Moving Forward, Looking

2012 is proving to be the year of Laneway. The country-flecked folk duo of Louise O'Reilly and Paul Hannan left the rat race to take their young family into the wilderness – Natural Bridge in the southeast Queensland hinterland to be exact – and their re-connection with nature has given birth to their hauntingly beautiful second longplayer, Turn Your Love Up.

Normally such events would be enough, but further accolades have followed with the band winning this year's Grant MacLennan Fellowship Grant. “When you are shortlisted in something like that you have to surrender yourself to being in the running and nothing more; it doesn't pay to get your hopes up,” O'Reilly admits. “We were shortlisted in 2011 also, so just to be nominated again was a privilege to us.

“You don't want to view it as a competition, which is pretty counter-intuitive, even though as an independent artist the grant is what gets you by, it is the nature of the beast. We are so lucky and humbled, and it is a life-changing experience, because there is no other way that we could get the resources together to do these things that we dream of.”

“These things” include travelling to Berlin, an element of the grant; something that O'Reilly has dreamt about but never thought would truly come into fruition. Nevertheless there were many things to consider. “We had to consider how far it could go for us, as we are a young family and we felt that Berlin was the best (the other choices being London and New York) for creating the perfect life balance for young creative families,” O'Reilly explains. “We were also looking for longevity. Most recipients [of the award] stay for two months then return, but we wish to stretch out and see how things transpire. We are fitting in as many live shows as we can, and hopefully take in some other countries such as France, which has a good scene.

“Bizarrely there is a good Brisbane/France connection there, we know some people there. It's the contrast of the European experience that we are excited about, both personally and creatively. Sitting here in the quiet of Natural Bridge where we don't even have electricity to the bustle of Berlin with its keen culture and history; we just want to wander the streets, not speak the language and muddle through.”

Before this new exciting chapter begins, Laneway are taking to the road with their backing band to air out the new album, a process that O'Reilly finds familial in a variety of ways. “Much of the album inadvertently came together from our move away from the city that we loved, and discovering new loves, looking back at the world which is in turns liberating and isolating,” O'Reilly opines. “There is a tension from yearning for that place of familiarity. Then of course we are parents now; we made the first album whilst I was pregnant, and inadvertently so, so it only informs on that in retrospect.

“So looking back on this, the themes of loss and yeaning and caring and nurturing come through naturally. We have also had the band [Fingers Malone & Rowan Roebig] with us, which offers a different space for us, but is very familiar also. There is an intimacy to a duo show that you surrender to when you have a band, but then there is so much more excitement within those songs. You really appreciate the different arrangements that either incarnation of Laneway can bring to these songs; that each style has its place. Plus it's a lot of kilometres for this tour, so hopefully they can do some of the driving.”

Laneway will be playing the following shows:

Friday 14 September - The Wheatsheaf Hotel, Thebarton SA
Saturday 15 September - Palais Theatre, Hepburn Springs VIC
Sunday 16 September - Workers Club, Melbourne VIC
Thursday 20 September - Front Bar & Gallery, Canberra ACT
Friday 21 September - Heritage Hotel, Bulli NSW
Saturday 22 September - Great Northern Hotel, Newcastle NSW
Sunday 23 September - Clarendon Guesthouse, Katoomba NSW
Wednesday 26 September - Oxford Art Factory, Sydney NSW
Thursday 27 September - Brass Monkey, Cronulla NSW
Friday 28 September - Soundlounge, Currumbin QLD
Sunday 21 October - Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane QLD
Saturday 27 October - Drill Hall, Mullumbimby NSW