Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson showcased tracks from their upcoming album Wreck & Ruin at Gardel's in Sydney last night, the second such launch after they completed a showcase in Melbourne last week.
Playing tracks solely from the new record, the married couple shared the one microphone in the intimate venue which has previously only played host to Justin Townes Earle and Lanie Lane (it is usually a tapas bar above a restaurant).
Stripped back to guitars and banjos, first single Adam & Eve stood out as encompassing the brilliant answer-and-response vocal lines that made the title track of their previous album Rattlin' Bones so forceful. A fair share of gospel references in the lyrics helps too.
The night wasn't without its fair share of light-hearted married-couple bickering, as Chambers did the majority of the talking in between songs. "Well, we can't just sit here in silence while you tune your fuckin' instruments," she laughed at one point.
Chambers also commented on the album's inception, saying there were a few shouted words and slammed doors during the writing and recording processes.
"[Shane] called it creative spark," she said, "I called it 'He's fucking wrong'."
Wreck & Ruin will be released Friday 7 September through Liberation. They recently announced tour dates.
