News

I’m Wanita at the Melbourne International Film Festival

July 13, 2021

Jaw-dropping new Australian documentary “I’M WANITA” will have its Australian Premiere at next month’s Melbourne International Film Festival, it was announced today.

”I’M WANITA” is the story of a chaotic, flamboyant force of nature & her lifelong odyssey to realise her childhood dream – sometimes at the cost of those dearest to her. It’s a searing portrait of a complex and controversial personality – the self-proclaimed “Australia’s Queen of Honky-Tonk” best known as ‘Wanita’. The film, shot over several years, chronicles her quest to travel to Nashville to record her definitive album and asks- “Can Wanita keep her date with destiny?”

The Australian launch follows the film’s International Premiere in May at Canada’s prestigious Hot Docs Festival, where Screen Daily listed it as “one of the 15 docs to look out for this year”, and reviewers lavished praise on the film and its one-of-a kind heroine.

Directed by Matthew Walker, “I’M WANITA” was produced by Carolina Sorensen and Clare Lewis through their People Productions banner, in association with Tait Brady’s Acme Film Company.

Wanita’s new album, also titled “I’M WANITA” is released in Australia this week via Cheersquad, and features the tracks recorded in Nashville during the making of the film, produced by Nashville legend Billy Yates.

I’M WANITA screens at MIFF across August 7 – 14th, including sessions in Melbourne, Bendigo, Geelong and Castlemaine – before releasing in cinemas nationally in September/October, through Label Distribution.

Tickets: https://miff.com.au/program/film/im-wanita

More information about the movie: http://wanitathemovie.com.au

Buy the album: https://www.cheersquad.com.au/releases/im-wanita/

Wanita - I'm Wanita - red vinyl
Wanita – I’m Wanita – red vinyl
News

World upon a Shelf, new video by Cahill Kelly

May 20, 2021

Melbourne indie-folk-rock revivalist Cahill Kelly‘s first offering of his debut album Classical and Cool Jazz, is the single ‘World upon a Shelf’, a track filled with swagger and sentimental musing. Using objects on his mantelpiece as a source of lyrical inspiration, ‘World upon a Shelf’ sees Kelly reflecting on the notion that all our encounters throughout life contain profound meaning beneath the surface.

“When writing ‘World upon a Shelf’, I was trying to see if I could write a song about even the most mundane of subjects while still evoking some kind of narrative and emotion,” says Kelly.

“At the time I had a number of sentimental trinkets from various countries on a mantelpiece above my desk. I ended up finding deeper meaning in the song, reflecting on the idea that everything we come across in life, be it places, people, objects, ideas, once you take a deeper look there’s always so much more to the story.”

This is reflected in the video, directed by revered local filmmaker and photographer Gil Gilmour, which presents solitary objects as surrealist symbols against an otherwise blank backdrop, but ultimately hints at a deeper, more profound meaning to what we are seeing.

“Cahill Kelly’s ‘World Upon a Shelf’ is one hell of a surrealist trip. Distorted snakes, upside-down spinning salt rock lamps, and falling pianos are just some of the things that feature in this wild music video.” – Beat Magazine

Originally from far North Queensland, a young Kelly grew up on a diet of Crowded House and Tom Petty. Later, he channelled his heroes in his first musical projects, The Broken Needles and Willow Darling. With the latter seeing him assume the role of a natural frontman, Kelly developed a knack for writing songs about everyday life with sparkling detail and depth, delivered with casual grace.

News

Thirty Four, new video by Nick Batterham

May 5, 2021

Rich, evocative, haunting, beautifully harsh, ‘Thirty Four‘ is a bruising affair, a tender, raw, at times simmering indie rock journey drenched in wonderfully emotive piano. It’s a song that evokes the comparisons Nick Batterham has had to Elliott Smith and Nick Drake; you can add Ken Stringfellow to the list as well.

Formerly involved with bands such as Blindside, The Earthmen and Cordrazine, Nick has teamed with photographer, videographer Thuy Vy to create a music video for ‘Thirty Four’ themed around Polaroid photos.

“I love Polaroid film and have wanted to make a clip with it for a very long time,” Nick says. “I used to scan my Polaroids as they developed, with the intention of animating them. This was labour intensive and time consuming. Thuy suggested filming them time-lapse and setting them in locations that helped to tell the story.”

“The video is an extension of a long fascination with photographing my friends,” Nick adds. “I like that a photograph captures one perspective of a moment in time, yet in Polaroid form, remains ephemeral. They take time to appear then can fade over time. A romantic relationship is a collection of shared moments and experiences, which can be well communicated by photographs. They also capture the fractures within a relationship before either person can see it for themselves. My dear friends Nick and Tiara were amazing to work with. So honest and generous, as well as being ridiculously good looking! I can’t thank them enough for their presence and patience.”

Nick Batterham - Lovebirds Album Launch

‘Thirty Four’ features on Nick’s new solo album ‘Lovebirds’ that he will launch at Melbourne Recital Centre on June 25th. Go here for more information on the album launch.

“Nick is a wonderful musician, composer, sound designer and lyricist,” Thuy Vy says. “The more I listened to his music and read his lyrics I found that our works share a similar sensibility. We’re both concerned with ideas of love, melancholy, preservation of memory, vulnerability and fragility of feelings. This video is a distillation of our shared interest in photography as a personal way to hold onto time. And our love of Polaroids as a medium, in particular a Polaroid as an only copy of a moment and the preciousness that it holds.”

Pre-order Nick Batterham’s beautiful new album Lovebirds on limited edition red vinyl, black vinyl, CD or digital here.

Nick Batterham - Lovebirds - red vinyl
News

Nick Batterham ‘Turbulence’ video

March 24, 2021

Accomplished Melbourne composer and songwriter Nick Batterham is excited to reveal the second taste of his forthcoming solo album Lovebirds with the stunning new track ‘Turbulence’. The release follows from Nick’s recently lifted single ‘No Perfect Man’, switching out its predecessor’s hauntingly subdued sounds for a cacophony of rock elements, overlaid with the same melancholic sentiments Nick has come to be known for. The single comes with the announcement that Nick’s new album Lovebirds is ready to be released via Cheersquad Records & Tapes on Friday 21 May with album pre-orders now available via the label’s Bandcamp.

As an album opener, ‘Turbulence’ kicks off Lovebirds with a goodbye, typifying the album’s extravagance as a simple piano ballad breaks loose into a soaring cinematic epic. Scheduled to be released Thursday 11 March, ‘Turbulence’ highlights the sheer brilliance of Nick Batterham’s intricate songwriting. A continuous build of atmospheric strings, horns and guitars propel the song from seemingly unassuming love song to a heart wrenching orchestral production of great heights.

“An attempt to be gracious in defeat, a farewell blessing to a runaway lover. “May everywhere you fly from here be safe and smooth, high up above my turbulence…” The song has gained new meaning since we can’t fly anywhere anymore” – Nick Batterham

Director James Teh:
“The initial idea for this music video came from Tina Fey interview I saw one day on a BBC streaming channel. She told a story of how her kids had overheard her and her husband reminiscing about how much they missed air travel since the lockdowns had begun. Much to their surprise their children treated them by cooking dinner and seating and serving them as if they were on an airplane.

Nick Batterhams song Turbulence whilst warm and fuzzy on the surface carries a dark undertone. I wanted to reflect this in Nick’s music video. Parents on the brink of disaster possibly being brought back together by their childrens creativity and love.

“Myself and a director buddy Vittorio Badini Confalonieri shot this film on a sunny Saturday in Bangkok. The cast are mostly non-actors and real family members which led to some nice moments. I am very happy with the results and was very grateful to put some moving pictures together to such a beautiful song.”

A stalwart of the Melbourne music scene for the past 25 years, Nick Batterham is a prolific artist who has lent his immense musicality to beloved local acts The Earthmen, Blindside, Cordrazine and most recently, The Bell Streets, as well as regular compositional collaborations with renowned visual artist RONE. Nick’s upcoming sixth studio album, Lovebirds bristles with spiky observations and raw emotion, delivered with the world-weariness of Elliott Smith or Nick Drake, while the production nods to Phil Spector at his most opulent. Promising a lavish feast of orchestral pop that explores love’s dizzying highs and soul crushing lows, Lovebirds is now available for pre-order with instant access to Nick’s first two singles ‘No Perfect Man’ and ‘Turbulence’.

News

NEWSLETTER: Chris Wilson is #1

February 5, 2021
Post Image

We are so enormously excited and proud that the new and expanded edition of Chris Wilson’s ARIA-nominated 1994 Australian Blues & Roots classic ‘Live at the Continental’ has debuted #1 on the ARIA Vinyl chart, #1 on the ARIA Jazz & Blues chart, #2 on the ARIA Catalogue Album chart, #6 on the ARIA Australian Artists album chart, and #19 on the actual ARIA Album chart! Not to mention #1 on the Australian iTunes Blues chart and #2 on both the AIR 100% Independent Album Chart and the AIR Independent Label Album Chart!

Check out our latest newsletter

Read older newsletters here

News Releases

NEWSLETTER: New Nick Batterham single out today!

January 28, 2021
Post Image

Nick Batterham‘s beautiful single ‘No Perfect Man‘ is out today! It is the first single of Nick’s forthcoming album ‘Lovebirds’, coming out this May on Cheersquad Records & Tapes. Available digitally on your preferred platforms and for sale through Cheersquad. Have a listen, watch the video and buy No Perfect Man here.

Nick’s undeniable fervour for composing immersive, visceral atmospherics is again paramount on ‘No Perfect Man’. Performed and recorded by Batterham with Ben Wiesner on drums, and featuring strings by David Berlin, Zoe Black and Christopher Moore, with Cor Anglais by Michael Pisani, ‘No Perfect Man’ blends residual classical elements of recent works with poignant lyricism and intimate storytelling. Always managing to extract the immense from the minimal, Nick’s delicate arrangements of rich orchestration and vivid colour paints bright lights and deep shadows like a Caravaggio. Ripeness turns to decay. ‘The centre could not hold,’ Batterham sings, echoing the words of Irish poet W. B. Yeats from a century ago. Nick’s double tracked octave vocal describes the co-existence of our inner and outer voice. Joined in chorus by long-time collaborators Kelly Day, Nick Murray and Jethro Woodward, ‘No Perfect Man’ is a compelling and exciting first taste of Batterham’s forthcoming sixth studio album.

Check out our latest newsletter

Read older newsletters here

News

NEWSLETTER: Gigs are back + Chris Wilson and EVEN out today

January 22, 2021
Post Image

Can’t help but think ‘it’s gonna be a good year’ when the first two CRT releases are as good as these two today.

We’re feeling pretty chuffed down Cheersquad way to be able to bring you Chris Wilson’s ‘Live at the Continental‘ for the first time on vinyl and to have a bit of fun with Even and their collection of covers from over the years, ‘Down The Shops’. The response to both releases so far has been overwhelmingly positive and you’ve gotta be happy with that.

Then to be able to follow it up with the majestic ’No Perfect Man’ from the forthcoming Nick Batterham album ‘Lovebirds’, what’s not to crow about!

Here’s to 2021 and great music – there’s a ton more to come folks.

Read more in our latest newsletter

Read older newsletters here

Gigs News

DELIVERED – Live Streaming Festival

March 31, 2020
Delivered – Live Streaming Festival, 4 April 2020.

⭐️ EVEN LIVE STREAMING ⭐️
DELIVERED – Live Streaming Festival

Music and comedy lovers across the country who have seen tours, festivals and live shows cancelling in recent weeks can look forward to a new festival this weekend, and they can enjoy it all from the comfort of their own homes!

Featuring acclaimed solo artists Alex Lahey, Bob Evans, (Jedediah front man Kevin Mitchell), Ali Barter, Henry Wagons, indie favourites EVEN and internationally acclaimed blues singer C.W. Stoneking. As well as this there will be something for the kids with the Teeny Tiny Stevies.

They’ll be joined by four talented local comedians including Andy Saunders and Sami Shah for a night of live entertainment connecting Victorians through music, comedy, inspiring stories and advice from experts on dealing with isolation.

Streaming is free, although viewers will be encouraged to make a donation by purchasing a ticket through Oztix to view the stream which will help support the creative industries impacted by the coronavirus, including artists, managers, sound engineers and support staff. Tailored beverage packs from bushfire impacted regional wineries will also be on sale for delivery to enjoy during the festival.

Compounding the bushfires which hurt many regional communities, coronavirus social distancing measures means these towns are further isolated, making it harder to raise funds and continue the rebuilding and recovery efforts.

Regional towns across the country impacted by bushfires, drought and the ongoing coronavirus restrictions will be able to enjoy a night of live streaming music and comedy to help connect communities during these trying times.

Minister for Regional Development Jaclyn Symes welcomed the announcement of the Delivered, Live Streaming Festival with a host of music and comedy acts streaming live performances to regional communities all over Australia.

The Delivered, Live Streaming Festival has been launched in partnership with Handshake Agency and will be the first live streaming festival in support of our regional communities.

The stream will go live at 5pm on Saturday 4 April at www.deliveredlive.com.au.

Tickets available here

News Releases

Meanies – 25 Live!

October 23, 2019

It wouldn’t be a Meanies anniversary without some new vinyl hitting the shelves, so to commemorate their 30 years, the band has unearthed a special live recording from their last birthday bash.

The result is 25 Live – a recording of their cracking 2014 set at The Hi-Fi Bar in Melbourne. Featuring an exhaustive setlist of bona fide Meanies classics, 25 Live features numbers from their earliest singles through to their most recent output.

25 Live is released on LP and all digital platforms via Cheersquad on Friday November 1 and will be available at all shows and all good record stores.
Pre-orders available via Cheersquad.

The Meanies, 25 Live
Cheersquad
Friday November 1

1. Lyin’
2. You’re Pathetic
3. Inside
4. Our New Planet
5. Round in Circles
6. Scum
7. Sorry ’bout the Violence
8. There’s a Gap
9. Kill
10. Ton of Bricks
11. Keep a Balance
12. Feed The Dog