Work

Next, and last in in the list of albums I’m re-releasing into the world during what seems to be the tail end of isolation time is my 2010 record, Work of Fiction. This one was recorded at the end of 2009 at Ardent Studios in Memphis, TN, produced by Don Nix, and engineered by Adam Hill. It features performances by my great friends Greg Reding (hammond organ) and Joel Williams (drums), Kelvin Holly (guitar), Robert Clayborne (piano), and David Hood (bass). It was mixed by Ben Tolliday, and also contained some extra follow-up recording done at The Ark in Brisbane. The cover design was by Paul Underwood, and I think it won some award or another at some point.

Special thanks really needs to go to my former manager Leonie Yeoman for this one - it was her idea to record an album in the USA shortly after I’d moved there, and she was the driving force in bringing it all together. I might have written the music, but the very reason it exists like this is because of her. Thanks Leonie.

It’s available to stream on all your favourite platforms from Saturday May 30th via https://ditto.fm/work-of-fiction.

Excuses

Next on the list of re-released albums of mine coming your way is my record Excuses Excuses. Like Ghost City, it was produced by Magoo and recorded in 2008 at both Black Box Studios in Brisbane, and Applewood, a few clicks down the Warrego highway. It features performances from Helen Russell on bass, Michael Flanders on Pedal Steel, Al Perkins on Dobro, Sam Bush on Mandolin, a horn arrangement by Toby Wren, and backing vocals from Tylea, Megan Washington, and the fantastic Chloe Turner.

It’s available to stream at wherever you like streaming things now, and also available for sale from bandcamp along with all my other releases. Listen here at: https://ditto.fm/excuses-excuses-chris-pickering.

Ghost

True to form, when I say I’m re-releasing my earlier albums, I’m not making it up. There’s another one dropping tomorrow Friday May 1st, and while it’s not exactly a full album, it still qualifies for re-release.

Ghost City came out in late 2006, and was my first collaboration with Magoo, who produced and engineered the record at an inconspicuous little house called Black Box Studios, hidden amongst an industrial estate in Newstead in Brisbane. It features performance contributions from the indefatigable Helen Russell, Savannah Jo Lack, and Michael Flanders. It also features cover design by Paul Underwood, and artwork and some backing vocals by Megan Washington - and that’s another story altogether. Fun times. I broke my arm shortly before its release as well which made touring the record a very interesting experience.

Anyway, hopefully you like it. You can stream it from wherever you like from Friday May 1st, and here’s where to find it: https://ditto.fm/ghost-city.

Re-deliverance

What strange times indeed. No gigs on the horizon, but I’m sure if you’re like me, you now find yourself thinking about music more than ever before. Music is great.

In light of this profound thought, I’m going to be re-releasing all of my previous albums online so they will be available to stream in all the usual places. First cab off the rank is my first record, A Safer Place, which I put out 15 years ago (!) and has got some pretty good songs on it, I reckon. It was co-produced with my friend Emerson Bavinton, and features contributions from Savannah Jo Lack, Colin Brooks, the great Helen Russell, and others. You can check it out online everywhere from Saturday April 18th. The other records will be following in the weeks to come.

Go listen, if you wish, on your preferred platform here: https://ditto.fm/a-safer-place

Virus

With gigs getting cancelled everywhere at the moment, and lots of people starting to self-isolate, you should rest easy knowing that the boys and I have plenty of supplies on hand for the coming weeks. In other news, our upcoming gig at The Post Office Hotel on Saturday March 28th has been cancelled - which is a shame, as we were looking forward to playing. Seriously though, a lot of my friends gigs have been cancelled and it’s a real worry as there’s going to be lots of talented musicians out there doing it tough. Support them where you can - see an online gig, or fund a recording campaign. The world always needs music.

Our next show is at The Drunken Poet in West Melbourne on Friday May 1st - pending potential virus cancellations. So watch this space, or any space relating to my gigs. Also, think of every other human on the planet, and wash your hands.

Vision

2020 is here, and it brings with it the promise of new stages and new music. The Experiment rev things up with our first show of the year at The Drunken Poet in West Melbourne on Friday January 24th - with two sets from 8:30pm. It’s a great venue to see some music, so come help us find our way through the inferno and into what the new year holds.

Salon

The year is almost up, and there’s one more gig left. It’s a bit strange as I’m not actually playing, but it’s an opportunity to hear some of my music, and a world premiere at that. Australian Experimental group Ensemble Three will be performing my new piece ‘Lesser Heroes’ as part of their ‘Wet Ink’ concert on Tuesday December 10th, at 6:00pm at the Melbourne Recital Centre, in the Primrose Potter Salon. I’m on the bill with some prestigious music writing talent, namely Dai Fujikura, Yihan Chen, and Tim Dargaville. It’s always exciting to hear one’s pieces performed after throwing them down as a bunch of dots, dashes and lines, so I’m very much looking forward to it. Tickets are available here at the Melbourne Recital Centre Website.

Don Immel, Joel Brennan and Ken Murray of Ensemble Three. Image courtesy of Ensemble Three.

The Experiment are back in action again in the new year, with our next gig at The Drunken Poet in North Melbourne on Friday January 24th. Have a good holiday season and be good to each other.

Oak

The next Experiment show is at The Royal Oak in North Fitzroy on Saturday December 23rd. Two sets of righteousness, solid gold, and eyes-on-the-prize from 6:00pm.

This may well be our last show for the year, but we’ve already got a bit planned for next year, so stay tuned.

Returned

The Experiment are next playing at The Coburg RSL on Friday November 1st, the first day of the last month of spring. Then a few weeks later we’ll be at The Royal Oak in North Fitzroy on Saturday November 23rd.

The short film which we wrote and recorded a live soundtrack for, ‘Out of Range’, by Brown Cabs productions, directed by John Harvey and starring Aaron Pedersen and Araluen Lee Baxter, is now showing on demand on the SBS website! It had its premiere back at Melbourne International Film Festival in September, and it was a thrill to work on this film and with these people. You can check it out here on the SBS On Demand website.

I also recently had the great privilege of having an orchestral piece I wrote as part of my composition studies given a workshop and recording by Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in Iwaki Auditorium at the ABC Melbourne Building. Hearing your music played by one of the best orchestras in the world is something I’ll never quite forget. However, they made me sign a non-disclosure form for the recording, so unfortunately I won’t be releasing it anytime soon - until I get it properly recorded, that is.

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in rehearsal. Photo by CP, 2/10/2019.

Range

The short film which we wrote and recorded a live soundtrack for, ‘Out of Range’, by Brown Cabs productions, directed by John Harvey and starring Aaron Pedersen and Araluen Lee Baxter, is now showing on demand on the SBS website! It was a thrill to work on this film, and I really love how it’s all turned out. You can check it out here on the SBS On Demand website. It’s also fresh from a world premiere screening at MIFF, and will be featuring at more festivals around the world soon.

The Experiment is playing The Drunken Poet in Melbourne on September 20th - two sets from 8:30pm. So come and see what we do, which is whatever we want, really. Next show after that is Friday November 1st at one of the best venues in town, the Coburg RSL. Come see us, if you like.

Image by Ryan Alexander Lloyd, courtesy of Brown Cabs.