We’ll need to wait until October 12 to hear Lisa Mitchell’s brand new album Bless This Mess, but the release of the title track should tide fans over. Lisa’s voice is as delicate as ever, but there’s real strength about the way she wields her guitar in this clip. Vocally they couldn’t be more different, but there’s something about Lisa’s sassier side that’s reminiscent of Melissa Etheridge. Either way, this gutsier song has me anticipating the album even more!

It’s been three long years coming, but Lisa Mitchell is almost ready to release a new full-length album. Bless This Mess, her follow-up to the acclaimed debut Wonder, will hit stores on October 12.

Bless This Mess sees Lisa experimenting with some heavier rock sounds than her first album. However with her trademark whimsical lyrics and sweet melodies still at the fore, fans should lap up the evolution of this exciting singer-songwriter. The album contains the current single and title track “Bless This Mess” and “Spiritus,” the lead single from her recent EP.

Lisa will give us a little time to become acquainted with the new songs before she takes them on the road. Lisa will tour the major capitals and regional centres with a six-piece band and special guests Alpine and Danco (Evermore’s Dann Hume) in tow.

Tickets for the following shows go on sale tomorrow, September 13, at 10 am.

18 October 2012 – Bar on the Hill, Newcastle
19 October 2012 – The Metro, Sydney (All Ages Licensed)
20 October 2012 – Uni Bar, Wollongong
26 October 2012 – The Astor, Perth (All Ages Licensed)
27 October 2012 – Prince of Wales, Bunbury
28 October 2012 – HQ, Adelaide
31 October 2012 – Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne (All Ages Licensed)
2 November 2012 – The Tivoli, Brisbane
3 November 2012 – Coolangatta Hotel, Coolangatta
4 November 2012 – Woombye Pub, Woombye
5 November 2012 – Byron Bay Community Centre, Byron Bay (All Ages Licensed)

Image used with permission from Warner Music Australia

On Monday night I braved the cold and set off down the freeway to catch the first show of Lisa Mitchell’s Heavenly Sounds tour. I’m not religious, but the opportunity to see this exciting singer-songwriter perform in Newcastle’s stunning Christ Church Cathedral was too tempting to refuse.

Georgia Fair warmed up the crowds with their harmony-laden brand of folk music. I’ve seen the lads perform a few times now, but against the dramatic church setting they delivered perhaps their best set yet. The superb acoustics of the church worked well with their stripped back style, and I lapped up every second of it. Of course, there was more to come.

When Lisa Mitchell took to the stage it became clear that this wouldn’t be just another musical performance. She started her set reading some poetry from John Burroughs before welcoming her musicians and supporting vocal trio on stage. It was an unusual beginning, but one befitting a night with this quirky talent. She played a few gorgeous new songs before pleasing the masses with “Neopolitan Dreams.” I’ve always loved this whimsical track, and it sounded especially good in the church.

That easy mix of old and new tunes continued throughout the evening. She chatted shyly in between the songs. That banter still doesn’t seem to come naturally to the softly spoken singer, but I appreciated the effort. I also found it interesting to watch her stammering, then singing so effortlessly. She’s clearly a girl most comfortable making music.

While leaving Lisa to perform solo, her band discovered the lunar eclipse outside. She was desperate to see it too, but dutifully played a few more numbers before rushing off. An encore was inevitable, but the break allowed her to see the sky’s performance. She assured us there’d be a little left after she played some more, and sure enough we managed to see the tail end of it as we left the church. Staring up at the moon was a fitting end to a night that wasn’t religious, but definitely felt spiritual. Lisa Mitchell has the voice of an angel, and it’s impossible to be unmoved as she encourages you to chant with her or clap along. If the Newcastle show was any indication, fans are in for a real treat as Lisa takes in churches around the rest of the country.

Image source: Wideangle@108dB @ Flickr

It’s been some time coming, but Lisa Mitchell is finally back with some brand new music and an exciting new tour. To launch her brand new single “Spiritus,” Lisa will appropriately play in some of the country’s most beautiful churches.

Lisa wrote “Spiritus,” which means breath or life-force, at her parents’ country home before recording it with old pal Dann Hume.

“We filled it with light rhythmic energy and percussion from all over the world! It became full of people and voices and laughter and spirit,” she explained.

Surely that spirit will be present when Lisa takes the song and others from her forthcoming follow-up to Wonder to the country’s churches.

“How romantic it will be to play the first tour for my new album inside beautiful historic churches!” Lisa gushed in a press release. “I am so looking forward to sharing these special shows with the talented band that I’ve found and with the listeners that find themselves in the pews!  And I haven’t even mentioned, the darling men of Georgia Fair will be kicking off the evening with their floating harmonies!  What an incredible tour we have to look forward to.”

“Spiritus” is available digitally now ahead of the release of the Spiritus EP early in May. Tickets for her very cool Heavenly Sounds shows are on sale tomorrow through Ticketek.

4 June 2012 – Christ Church Cathedral, Newcastle
7 June 2012 – St Stephen’s Uniting Church, Sydney
8 June 2012 – St John’s Cathedral, Brisbane
13 June 2012 – St Michael’s Church, Melbourne
14 June 2012 – Flinders Street Baptist Church, Adelaide
15 June 2012 – St Joseph’s Church, Subiaco

Image used with permission from Warner Music Australia

You might remember me promising to post the video for Georgia Fair’s gorgeous new single “Marianne” once it was complete. Well I’m never one to go back on my word, so here it is. Just like the song, the clip is all very low key but gorgeously filmed, and it gives us an opportunity to see guest singer Lisa Mitchell’s new cropped do. Enjoy!

It’s been a little while coming, but the debut album from Georgia Fair shouldn’t be too far away.

The Sydney duo, famous for their catchy folk-pop tune “Picture Frames,” are currently recording the album in North Carolina with producer Bill Reynolds of Band of Horses fame.

But Ben Riley and Jordan Wilson be back soon enough, as they’re scheduled to join Lisa Mitchell on her Oh Hark! National Theatre tour next month. These should be fantastic shows with gorgeous intimate venues and fellow folksters Boy and Bear also on the bill.

Tickets for all shows are on sale on March 19 from the venues.

29 April 2010 – Warrnambool Entertainment Centre, Warrnambool
30 April 2010 – Bended Elbow, Geelong
4 May 2010 – Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay
5 May 2010 – Surfers Paradise Beer Garden
6 May 2010 – Villa Noosa Hotel, Noosa
7 May 2010 – The Tivoli, Brisbane
12 May 2010 – Wollongong Uni
13 May 2010 – Penrith RSL
14 May 2010 – Enmore Theatre, Sydney
16 May 2010 – Astor Theatre, Perth
20 May 2010 – HQ, Adelaide
21 May 2010 – Sir Robert Helpman Theatre, Mt Gambier
26 May 2010 – Bluestone, Ballarat
28 May 2010 – The Forum, Melbourne
29 May 2010 – Launceston Country Club
30 May 2010 – Wrestpoint Showroom, Hobart

Image used with permission from Sony Music Australia

After my musings about whether Lisa Mitchell and other female singer-songwriters sang like little girls, many readers might have thought I was being a bit mean. I’m determined to make amends, so I wanted to share with you Lisa’s latest film clip.

“Oh! Hark!” was one of my favourite cuts from Wonder. It felt like it had stepped out of a vintage album with its jangling instrumentation and rollicking chorus. This music video doesn’t exactly fit the song’s retro vibe, but I’ve learned by now that Lisa is never predictable. Case in point; here we get to see Lisa bust a move! This is a lot kookier than any choreographed routine I’ve seen of late, which is exactly why I love it!

Lisa Mitchell first came to my attention as a contestant on Australian Idol. She didn’t shine in the constructed reality TV environment of cover versions and live performances, but there was something so compelling about her.

Lisa could have easily been swept up in the Idol machine. But instead she escaped the glare of the spotlight and worked quietly on honing her craft. The result is Wonder, her first full length album and a work of exceptional beauty.

The album shows how Lisa has blossomed and matured into an artist more accomplished than her years would suggest. She’s an artist of contradictions. There’s a whimsical playfulness about tunes like “Coin Laundry” and the smash hit, “Neopolitan Dreams.” Her childlike innocence is so compelling. But that doesn’t tell the complete story of Wonder. There are darker overtones to the sassy “So Jealous” and the haunting “Pirouette.” “Stevie” is spontaneous and fun, like witnessing a jam session between friends. The piano driven “Love Letter” is romantic without being twee.

Wonder never stalls or falters like so many albums. There are no filler tracks. Lisa has a knack for crafting songs that are personal and a little quirky, yet completely accessible. Put simply, this is one of the strongest debuts I’ve heard. If this is what Lisa Mitchell can create at 19, I can’t wait to see what comes next.

Image used with permission from Warner Music Australia

At the tender age of 19, Lisa Mitchell is taking on the world with her sweet folk voice and exceptional songwriting skills. On the eve of the release of her debut album Wonder I chatted to her about the new CD, her upcoming Australian tour, and what it’s like to live the life of a nomad.

You’ve just come back from playing the Glastonbury festival. How was that?
Amazing. It was so cool. It was great. I would have loved to have stayed the whole weekend and have camped out – I had some friends there – but I had a gig the next day. So I literally just played. The gig went well, it was good. The thing is, over in the UK they know the “Neopolitan Dreams” song from the ad on TV. So it was good; they all sing along with that. So we did the gig, and then went and saw Fleet Foxes who were fucking amazing, and then I had to go back to London. And it was for a good gig, it was for a good cause. It was support for the James Morrison show in Canterbury, Kent. So it was a good gig, but I would have liked to have stayed and camped.

So how did the Glastonbury crowds respond to the other songs that maybe they weren’t so familiar with?
They responded well I think, from what I can remember. It was a good gig. A lot of people came in off the muddy thing we were on. Typical festival. The sun was out the whole time I was there, but we had our wellies on and it rained a little bit the day before we were there, so it was all nice and muddy. Which was good; you don’t want to go to Glastonbury and it be dry. So it was a real experience. I was absolutely stoked to play it.

Last time we spoke you mentioned how much you love to travel. So did you have any time in the UK to just kick back and enjoy your holiday?
I did. I had a fair bit of downtime. I spent lots of Sunday afternoons in the nice pubs and the parks. The weather was absolutely gorgeous when I was there. The sun was out every day, and back here it’s freezing! Music-wise it was going really good. I think it takes a lot of your energy up, being in a new place. You’re very aware of trying to make friends and just being in this new place. By the end of the time I was there, my last week, I was feeling nice and settled. I think the more I go over the more I’ll build up a little network.

It seems a shame that you just get settled and then you’ve got to come back home and start promoting the album over here!
Yeah. It’s the life of a troubadour, always on the road.
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From Albury to Australian Idol to the world stage, Lisa Mitchell has forged a career with her sweet folk voice and quirky melodies. This month Lisa will release her debut album The Attic Space and embark on her first national tour as a headlining artist. Today I caught up with this bright young star to chat about her passion for travelling and teacups.

You got your start on Australian Idol. How do you feel about that experience looking back?
I got a lot of exposure out of it, so from that point of view it’s been great for me, to do my own kind of music. So it was a positive experience for me.

After Idol you returned to Albury and stayed out of the limelight for a while. Why did you decide to take that time away from the spotlight?
I guess it wasn’t really a conscious decision. I was just working on my own songs. I was living over in London for a while, recording some songs over there, just travelling about a bit. And as it happens I’ve got some songs together now, so I’m just in the last steps of putting them together into an album.

You’re releasing your debut album The Attic Space later this month. How would you describe it?
Someone asked me if it was typical of me, and I said I think it’s typical of me in that I like to experiment. It’s I suppose slightly experimental, and it’s quite dark in some parts. I did some recording in London with a guy called Anthony Whiting and that part of things was quite dark. Just lately I’ve been back in the studio with Dann Hume (Evermore) who I did the EPs with and we’ve been recording some new songs, and they’ve turned out well because every time we start recording it we don’t know what to expect. I suppose it’s a similar sound to my EPs, but also I think I experimented a little more.

You mentioned some of the awesome people you’ve worked with on this album. What’s it been like collaborating with such talented guys?
Well I’ve collaborated with a fair few people over the last few years, which has been a really great experience, but they’re not necessarily collaborations I’m using on the album. It’s a brilliant exercise for songwriting I think. Just meeting them, and seeing what their life’s like, I think you learn a lot more from them as people than maybe you do writing songs together.

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