Great reviews are awesome and we’re always grateful when a publication/website/blog takes the time to review our work but it’s the opinions of our listeners that ROCK our world – you’re the folks who come and see us play, support our work with your hard earned cash and keep us doing what we do! Thanks for your support, we really appreciate it.
What are our listeners saying about “The Long Journey Home”?
“It is everything I hoped for. A brilliant selection of songs, lot’s of original pieces, and a great example of authentic production. In other words, it faithfully reproduces my experience of these artists as performers and has captured their music perfectly. Sitting firmly in top position for my album of the year.”
“I just love listening to you guys beautiful harmonies and love your originals Brilliant thank you so much…… Fabulous CD .”
“Your beautiful songs, harmonies and melodies fill my heart with happiness and let it dance away the cobwebs and reclaim my home. The home in my heart.”
“If you love (authentic) ‘Blue Grass’ the recent album is a must. Incredible instrumentals and brilliant vocals. Close your eyes and you’re deep in the Smokey Mountains. Well done, brilliant.”
We’re excited to announce the release of our new album – “The Long Journey Home”.
We had been writing material around the theme of “Home” for a couple of years and had planned to release a double album – an album of originals and an album of covers/traditional songs. The global COVID-19 pandemic hit and like everyone our plans changed……. With the loss of all our gigs, very suddenly we had to reassess what we could afford. With everyone self-isolating at home the meaning of “home” changed too, for us all.
Over the last few years we have been incredibly lucky to find a community of people who have welcomed us – it felt like a homecoming. Although we love Bluegrass and Old Time Music, the music we make is neither of those genres.
We recorded with Mark Woods, in his lovely home studio late 2019 and early 2020, the last session was in-between lock downs. The recordings capture our live performance style – Bluegrass style around a condenser microphone, improvisational lead guitar from Chris and stripped back, acoustic arrangements. We had a huge list of possible material – poor Mark! The songs that are on this album are the ones that we performed best, the ones that fit together best, and the ones that were ready to come home.
Home is where the heart is, home is our safe place, home is where we all get to be most ourselves. We all use the phrase “at home’ to describe feeling comfortable or at peace. In Gospel music home is where we are reunited with our loved ones at the end of our life journey. For us it has been a long journey to find a place that we can call home, both as musicians and as people.
So here we are, just two people, playing acoustic instruments, and singing about the stuff we think about a lot, death, loss, connection, human experience – from our home to yours,
some folks appreciate lyrics (because you asked so nicely Eryn) – we do too – that’s why we write ’em – link to lyrics
Purchase The Long Journey Home – link to our store – choose the purveyor of your choice or email us on slimdime(at)gmail.com to purchase a CD
Thanks to Mark Woods, Heath, Tom & Andrea, Paul, Lou, Mark, Gage & Mae, Christina & Garry, Graeme & Lynn, Mark, Belinda, Andrew & the MPA folks, everyone who has come to hear us play
& given us awesome hugs.
some folks like photos – we do too – have to say it because Jen takes a lot of ’em
our lovely home
we stayed in gorgeous Maldon when we recorded – thank you Graeme!
I know, but creepy good right?
We even recorded at a home studio – thank you Mark – you’re awesome!
It’s been an epic year of gigs and Festivals – thank you to everyone who came along to our shows, bought our music and gave us hugs! We’ve both hit the end of the year feeling very blessed, grateful for a wonderful year and looking forward to shows next year after a good rest.
Mountaingrass 2018 – photo thanks to Ian Fisk
Kelly Country – Photo thanks to Ian Fisk
Spirit of Tassie!
We had a fantastic time in Tasmania in April, and with a little help from our friends some great shows.
Princess Pier, port Melbourne.
View from hilltop near Moina, Tasmania
Tasmania is astoundingly beautiful, everywhere we went was a pleasure, the food gorgeous and the folk were welcoming and kind.
Campbell Town, Tasmania.
Our first gig was to record a Live to air – with C.C. Thornley from the most splendid band The Black Swans of Trespass on Hobart’s Edge Radio 99.3 FM– on his weekly show, The Naked Folks. We are blessed to have good friends, Christina Chiavassa was kind enough to organise our mini-tour for us and we loved playing at Bright Eyesat The Brooke Street Pier – great venue and wonderful listening audience.
Snug, Tasmania
We played a great show in gorgeous Cygnet at The Red Velvet Lounge, a lovely cafe/bar/restaurant. We were so pleased to be received so warmly by the locals who hear some truly world class music at the annual Cygnet Folk Festival.
Everywhere we go I (Jen) takes photos, which began as a part of our last album, a photographic Travelogue – photos here on instagram. A incredible highlight this year was a 2500km round trip to White Cliffs in NSW for the White Cliffs Music Festival. For the first time we felt as if we were seeing Australia, the red dirt country. It was alive with wildlife. Big sky. Extraordinary.
Whitecliffs
Whitecliffs
We staying in an amazing house that was a retired opal mine, underground. We had the penthouse suite, above ground, an eyrie….. Thank you Anne Baker for your incredible Festival! Playing our Gospel songs in the tiny stone church in Whitecliffs was extraordinary, that it was a part of a service about Elvis’ deep love and appreciation for Gospel Music featuring an Elvis Impersonator in full Vegas white jumpsuit mode was…….. Royden Donohue has the most gorgeous voice and an audible love for the King.
Although we were only away for a week it felt like years had passed, it was a live changing experience.
A few local standout gigs, a support for our most excellent friend Teresa Dixon to launch her beautiful album “Bass Straight”, Rezza House Concerts invited us to support the amazing Western Australians Belle Harvey & Helen Townsend. We also discovered a nifty new bar in Castlemaine – The Taproom at Shedshaker Brewery, thank you to Steve Charman for his interview on his show “Open Tuning” on Main FM. It’s always a pleasure to play at our old local, Oscar’s Alehouse, with old friends The Burning Bridges and new friends Flying Home. Festival Season is always a blast and the Kelly Country Pick is a cracker – thanks Peter Hisco for another brilliant year.
Rezza House Concert with Belle Harvey & Helen Townsend
Pack your bags we’re off to Kelly Country!
Kelly Country Pick 2018 – Photo thanks to Ian Fisk
The Priory is a great place to stay & Beechworth is beautiful. We stayed up late and picked ’til it hurt! oh boy, did it hurt…….
Beautiful Beechworth
The Priory
The Guildford Banjo Jamboree is a crackerjack pick, we had a ball. Thank you Jeanette Gillespie for another fantastic year! Castlemaine is a favourite place of ours to visit.
Castlemaine
Castlemaine
We played at our first Uranquinty Folk Festival this year and really enjoyed this laid back little festival. Thanks to Peter Hood! Then we traveled to Kinglake for the Foggy Mountain Music Festival. We had a great time jamming all day and night, it’s a lovely festival and we always enjoy heading to Kinglake. Thank you Mark, Brad and Sarah for all your hard work! The best part of a good Festival is staying up all night and havin’ a pick with other musicians. It has been an amazing gift meeting so many awesome players to hang out with.
Uranquinty
Quinty Folk Festival – fire side jams
Foggy Mountain Music Festival
Mountaingrass is always a highlight of our year, we stayed in posher digs than we are accustomed! The weekend was a great success, a new venue for Mountaingrass meant that it had a lovely air of excitement and anticipation. The lovely gardens of May Day Hills were in full bloom, the air perfumed and honeyed. Although it did play havoc with the sinuses it looked glorious. We were extremely lucky to receive a great live review from Listening Through the Lens – thank you to Rob Dickens and Jim Jacob for the photograph. Thanks to the Mountaingrass crew for an amazing effort – special thanks to Evan, Helen & Susan.
Mountaingrass 2018 – Photo thanks to Jim Jacob
“They also doff their hats to traditions and they clearly know and appreciate their musical antecedents………. Her voice is melodious and his playing very accomplished, making their work look effortless as do the best performers. The harmonies are sweet and nuanced, like the A.P. Carter vocal drift to and from the microphone that they use.” – Rob Dickens – Listening Through the Lens
The Chapel was by far our favourite venue with gorgeous acoustics
The Linnaker Hotel was the accommodation for the nursing staff when May Day Hills was a “Lunatic Asylum”
so, another fantastic year and with a little help from our friends next year is lookin’ pretty awesome too… with plans to record again and some tasty gigs booked already!
We love Tasmania, the last time we were in Tassie was for the Cygnet Folk Festival last year.
For all you Taswegian Folks a list of our upcoming shows follows. Special thanks to Christina for organising all these awesome shows for us – with a little help from our friends…….
“I’m A Stranger in This Town” original song by Slim Dime. Filmed by Peg Leg Productions.
Director of Photography – Joshua Collings. Camera A – Joshua Collings. Camera B – Tristan Pierce. Post Production – Joshua Collings.
Sound Production & Mix – Stovepipe Studios – Matt Walker & Rowan Matthews.
It’s the end of a great year for us – and with the help of our friends we’ve done some amazing things and been to some gorgeous places. We recorded some videos with Pegleg Productions that have come up a treat! We’re really excited to share some of the new songs we’ve been writing.
“That Ole Train” original song by Slim Dime. Filmed by Peg Leg Productions.
Director of Photography – Joshua Collings. Camera A – Joshua Collings. Camera B – Tristan Pierce. Post Production – Joshua Collings.
Sound Production & Mix – Stovepipe Studios – Matt Walker & Rowan Matthews.
‘That Ole Train’ – is an original tune about the last great ride we all take. All aboard! Get ready for some yodelling……Huge thank you to Josh & Tristan from Pegleg Productions and Matt & Rowan from Stovepipe Studios.
“Jump Up Jimmy Creek” original song by Slim Dime. Filmed by Peg Leg Productions.
Director of Photography – Joshua Collings. Camera A – Joshua Collings. Camera B – Tristan Pierce. Post Production – Joshua Collings.
Sound Production & Mix – Stovepipe Studios – Matt Walker & Rowan Matthews.
‘Jump Up Jimmy Creek’ is a tune Chris wrote that includes some of the place names we’ve discovered on our travels – that ole Big Rig Mama’s rollin’ down the line. Again a huge thank you to Josh & Tristan from Pegleg Productions and Matt & Rowan from Stovepipe Studios. Cameo appearance from our cat Mazzie who approves every song before anyone else does – if she doesn’t like it, we won’t share it – she has impeccable taste in music & we trust her judgement (we also call her the Folk Cat).
As we always say about our music – these songs are new, but sound as though they’ve always existed, somewhere on a mountaintop……
We headed to the Gippslands town of Yinnar,
as guests of the mighty Strzelecki Stringbusters in September – those boys know how how to have a good ole time!
The town of Yinnar has invested in some amazing public art – it’s fantastic to see a small town support the Arts!
Had a great weekend of pickin’ and came home tired but happy – lovely to catch up with old friends & make some new ones! The weather was a little wild but no-one’s spirits were dampened.
The cottage in Spring is lovely, gorgeous flowers, the grass was growing too fast to keep up with. It’s a bit ‘Fairy Tale Cottage’ up here on the hill………
It’s great to get booked for a private function & do somethin’ a little different, we played a wedding at Yarra Valley Estate which was a great night – lovely couple who requested banjar & liked our tattoos
The end of our year & a real highlight was Mountaingrass Bluegrass & Old Time Music Festival – it’s a great Festival & we felt really honoured to be invited to play there in the company of the world’s finest pickers.
More wild weather……… and gorgeous countryside…
Just managed to pitch the tent before the thunder started rollin’ in
As always the best thing about an excellent Festival is catching up with friends, havin’ a pick & meeting new people who love music.
photo thanks to Ian Fisk
We played ’til our fingers hurt! Some of the highlights for us were being included in the “Purely Acoustic” Concert hosted by Tony O’Rourke alongside some of the best pickers in Australia and the CD Launch of the Women in Stringbands Project – we are so proud to have been included on a compilation with an amazing array of women who play in string bands in Australasia.
photo thanks to Ian Fisk
A safe journey home in startlingly bright (and warm) sunshine, exhausted, happy and sore.
To our little cabin on the hill
now we finish writing our next album and catch up on our sleep!
We love to travel and play in different places with different folk. Road trips are our kinda fun – Chris likes to drive and Jen likes to take photographs.
Dadswells Bridge, Victoria
We’ve been very lucky over the last few months to be able to travel to some fantastic places, we live in a beautiful place and appreciate it all the more when we return after a road trip!
Shoreham, Victoria
Balnarring Beach, Victoria
It’s a real challenge to get a good photograph from a moving vehicle and very satisfying when it works well.
Merton, Victoria
The Kelly Country Pick is in beautiful Beechworth – always a real pleasure the visit a gorgeous town and have a pick with excellent musicians. KCP is all about the pickin’!
Beechworth, Victoria
Beechworth, Victoria
We had a great time, a perfect mix of pickin’ and performing.
At Kelly Country Pick 2017 – photo thanks to Ian Fisk
Beechworth, Victoria
It’s lovely to live in a beautiful place – very inspiring, going away often inspires us to experience our area at home with fresh eyes.
Point Leo, Victoria
We were very lucky to be invited to return to Wirrina Bluegrass & Acoustic Roots Festival this year- a great time and really great performers – we felt blessed to be in such excellent company!
on the road to Adelaide – Horsham, Victoria
So we hit he road again – headed for South Australia.
Kaniva, Victoria
Wirrina Cove is on the gorgeous Fleurieu Peninsula, a real pleasure to visit.
Victor Harbour, South Australia
Despite some incredibly wild, wet and windy weather – we endured…..
Thanks to Lisa Martin for recording us on Sunday, in the wild windy tent! Jen was very ill all weekend with the flu but we endured! This is our version of the Ola Belle Reed song – I’ve Endured, which was inspired by South Australia’s own Cherry Pickers version of the same.
Wirrina Cove, South Australia
It’s always a pleasure to jam with great musicians and Wirrina was no exception.
At Wirrina 2017 – photo thanks to Ian Fisk
At Wirrina 2017 – photo thanks to Ian Fisk
As usual the most intrepid Ian Fisk was there documenting both festivals. He has become a stalwart presence at most events.
Wirrina Cover, South Australia
After a wild weekend of weather the sun peeped out briefly……..
Stawell, Victoria
and the wild weather followed us home again.
Point Leo, Victoria
for a fortnight of unusually cold weather all the way from Antarctica.
Point Leo, Victoria
Which bought some fantastic clouds our way and some welcome rain.
Balnarring Beach, Victoria
We headed north, but not too far to our first Guildford Banjo Jamboree.
Bolte Bridge, Melbourne, Victoria
We had a fun banjo-centric set all prepared.
Guildford, Victoria
We enjoyed playing with fine folk all weekend.
Castlemaine, Victoria
And appreciated the gorgeous historic area.
Guildford, Victoria
As always all photos by Jennifer Land unless otherwise credited
We’re in warmer climes for a few gigs in NSW & QLD – the longjohns are OFF and we have short sleeves ON! If you’re south of the big smoke check out the Illawarra Folk Club in Wollongong – we’ve got a support slot for Canberra based Humbug.
Triple bill with The Ville Billies & Golden Whistler at nifty little watering hole Gasoline Pony, in Marrickville – they promise craft beers and boutique wines and hearty bar food – sounds good to me!
New Farm Bowls Club 969 Brunswick St opposite New Farm Park
doors open 7pm – music from 7:30pm
Tuesday 11th July – Entry $10/$7 concession
Then an entire weekend of incredible music in Rappville – all the musicians will be there all weekend so there will be jams – most likely revelry and good times around the fire pit! Buses can be arranged from Casino and camping is available. Contact Jayne at The Rappville Pub for details – (02) 6661 7102.
We’re heading to (R)Adelaide for a couple of shows in mid May – should be a hoot. We’re teaming up with local bluegrass band – The Cherry Pickers for a night of mountain music mayhem at The Wheatsheaf Hotel on Friday 19th May.
We met The Pickers last year at The Wirrina Bluegrass and Acoustic Roots Festival and thought it might be fun to do a show together! They are an awesome group of musicians and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed their CD “Hand Picked” that features some really excellent versions of Australian songs done in a bluegrass style.
poster thanks to Paul Cooper
We love to support and play on Community Radio whenever we can – it’s the forum that most supports the kind of music we make and it allows us to reach new people. We were very lucky to meet Andrew Bunney last year at our CD Launch and he has invited us to appear on his Radio Show – Freewheelin’ – on Three D Radio on Thursday 18th May from 9am. He’s requested some banjo so we’ll see what we can do!
We met Cheri Dean also last year at The Wirrina Bluegrass and Acoustic Roots Festival and she was kind enough to interview us on her show on 5 Triple Z out of McLaren Vale in South Australia. She has invited us to participate in a fund raising event with local musician Georgy Rochow.Silver Sands House Party – Saturday 20th May – Doors open at 6.30pm for a 7.00pm start.
Adelaide is Rad to visit – and you South Australian types can purchase our Cds at the most excellent store Mr V Music in Semaphore – worth a visit to get your top quality music fix!
Slim Dime 