Kasey Chambers

[karla]

I love the new CD. I can't pick out a favorite yet; the whole thing is excellent. A nice change in direction for Kasey.

[Turk]

But.. if you are interested you can listen to four of the songs from her new album Carnival (out Aug 19th) on this website: Adelaide now...

I'm behind on my Kasey so thanks for the heads up on these cuts included on the website.
She just keeps getting better and better.....

[Annika]

This is a great news paper article Taryn on the Kasey Chambers Forum posted today.. Thought I would share it with you guys..

Hard Kasey
by Katrina Lobley
October 27, 2006



Australia's biggest country-music star, Kasey Chambers, isn't exactly shy. But she had a heap of trouble asking fellow singer-songwriter Bernard Fanning to record a duet with her on her fourth album, Carnival.

"He's a really nice guy but I was kind of worried about asking him because he is such a nice guy," says the 30-year-old, who has sold more than a million records since making her solo debut in 1999. Chambers is nominated for an ARIA this year for best female artist, while Fanning is nominated for best male artist.

"I didn't want him to feel like he couldn't say no. I would hate for him to go, while he's doing the singing, 'Oh, I hate this song but, you know ...'

"So I sent him this text message - how lame is that! - saying, 'It's Kasey here. I've got this song and it's on my record that I'm making at the moment. Would love to see what you think and if you'd like to do the harmony or a duet-y thing.'

"I said, 'Don't answer now. Just let me send you the song. You might be busy or on the road.' I gave him every out I possibly could. I just didn't want him to be guilted into it.

"A few days later he called and when his name came up on my phone I'm like, 'Oh ... all right.' I answered the phone and he didn't even say hello. He just said, 'I f---ing love it!' It honestly turned out better than I even hoped."

Fanning's silky vocals transformed the song Hard Road so much that even Chambers's biggest fan, her father, Bill, no longer recognised it.

"I sent him the album after Bernard was on it. He listened to it and rang me up straightaway and said, 'My God, I just heard the song with Bernard on it. Why didn't you play me that song before?' I said, 'I did - I played that to you in the studio.' He still swears to this day that I haven't played him that song before."

Chambers wanted to "step outside my comfort zone" with Carnival, which mixes the country sounds that made her famous with more mainstream rock and pop notes. Her older brother, Carnival producer Nash, encouraged the experimentation.

"Nash and I sat there and said, 'Let's get some different musos - people we, God forbid, aren't related to,' " Chambers says.

Cue Midnight Oil songwriter-guitarist Jim Moginie on keys and guitars and Michael Barker of the John Butler Trio on drums. Carnival also contains another surprising duet - with the hard man of rock, Tim Rogers. Their collaboration, I Got You Now, builds to a screaming climax that almost leaves listeners gasping for air. How did she think of working with Rogers?

"As I'm writing [the song], I'm just saying to myself, 'OK, I'll sing this line and then I need a voice singing this line.' I had in my head what sort of voice I wanted.

"I said to Nash, 'I don't know who owns the voice yet - I want someone who's not technically one of those nice singers. I want someone who sounds like they've smoked too many cigarettes.' It took me ages, like six months, of trying to figure out who owned this voice.

"I spoke to Shane [Nicholson], my husband, and he said, 'Look, you keep talking about this voice all the time - it's Tim Rogers.' "

Chambers had reservations - "There was a little part of me that was thinking, 'How's he going to be to work with in the studio? Is he going to be a bit crazy?' " - but all worked out well in the end.

"Tim's such an odd guy - which we all know - but I've always had such a soft spot for him.

"He came up to Nash's studio and was an absolute sweetheart. I just fell in love with him that day. He was just beautiful. We'd sit around and talk about our kids. We sort of hung out for the day as well and had a few beers and he was just really, really nice."

Chambers has also embraced a new take-charge attitude with her career. She took unprecedented interest in the artwork for Carnival, which shows her looking directly at the camera.

"With this one I sat down and said, 'I don't want to look like a lost little girl on the album cover because I'm not her any more. I'm not the same girl who was on the cover of the Captain album.'

"When I made The Captain, I was that lost little girl. I had no friggin' idea what the hell I was doing. I wanted this one to show that I am a wife and I am a mother and I am over 30."

She has hit 30 but the distinctive silver stud below her lip isn't going to disappear any time soon.

"When I was getting married [last year] I said to Shane, 'I think I might want to take that out because I don't know if I want that in my wedding photos.' So I took it out and I've got a big hole there, so I went, 'Oh, OK, it's better than a big hole.'

"I said to Shane, 'I don't know if I want to be one of those over-30 people with a piercing' - but apparently I am."

[PCStuff]

Kasey is really a great artist who has stood the test of time. Her new Carnival CD is superb.

[marybeth]

On first listen it doesnt knock me over, but I'll keep listening.

[Annika]

On first listen it doesnt knock me over, but I'll keep listening.

It took me a while too to get to the songs but now I think most of them are really good and a few (Dangerous, Hard Road for example) are really really great...

I can recommend you to buy the B-side Round Here on the first single off this album Nothing at All. It's a Counting Crow cover which is worth a listen. You can buy it as a download from 7Digital

[marybeth]

yeah I was listening in the car again today and it was already growing on me! *sheepish*

[PCStuff]

On first listen it doesnt knock me over, but I'll keep listening.

It took me a while too to get to the songs but now I think most of them are really good and a few (Dangerous, Hard Road for example) are really really great...

I can recommend you to buy the B-side Round Here on the first single off this album Nothing at All. It's a Counting Crow cover which is worth a listen. You can buy it as a download from 7Digital

Another good choice is to buy it for $2.50 from an Amazon reseller so you can rip it to your own file & bit rate, rather than that spoon fed WMV 192 kbps format from 7digital.

[notalone]

On first listen it doesnt knock me over, but I'll keep listening.

It took me a while too to get to the songs but now I think most of them are really good and a few (Dangerous, Hard Road for example) are really really great...

I can recommend you to buy the B-side Round Here on the first single off this album Nothing at All. It's a Counting Crow cover which is worth a listen. You can buy it as a download from 7Digital

Another good choice is to buy it for $2.50 from an Amazon reseller so you can rip it to your own file & bit rate, rather than that spoon fed WMV 192 kbps format from 7digital.

I followed PC's advice and order the cd single. Though I haven't bought the full cd yet I love it, especially "round here".

[Annika]

I followed PC's advice and order the cd single. Though I haven't bought the full cd yet I love it, especially "round here".

Yeah, isn't it great? It's one of my favorite Kasey songs now..

[keith from ny]

Livin' on the RAILroad

[Annika]

Livin' on the RAILroad

That's a cool song too..

My favorites on the album are: Dangerous (one of her strongest ballads), Hard Road (with the amazing Bernard Fanning), You Make Me Sing and Railroad. I can't stand the disco beat to Surrender so I always skip that one...

She also appears on her husband's new album - Shane Nicholson's Faith & Science. She sings with him on the song I Can Change which also is an amazing song.

[Annika]

Some exciting news from Australia: Kasey is pregnant again!
This is from her website:

Hey everyone,

Firstly I have some exciting news. Shane and I are due to have a baby in early July next year. We are absolutely over the moon and couldn’t be happier. So unlike this past year, I will be taking a bit more time off from touring and spending that time at home, learning how to change nappies again and if its anything like last time (Talon) – learning how to live on very little sleep. But really, becoming a mother the first time is the best thing I have ever done and I can’t wait to do it all again. Shane is so excited too, of course, and is looking after me very well. In fact I am getting spoilt – sleep-ins most mornings, dinner made for me, and last Sunday was our 1 year wedding anniversary where Shane planned a beautiful night for us.
Talon is very excited about having a little brother or sister and had been asking for one for the last couple of years. So next year I am looking forward to spending some real time at home with my family, but we will still be out on the road for a bit. Of course, we are doing the free show in the park at Tamworth this year with special guest Missy Higgins (which I can’t wait for, I am a big fan), then throughout Feb and March I am back out on the road in Queensland (and one show in Darwin) with the acoustic show we have put together, with my special guests Shane Nicholson and Bill Chambers. It’s gonna be so much fun. Then in April (Easter weekend) we are playing the Byron Bay Blues Festival. This is one of my favourite festivals in the world and it will be my 8th year of playing at it, but my 10th year in a row of being there. Even when I am not gigging there I can’t stay away. I played there in 2002 with Talon quite big in my belly and this year will be quite similar. So I look forward to seeing some of you at the shows next year.
I also just want to say a big congratulations to my two best friends - Worm (my roadie and lighting guy) and Bern (a teacher who also helps with our merch). They were married on the 10th of December in a small ceremony on the Central Coast. Shane and I sang a song for them at the church and I was Worms’ “Best Man” (although I wasn’t allowed to the bucks’ night.
Fitting, as Worm was my “Mate of Honour” at my wedding). It was one of the best weddings I’ve been to and they are so happy.
This is my fave time of year – coming up to Christmas – and I hope you all have a wonderful time over the holidays. Thank you for your support throughout the year and I’ll see ya soon.

Kasey x

[Annika]

Here's a live performance by Kasey online! Check it out.

http://www.folkalley.com/music/livefrom/chambers/

It was recorded in Cleveland in 2005.

[Annika]

A video from her latest album:
Sign on the Door

The video was recorded in Jan 07 and there's also clips from her "private life" with her family and friends. The little boy is her son Talon.