PREMIERE: WAM – Sounds Of The Goldfields

Western Australia has proven time and time again it’s a force to be reckoned with when it comes to musical talent, and WAM’s Sounds Of series continues to highlight the fact that quality artists expand far beyond the boundaries of Perth, this time featuring 10 artists from the Goldfields on an exciting new compilation.

Sounds Of The Goldfields saw an eclectic mix of acts from the region team up with Eskimo Joe’s Joel Quartermain, engineers Matt Gio and Sean Lillico at pop-up studio Soundtown in Kalgoorlie, which resulted in a collection of well-constructed, slick-sounding songs.

Each tune has something unique to offer, whether in the form of lyrical content, melody or the music itself, covering everything from electro-pop to country, with five songs performed by Indigenous groups.

Project coordinator Nigel Bird said WAM’s eighth Sounds Of effort was their strongest to date.

“Regional Western Australia is laden with outstanding songwriters and musicians, and combining them with professional producers at the top of their game has brought seriously impressive results,” Bird said.

Lillico added the CD will have “lasting benefits" for the artists' careers.

"I know they all learned a lot about many aspects of the industry, and I'm glad we were able to educate, inspire and mentor them,” he said.

The record gets a launch at Goldfields Arts Centre this Saturday, May 28, with WA an acoustic set from Eskimo Joe and performances from all artists featured, as well as Jennifer Renee – who contributed Settle My Soul to the release – playing Perth’s free State Of The Art Festival on Monday 6 June.

For more info on Sounds Of The Goldfields, its launch and State Of The Art, visit the WAM website.

The Goldfields release follows on from the widely successful Sounds Of The Pilbara II last year, which we described as an insightful and beautiful listen.