It’s been a crazy year for Aussie-Swedish duo Nick and Liesl. 2011 saw
them tour Australia and Europe with their critically acclaimed debut
album ‘Feather’ and only days after returning from overseas they wowed
crowds at the 2011/2012 Woodford Folk Festival. They are now back in
Australia for a summer of festivals after an extended stay in Sweden
following their fifth European tour. The tour, which took them through
Germany, Belgium, France and Switzerland, included live performances on
French TV and German radio as well as the Reeperbahn Festival in
Hamburg. After the 7-week tour Nick and Liesl returned to Sweden for
some family time and, inspired by the haunting winter darkness there,
have been working on new material for when the time comes to start
recording the next release.
Nick and Liesl have ‘a sibling-like capacity for natural harmony’ (Kim
Cheshire, Country Update). Watching them perform is delightful and
inspiring, and it is easy to connect with their light sounds of guitar
and piano blended with thoughtful and poetic lyrics. Stylistically they
cover quite a range; from stripped-back and intimate folk to
alternative, pop and soul; but the voices and the harmonies remain
throughout, making their sound instantly recognisable. In late 2008 the
pair released their debut EP ‘Wyong River’ which earned them national
airplay across the ABC network and Triple J, as well as an ABC Award for
Best Sound Production having self-produced the recording. The 13-track
album ‘Feather’, like Wyong River, was recorded mostly in the modest
settings of Nick and Liesl’s home studio. Even so, after the sharing of
demos with some of Australia’s top musicians, the duo quickly had the
likes of drummer Pete Luscombe (Paul Kelly, Rockwiz…), bass player Jeff
McCormack (Kasey Chambers) and guitarist extraordinaire Glen Hannah
(‘Musician of the year 2010’ at CMAA) on board. The result is a
collection of stunning songs given a royal yet tasteful treatment, which
has grabbed the attention of both live audiences and media by storm.
Formed while on the road in Europe in 2007, this duo has been touring
extensively right from the start. Australia, Germany, the UK, France,
Belgium, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Czech
Republic have all been on the tour schedule as well as over 30 festivals
including the National Folk Festival, Peats Ridge, Festival of the Sun;
live radio performances on the likes of ABC Qld Statewide, Perth,
Canberra, Adelaide and ongoing support from personalities like Richard
Glover on 702 Sydney; performances on BBC in the UK; an invitation to
Popkomm 2009 (Berlin) as well as supports for artists such as The
Jezabels, Kate Miller-Heidke, Shane Nicholson and Harry Manx.
Songlist
Original Material Performed