FELICITY
PERFORMS FOR NU COUNTRY TV
 |
Tamworth
troubadour Felicity Urquhart makes a rare Victorian tour in July after
gigs in the U.S., New Zealand and Fiji. And Nu Country TV will film her and fellow multi Tamworth Gold Guitar winner Adam Harvey. |
The singer,
who opened for Willie Nelson, the late Waylon Jennings and The Pope on
one of their Australian tours, plays Hallam Hotel on Tuesday July 22.
Felicity is touring to promote her Jim Lauderdale-John Leventhal penned
single 'Planet of Love' from her acclaimed swing album, 'New Shadow' (EMI).
She will also showcase songs from her third album which she is road testing
for a spring recording.
CLICK HERE for the interview and tour dates.
FELICITY OVERSEAS TOURS
Felicity,
just 26, toured the U.S. with Sydney 'Feral Swing Katz' who backed her
on 'New Shadow.'
They performed at the famed steel guitar convention - a booking organised
by her pedal steel guitarist Michel Rose who co-produced her album with
fellow Feral Swing Katz guitarist Stewie French.
Felicity later debuted in Nashville with fellow Australian acts Kylie
Sackley and Pru Clearwater and Kiwi Kylie Harris.
On that showcase she was backed by guitarist partner Glen Hannah (regular
picker for Kasey Chambers) and Jedd Hughes from Kentucky born Patty Loveless'
bluegrass road band.
SONG WRITING
The singer, like many Aussie peers, wrote with diverse major hit songwriters
during her Nashville sojourn.
They included Grammy winners Jim Lauderdale and Randy Scruggs - producer
of the last two Nitty Gritty Dirt Band 'Will The Circle Be Unbroken' discs.
She also co-wrote 'This Is Life' with unsung Nashville recording artist
Dean Miller - son of Roger - after Tamworth. Felicity attained an organic
sound when she cut the album with Sydney's revered Feral Swing Katz.
She developed her love of western swing from her grandfather - a troubadour
who sang from town in town in rural NSW.
It was an era which spawned album tracks such as 'You Can't Break My Heart,'
penned by Spade Cooley and Eugene Rogers.
Cooley, a California band leader who died at intermission of a concert
while out of jail on parole for murdering his wife, was a regular character
in James Elroy novels set in L A in the immediate post war era.
DEAN MILLER SESSION
Felicity
wrote two of 12 tunes - a lullaby with Sam Hawksley and another with Dean
Miller (son of late Roger and now courting Melbourne country starlet Rene
Stewart.)
Rene once adorned the arm of Brownlow medallist Shane Woewodin and proved
her prowess with an acapella version of the Melbourne theme song on the
Nine Network 'AFL Footy Show.'
Writing with Miller enabled the singer to develop her ideas.
"When Dean rang up and said 'I've got a couple of days to spare before
I go back to Nashville - would you like to get together and write I nearly
did a back flip," Felicity told Nu Country while touring to promote
'New Shadow.'
"Dean had hits over in the States with George Jones, Trace Adkins,
Terri Clark and Chris Knight. He's a phenomenal writer so when he arrived
at my door I was very nervous. I explained I wanted to write about taking
opportunities and not waiting for things to happen. The song was born
in matter of minutes, we worked on it for less than a day and polished
it off by e-mail. I wanted to finish the album with something positive."
NEW VIDEO SINGLE
Lauderdale
and Leventhal - second spouse of Rosanne Cash - wrote 'Planet Of Love.'
"I first heard it on a demo and I thought 'wow this is something
Patsy Cline would record if she were around today," says Felicity,
"this is me, It's a really quirky song about the planet of love and
I can dream about that. The album's really sprinkled with romance and
I couldn't go past this."
Felicity reached back for Merle Haggard's Every Fool Has A Rainbow, the
Patsy Cline recorded Bobby Life tune Too Many Secrets and Johnny Mercer
for I Remember You, hit for Frank Ifield.
She persuaded veteran Gene Pistilli to write her new songs - New Shadow
and Less Of Me More Often.
And it was Shelby Lynne's cut of Swingtown, co-written with Jamie O'Hara
and Brent Maher, that convinced Felicity to record it.
The ode to Bob Wills and other swing heroes was an album title track by
Shelby (elder sister of Allison Moorer,) when she was a country artist.
"The reaction we have been getting is wow this is so refreshing and
different and they feel that could fit the city café scene,"
says Felicity, "it's the type of album you can put on in a swank
café and city people would get to hear it. I wish more city people
would open their hearts to country music because they're missing out."
FELICITY AND KASEY
Although
Felicity is a huge fan and regular guest at Kasey concerts she blazes
a vastly different trail.
"Our audiences are different," says Felicity, "she's more
country with a folk edge. It's wonderful to see an Aussie kicking doors
open like her and jamming them there."
Felicity appeared on a recent episode of Nine Network Show '60 Minutes'
in a story on 'The Merrymakers' - a group of people with intellectual
& physical disabilities who express themselves through music &
dance.
Her charity work also included a Mildura gig for Paralympics Australia
and another at the Wentworth Gaol.
That was after returning from the inaugural April Fijian Jazz Festival
- featuring swing, flamenco, European Gypsy and jazz musicians from all
over the world.
She also played the Waiheke Island Of Jazz Festival over the Easter weekend.
Felicity's career began at 12 as a busker in Tamworth where she performed
tunes by Dolly Parton and other major influences.
TV appearances have included guest hosting of 'Sale Of The Century' and
variety and music shows on mainstream TV and Pay TV video shows.
She has received airplay across Europe in Austria, France, Germany and
Sweden but has relied on the ABC and community radio in her home land
dating back to 15 song John Kane produced debut disc 'Nothing To Hide'
which produced the single 'Country Girl In An Urban World.'
Her first gold guitar was a vocal collaboration with Harvey, Beccy Cole
and Darren Coggan on 'Do I Ever Cross Your Mind.'
VICTORIAN TOUR DATES
Victorian tour Dates for Felicity and Adam Harvey -
July 22 - Hallam Hotel.
July 23 - Bairnsdale RSL.
July 24 - Italian Australian Sports Club.
July 25 - Wonthaggi Workmen's Club.
July 26 - Colac RSL Club.