SEVEN years ago brothers Jack (bass) and Mark Bailey (drums, vocals) and friend Mark Goetz (keys, producer) decided they would follow their creative calling and record an album.
Finally after countless hours crafting songs, learning how to best utilise their recording equipment and constant refinement in the Baileys' remote home studio in the village of Bobin, north of Wingham, the dream is a reality.
Along the way David Craig (guitar, producer) also joined the trio to complete the Gardens unit.
Last Friday the Newcastle-based band released their self-titled debut. Gardens is no tentative first step from a bunch of novice musicians, but a sprawling 57-minute epic incorporating elements of psych, pop, synth rock, soul and prog.
Tame Impala is an obvious reference point, as is soul star Frank Ocean.
Gardens have been a fixture on the Newcastle live scene since 2016, but the band only released their debut single, Philadelphia, last year.
In order to finally release the album, Gardens set their own strict deadline to take "their hands off the instruments."
"We're a band of procrastinating perfectionists," Goetz said. "We knew we wanted to do it the best way we could possibly do it, so this is the only thing we've released."
Goetz said the album was written as separate songs, but the concept of longing is a unifying theme.
"The constant thread is longing for a different future, or a woman lost or longing for a life not lived," he said.
Back in 2013 when work began on the record, the Baileys and Goetz hardly knew how to use their rudimentary recording equipment. The early takes were "terrible", but the end product is an impressive result of working within limitations.
"For me, the big experience of making the album was creativity from limited potential," he said.
WILL'S MAGIC CLIP
WILLIAM Crighton has served up a left turn both musically and visually with his latest single This Is Magic.
Dubbed a love song to Cessnock, the track name checks community radio station 2CHR 96.5FM, the pool and the local hot chicken shop and unveils a more commercial alt-country sound from Crighton.
The video, was directed by Crighton, his wife Julieanne, Andrew Johnston and Aaron Lyon and features the Bellbird Bowling Club and kitsch Australiana cuisine like prawn cocktails.
However, the star of This Is Magic is drag queen Viktoria Bitter. There's also plenty of Dashville types featured in the video, including Ben Quinn, Ben Leece and Melody Pool.
LIVE REVIEW:William Crighton's new band revs up the intensity
HURRICANE MUSTER
NEWCASTLE country band Hurricane Fall will perform at the Deni Ute Muster's long-waited return from COVID restrictions next year.
The Riverina town of Deniliquin will host the country festival on October 1 and 2, featuring John Williamson, The Angels, Busby Marou, Troy Cassar-Daley, Shannon Noll, The McClymonts, McAlister Kemp, Sara Storer, Shane Nicholson, Felicity Urquhart, Hurricane Fall and Darlinghurst.
Last month Hurricane Fall were nominated for best group for their album Ain't Leavin' in the 2021 Golden Guitar awards. It's their first nomination.
The band of Jesse Vee (vocals, guitar), Pepper Deroy (vocals, bass), Lachlan Coffey (drummer), Tim Hickey (keys, guitar) and Luke Wheeldon (guitar) will be up against Angus Gill & The Seasons of Change, The Buckleys, The McClymonts and The New Graces.
