a song by newcomer Leanne Rose called 'Angels', a sweet reflection of the importance of empathy in relationships.

'Blame It On Eve' is a great album delivered with the conviction of a great Australian artist at the height of his game.

"I could not imagine a life without music. It picks me up when I'm down, motivates me, gets me pumpin' when I need to be. Since I was three years old singing 'How Much Is That Doggie In The Window' with my Dad at the Charles Hotel in Perth…it's what I've always dreamt of doing".