Q Song 2010 Folk/Ballad award

The song Mardi wrote as her wedding speech - Classified (WVTM) - has picked up the 2010 folk/ballad Q Song Award!

The win was announced at the 5th annual Q Song Awards on 10 August, 2010.
Classified (WVTM) was also a finalist in the Song of the Year award won by Hungry Kids of Hungary.

Mardi Lumsden & the Rising Seas recorded the song in 2009/10 for their Wherever you go, there you are EP with Magoo out at his Applewood studio, a converted church west of Brisbane.


You can hear Classified (WVTM) here.

Following a successful cassingle launch Brisbane alt-folk 5-piece Mardi Lumsden & the Rising Seas are set to release their long-awaited second EP Wherever you go, there you are on Saturday 29 May.

The group recently finished recording their new EP Wherever you go, there you are with ARIA-award winning producer Magoo (Operator Please, The Gin Club, Regurgitator, Kate Miller-Heidke) at his Applewood studio - a converted church west of Brisbane.

After Lumsden recorded her first EP Going is Finding (2007) in various lounge rooms across Queensland, the thought of heading into a sound-proof studio to record the follow up seemed unnatural.

"We wanted somewhere you can hear the room in the recording," said Lumsden. "We wanted a really professional quality recording with character and personality and that is what we got at Applewood.

"If you listen closely you can hear birds in the background. I remember being about to record the guitar on a track when Magoo said, 'hang on, I've got to let the chickens out'. I couldn’t stop smiling!"

Never happy to follow the conventional route, the group released the title track as a cassingle (yes - the single was only released on cassette) at the Brisbane Powerhouse in April complete with an exclusive B-side - a folk cover of George Michael's Faith.

Wherever you go, there you are is a step on from their first release.

"I have grown as a songwriter and we have come a long way as a band since Going is Finding. We are really excited to share the fruits of our labour."

Mardi Lumsden & the Rising Seas (with special guests) release the Wherever you go, there you are EP on Saturday 29 May at the Old Museum, Bowen Hills, Brisbane, with Scott Spark and Cascadeer.

Fresh from recording their long-awaited second EP with
ARIA award winning producer Magoo at his Applewood studio,
Brisbane alt-folk 5-piece Mardi Lumsden & the Rising Seas
will release a cassingle at the Brisbane Powerhouse on Sunday 25 April.

Yes, you read correctly … the single,
Wherever you go, there you are, will be released
only on cassette, complete with an exclusive recording
as the B-side.

So Mardi Lumsden & the Rising Seas are attempting to start a cassingle revival!

“There is a line in a song by Melbourne legends The Lucksmiths that says, ‘I'm biding time for the cassingle revival, because you promised that when it happened you'd return’.

“Really, we’re just doing our civic duty to resolve a great song,” says Lumsden.

The song, Wherever you go, there you are, is based on a quote from Mr Brady of the Brady Bunch that Lumsden has pondered since her childhood.

“Mr Brady would give the kids these useless bits of advice and for some reason this one just stuck with me,” she said.

The song is also based on the book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and the idea that the journey is just as important as the destination.

The B-side is a home-recorded version of the group’s alt-folk cover of George Michael’s Faith.

“Faith was the first tape Pennay (the band’s multi-instrumentalist and Lumsden’s husband) ever bought and we have been covering it for a few years but this is an extra special version!

“With George Michael touring Australia this year we thought it would be a great time to record it.”

Lumsden even managed to get an oven tray credit on the track.

“As Dave Callanan (our lead guitarist) said, you know it is a good sign if I am hunting around the kitchen for the next instrument to put on the recording!”

The cassingle is a strictly limited edition and will only be available at the band’s shows. Those who buy the cassingle will also receive a digital download of the songs.

Mardi Lumsden & the Rising Seas release their cassingle at LiveSpark at the Brisbane Powerhouse on Sunday 25 April, a free all-ages event, from 3.30pm.

The EP, also called Wherever you go, there you are, will be launched at the Old Museum on Saturday 29 May with special guests, including Scott Spark.

After seeing in the New Year playing at Brisbane's Treasury Casino
Mardi Lumsden and the Rising Seas are ready for an exciting 2010!

First up they will play with German folk band The Beez at
Bon Amici Café in Toowoomba on Friday 12 February.

Then Mardi will delve into the craft of song writing at Waxing Lyrical at
the Brisbane Powerhouse on Saturday 13 February (5pm).

Performer Roz Pappalardo will interview Mardi, Renny Field and Deb Suckling about how and why they write songs. Should be an interesting evening ... and it's free!

There are plenty more exciting events planned for the year including a single launch in April, putting the final touches on the new EP, a tour and some interesting collaborations!

We here at Wallflower Records can’t wait!

We are also hoping to have an EP for you from Sydney duo The Morning Papers! Stay tuned for that too.

In the meantime – there are lots of photos from the Applewood recording sessions that Mardi and her Rising Seas did at the end of 2009. For those and other special treats visit their Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Mardi-Lumsden-and-The-Rising-Seas/2438...

Here’s to a fun-filled 2010!

The team at Wallflower have been super busy lately and we are excited to say that we are heading out on the road once again! Okay, well technically we're getting around by plane so are hitting the skies but that just sounds weird...

Mardi will bring her lovely band of alt-folk troubadours with their quirky collection instruments including melodica and the ever popular banjo-mandolin. We like to call them ‘kitschstruments’ but we to keep the boys happy they are hereby referred to as ‘manstruments’.

The Morning Papers will be joining us and let me tell you, it is impossible to listen without wanting to put on a mini skirt and dance along...unless you are a boy in which case you will wish you had skills on a manstrument just so you could stand next to the amazing Kristy Wilson.

Details are:
Saturday 10 October
El Roccos
William St (Cnr Brougham St), in Woolloomooloo, Sydney
Doors open at 7.30pm and entry is $12*.
*Pre booking meal deals are available through the venue. To book a table call 9368 0894.

Friday 23 October
Spenserslive
419 Spencer St, Melbourne.
Doors open at 7.00pm and entry is $10*.
*If you bring 3 people with you you get in for FREE! Yes, FREE! So grab a posse and head on down!

Come on down for a lovely night of good friends, good music and great times!
We hope to see you there.

X
The Wallflower girls

I know...we all love the Rising Seas...I mean come on, they're amazing! It's just that a girl sometimes needs to do things on her own. You know... mix things up a bit and see what happens. With that in mind, Mardi is hitting the road with Liam Griffin for a solo tour in July. That's right... think of her wandering down the highway, guitar in hand, perhaps on a horse... dodging tumbleweeds.

Anyway...

Details are:

Friday 10 July 8pm
Kings Beach Tavern
Caloundra QLD

Saturday 11 July 8pm
Bon Amici's
Toowoomba QLD

Sunday 12 July 7:30pm
The Troubadour
Fortitude Valley QLD

Come along and show your support!

Question: What do Paris, Prague, Barcelona and Brisbane all have in common??

Answer: All these fabulous cities are holding Fete De La Musique this Sunday 21 June...'the largest international live music event in the world'! Yep, it's held on the same day in over 350 cities. Tres muy grande!

So if you are in Brisbane this weekend, come along and check it out. All your Spanish, French and Czech friends will be doing it!

Mardi Lumsden and the Rising Seas
12:30-1:00pm
Nova Stage
Brunswick Street Mall

Hope to see you there!

You can buy Mardi Lumsden and the Rising Seas debut EP Going is Finding from iTunes.

Grab a hard copy of the EP in our online store (linked below). Why not pick up a Wallflower Records T Shirt while you're there:

Wallflower Records is proud to announce that our debut release has reached #5 on the 4zzzfm most played new release charts!

On 21 July, Mardi Lumsden and the Rising Seas’ debut EP Going is Finding raced up to the 5th position in the 4zzzfm chart!

Thanks to all those who have got behind this release.

To request the single ‘You’re the Reason’ visit www.4zzzfm.org.au or www.abc.net.au/triplej/requests