STACK #235 May 2024

MUSIC INTERVIEW

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Reducing his tools of inspiration and expression to just two items - a campfire and a guitar - proud Gumbaynggirr/Bundjalung man Troy Cassar Daley wrote his latest album on the rural property of his recently passed mum. The country legend simply allowed the creation process to flow, resulting in the ineffably moving Between the Fires . Head online to read our full, fascinating Q&A with Troy Cassar-Daley. Words Zoë Radas FINDING THE FIRE

series. After watching those incredible pieces of work, I sat alone in Adelaide and started to write. For some reason I felt, on the day, I had a co-writer with me in the room. Was it his spirit? I don’t know, but I definitely was not alone writing this song. His story is very important, and I only hope I did it justice for his people, the Wiradjuri nation. It’s funny how rain is often seen as a symbol of depression or misery, but Ready for the Rain casts it in its true, hopeful, life-giving light. What do you love to see during or after a rainstorm? The thunder at the beginning of that track was recorded at Mum’s old place, like the rest of the recorded birds and all. We were having quite a dry spell, and the tanks needed topping up. I walked up the back to our old scar tree and

express what I was feeling. Sometimes you need a good friend to do that.

You recall the words of both of your now-passed parents - your father in Somedays , and your mum in the gorgeous closing track Moving On . Do you find it an easy thing to evoke their voices,

In Windradyne , you tell the story of the titular Indigenous figure, recalling the style of Kev Carmody and Paul Kelly’s timeless gem about Vincent Lingiari. Why does Windradyne’s story resonate with you particularly? Windradyne was someone I became fascinated with over the last couple of years, but every time I sat to write something about him, I wasn’t happy with how it was told. Enter Rachel Perkins’ First Australians

respectfully asked the old people for a bit of rain, and that afternoon, down she came. I could hear the joy of the birds and see the joy in the trees, as this big storm rolled through, quenching the country. Another song of light for us all…

gestures, perspectives, and imagine how they’d react to things? It took a while to bring my folks’ voices through old sayings to life, because it was all so raw at the time. Kevin Bennett was a huge help on Somedays ; he helped me to be brave enough to

Between

the Fires by Troy Cassar-Daley is out May 10 via Sony Music.

dua lipa the new album radical optimism

out now on cd, vinyl and jb hi-fi au exclusive vinyl

scan to purchase

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