After forming in 2016 and releasing their debut album The Wages of Sin in the same year, local act Mama Red & The Dark Blues are excited to make their comeback after a five year wait. The eight-piece band are set to release their new “conscious concept album” Long Way To Redemption with a launch show at Lyric’s Underground on Friday, August 19 with special support from Nat Ripepi and Kat Kinley. BRAYDEN EDWARDS caught up with vocalist Harry Deluxe (AKA Mama Red) to find out how the album came together and what we can look forward to on the night.
Congrats on the release of this album! How does it feel to finally be releasing it?
Thanks so much! It feels amazing. It’s actually been more than five years since we released our debut album, so it’s well overdue. It definitely feels like a bit of a coming-of-age, a realisation of what and who Mama Red & the Dark Blues really are as an outfit, and an overdue arrival at the music we want to make.
And what would you say is the biggest difference between the band now and when you started writing this album?
We’ve evolved quite a lot I think. We’ve kind of coalesced around the themes of the album in some sense. There’s a lot in there that speaks to the social issues of our time, and I think our band has become closer in its shared values, which is a beautiful thing.
We’ve also had quite a musical ‘maturing’ since the release of our first album, which is maybe a reflection of the times as well. With this album, since we started writing and recording, we’ve started to really ask ourselves what we wanted to say with our music, and as a result it has really moved away from the kinda kitsch, upbeat retro vibes, toward a more darker and more fully realised place.
While the music swings between styles is there a narrative that you feel links it all? What would you say this album is about?
Yeah, I definitely think there is a bit of a narrative running through the album – in a sense it’s almost a concept album in nature. It explores social issues, sexism and intersectional feminism, prescription drug abuse, grief and intergenerational trauma, environmental trauma… it’s definitely got a bit of a fierce, burn it down vibe.
It’s also a bit more cohesive musically – it pulls pretty heavily on some alt-folk, country rock feels, but it also brings in some of that retro-pop that we’re a little known for. We like to call it Australian Gothic.
What artists do you think shaped the sound and style of your music the most?
Oh goodness… that’s such a hard one, in the main because most of the musos in the band have contributed so much to the song writing, and they all really bring their own influences to the table. I’d say, in the vein of eclectic, weird, Australian Gothic feels, there are sprinklings of new Paul Kelly and early Black Sorrows influences, some more commercial Fleetwood and Eagles vibes, throw in a little J.J. Cale and James Taylor, and then it can veer into real Dolly, Linda, Emmylou territory with the vocals… and then of course, Nick Cave – the original Australian Gothic.
How did you go about getting your ideas down on record? And did any songs turn out differently than you had originally thought?
We were really lucky to work with the amazing Kieran Kenderessy at Loop Studio as our producer on the first album, and he really understood our sound and the soul of the group, so it was a natural choice to return to where it all started. He’s super sensitive to our vibe, and also just a really sensitive soul in general. He has a way of being both producer and counsellor that just makes the recording process such a joy.
We were also really lucky to score a recording grant from the DLGSC this time around, so we’ve definitely had some help getting this project off the ground! The last album we self funded, with the help of friends and family, so it was a blessed relief to be able to bring this one to life in a slightly less financially stressful way. It also means that we have a little dosh to get the tunes on a limited edition vinyl, so that’s pretty ace, although with supply chains being what they are, fans will be waiting a while for the vinyl to make it to Perth shores, so it won’t be available at the launch sadly – but they will be able to pre-order it from Bandcamp.
We did have a couple of the tunes take surprising turns, and you’ll hear some super cool string arrangements on one of them that are very tasty. During the recording and mixing process we started collaborating with the incredible Charly Hoernemann on bringing some strings into a live theatre work we’re collaborating on with our music – and some of them snuck into the mix!
Who else is playing with you at this show and what made them a good fit for the occasion?
We could not be more privileged on this gig. Seriously. Aside from our own way too gorgeous band, we’re sharing the stage with special guests Nat Ripepi and Kat Kinley – two powerhouse original Perth songwriters, and of course – fierce women up front. We’ve been very deliberate with our two single launches, and our album launch, about showcasing the fabulous women of Perth music. They really are world class. Kat and Nat are going to be an epic pairing.
What’s next for you and the band? Any more exciting things like live shows coming up we can look out for?
The album launch is at Lyric’s Underground, on Friday August 19, and then we’ll focus on touring – hopefully regionally first, and then we’ll look to potential East Coast tours for early 2023.
In terms of exciting things coming up in town, we’re collaborating with an amazing crew of multi-arts creatives to bring to life a stage show about independent musicians in the 21st Century called Words Can Change the World, that will feature the original music of Mama Red & the Dark Blues. It’s in development at the moment, but you can expect to see it hit Perth stages early 2023.
