Aug. 05, 2009 - Issue #720: The Season 2009

Edmonton Folk Music Festival: Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson

(Australia)

The edgy twang of Chambers and Nicholson recalls Memphis more than Melbourne, but the Australian duo—individually popular before coming together in music and marriage—proves on its 2008 debut Rattlin’ Bones that glossy dark country doesn’t only belong to the American South.

VUE WEEKLY: How would you describe your music to people who have never heard you?

KASEY CHAMBERS: We often refer to our music as roots/country. We're not exactly sure what that is, but it's very hard to find a label that fits. Someone once told me that it sounds like Gothic Country—not really sure what that is either, but we don't mind.

VW: What brought you to music? What made you want to play together?

KC: Shane and I were both introduced to music by our families. My dad was (and still is—he will also be playing with us at Edmonton) a musician, so music was always around when I was young. We lived in a very remote area in Australia so there was nothing much to do except play music. Shane's parents were not musicians but loved music, so it was always around him, too. He started playing music at eight years of age.

We have played music together for a long time—long before we became a couple. We met through music. My brother Nash Chambers was producing an album for Shane and they needed a cheap girl singer for a particular song—I was the obvious choice.





VW: What is the role of music in your life?

KC: Music is a big and wonderful part of our lives, but it is not everything. We have two children and they certainly take up a lot more time than music does.

VW: Is your music in the mainstream musical tradition of your culture?

KC: The music that we play is actually more closely related to the American culture than Australian. We both grew up listening to mostly American music—alternative country/roots/folk songwriters—so I think we naturally feel more comfortable playing that style. We sometimes write about Australian things but it still has an American influence in the sound. We don't try to, it's just the way it is.

VW: What themes dominate your music?

KC: Funnily enough, being a married couple, "love" does not dominate the Rattlin' Bones album. This album was more about characters, images, pictures, biblical references, and for no other reason than that they seemed to fit right in the songs.

VW: Do you feel any pressure to be a “cultural ambassador” when you play to people outside your culture?

KC: I never feel pressure from that. I don't think about it too much, to be honest. I just play my music, have fun and hope that people like it. I love being Australian and bringing a little bit of our culture to the rest of the world through music or stories, but I don't feel the pressure.

VW: Is it a different experience to play to an audience that shares your culture than to one that does not?

KC: Audiences are different everywhere. I've felt stronger connections with audiences in places like Sweden or Norway than certain places in Australia, but just by chance. Each town is different—Australia has some of the best towns and audiences in the world, but my favourite gig to date is the Birchmere in Washington D.C. Not even sure why—it just is!

VW: What do you think sharing music between cultures can accomplish?

KC: The great thing about songs is that you don't have to have lived it or even understand to get something from it, so songs have no boundaries. Some of my favourite songs make absolutely no sense to me, but something about them appeals to me.

VW: What are you looking forward to at the Edmonton festival?

KC: We have never been before but have heard about it and are really excited about getting the chance to play there. We can't wait! 

Thu, Aug 6 – Sun, Aug 9
Edmonton Folk Music Festival
Gallagher Park
Complete schedule at efmf.ab.ca 

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