The Steadfast Shepherd

Melodica 6!

2011-03-23T03:22:00.000-07:00

Melodica 6 - Saturday 16th April, 7.45pm

Tamas Wells (Melbourne / Yangon)
The Steadfast Shepherd
Billy Whims
Peter Escott

St Georges Hall, 30 Cromwell St, Battery Point
$5 entry

Our good friend Tamas Wells returns to Hobart - the location of the recording of his latest album - to play his only Australian performance 2011.
2010 saw the release of '30 People Away' in China, Japan, and Korea with sell-out tours across those countries as well as Singapore.
The lead single from the album - 'The Crime At Edmond Lake' - drummed up an astonishing 50,000 downloads in the first month.
Late 2011 will see Tamas return to tour China, Korea, and Japan.

Hobart show on 19th February 2011

2011-01-28T23:29:00.000-08:00

We're playing a show in Hobart, Tas, on Saturday 19th February. We're playing with good friend Billy Whims and we'll be playing as a 5-piece - adding electric guitar, bass, and drums to our normal line-up.
Here's the poster:

Details:
The Steadfast Shepherd
Billy Whims

@The Alley Cat, North Hobart
Saturday 19th February 2011, 9.30pm
$5 entry

Album review from Melbourne's Beat street press

2010-01-20T00:20:00.000-08:00

Here's a nice review of our album from Melbourne's Beat magazine:

THE STEADFAST SHEPHERD - The Steadfast Shepherd (Land & Sea/Green)

The Steadfast Shepherd seems a particularly serious and portentous name, but there's a spiritual and emotional depth to this duo's self-titled debut album, and their songs swoon with a delicate beauty. Hailing from Hobart, The Steadfast Shepherd are a duo comprising of husband and wife, Nathan and Fairlie Collins, who have toured with Grand Salvo, Oliver Mann, and Tamas Wells. The duo derive their inspiration from various literary writers and an array of musicians including Neil Young, Cat Power, Dirty Three, Fleet Foxes and Sufjan Stevens.

The Other Side Of The River is a gorgeously subtle, folk-pop opening to The Steadfast Shepherd's debut album. Their intricate and gently soothing full-length record - which follows last year's release of their debut EP, The Open Sky - was recorded primarily at HeadGap Studios with Marcus Barzcak (Small Knives, The Smallgoods, Tamas Wells), pinaos and strings were recorded by David Moorhead in various Melbourne locations, and the rest recorded in Brighton, England - their home at the time of writing their their first LP. The album also includes notable contributions from Because Of Ghosts bassist Domenic Stanton and drummer Jacob Pearce. Written from an intimate, sincere and introspective space, the record is marked by enchantingly fluid instrumentation, pensive image-laden narratives and an emotive classic folk/lyrical sensibility.

Frost is an ethereal beauty with a glacial flute melody and beautiful vocal harmonies, which evoke a shimmering otherworldly quality. The Eyes Don't Lie displays the duo's alt-country/classic folk influences and thoughtful songwriting style, while Nathan's softly comforting vocals are particularly emotive when crooned atop lush strings. Fairlie's tenor vocals inspire a sense of urgency in Shot At First Light and are complimented by a haunting string arrangement and shuffling percussion. However, it's The Burial that captures best the duo's breathy, delicate nuances and their emphasis on the natural beauty embedded within an honest narrative as expressed via pure, iridescent instrumentation.
(Christine Lan, Beat, 2nd Dec 09)

2009-09-21T03:58:00.000-07:00

The Steadfast Shepherd return to Melbourne to launch their debut album at Northcote Uniting Church.

Saturday 17th October

8pm

251 High St, Northcote

$10 entry

The debut album, recorded in Melbourne and the UK, and featuring members of Because of Ghosts, is the culmination of 3 years of work for husband/wife indie-folk duo Nathan & Fairlie Collins.
Released via Land & Sea Records, the album will be available nationwide via Green Distribution from October 2009 at a record store near you.

The album will be launched with an intimate performance at Northcote Uniting Church (251 High St) on Saturday October 17th.
This will be the last time to see The Steadfast Shepherd in Melbourne in 2009.

Also playing on the night:
Oilver Mann-
Oliver’s background as an artist partly began in classical music and opera – he sings with the Victorian Opera and curates an annual Schubert recital. However, he also spent many years home-recording his songs as well as playing them in pubs, often accompanied by a compelling yarn during sets. His love for telling a tale also comes into his weekly performing for children’s story time at his local library, this playing a defining role in his unique take on song. Add to that a love of Elvis Presley, golden-era musicals and early blues and you have in Oliver a vision pushing past the point of merely eccentric into the shiningly enigmatic.

Genevieve & Jezebel-
Genevieve is the girl and Jezebel is the thirty six string a harp. They been performing together musically for a year or so although Genevieve has been playing other classical harps for 14 years. “Genevieve and Jezebel comes to life in a hypnotizing solo harp performance” said reviewer Cameron Woodhead, (The Age 17th May, 2008) of her collaboration with the San Francisco based ‘Four Larks Theater’ on their performance of ‘Peer Gynt’. Genevieve also featured in Melbourne singer ‘Grand Salvo’ live performance of his critically acclaimed album ‘Death’ was they performed to a sell out crowd at the Melba Hall last April as well as Meredith 08’ (the rain soaked one!) They made there debut last September 07' at the Clifden Arts Festival in the West coast of Ireland as a support for John Sheenan (formerly of the Dubliners). After a little tour of Spain (Almara Bar, Barcelona) and Scotland (Forest Café, Edinburgh, gutters and cobbled stone streets) six months later they returned home to Melbourne. Since then Genevieve and Jezebel has added Esala on drums and percussion and played many a garage, lounge room, art gallery & venues such as the Wesley Anne, Edinburgh Castle & Northcote Social club.

Broken Flight-
broken flight are currently a 5 piece (give or take) losing pete to the shores of sydney in february 2006 to study but gaining bob on drums and rob on bass. we are currently recording part of our latest project - 2 short records exploring our instrumental side (with the help of andrew (guitar) from the mime set) and our story-telling side (with the help of a choir (ruth, amy, sare and amanthi) who kick ass).

8pm Start, $10 entry.

Tea and Cake stall!

Friday 7th August 2009 -Glitch Cinema

2009-08-02T04:21:00.000-07:00

We're heading to Melbourne this weekend to play a little show at Glitch Cinema on Friday night (7/8/09).

This will be the first chance for Melbourne friends to get their hands on a copy of our new album before we return to Melbourne to officially launch it in October.

Also playing are Reuben Stanton (from Because of Ghosts), and Broken Flight.

8pm start

$5 entry

Grand Salvo support in Hobart

2009-07-20T04:21:00.000-07:00

We're very excited to announce we're playing with Grand Salvo in Hobart!

Its the third gig in the Melodica series of shows in Hobart, this time in a new venue. These gigs have been really great and the Melodica we played in January of this year was our favourite TSS gig so far.

The line-up is:

Grand Salvo (Melbourne)

Genevieve & Jezebel (Melbourne)

Billy Whims

The Steadfast Shepherd

Peter Escott

Saturday 1st August 2009

7pm

St Georges Church Hall

Cromwell St, Battery Point, Hobart

All Ages

$5 entry

Hobart + Music = Yeah!

2009-07-14T00:58:00.000-07:00

Hobart+Music=Yeah! is an all day mini festival in Hobart as part of Amplified 2009.

There's a huge bill of bands playing throughout the afternoon and evening including some very cool bands from Hobart, Melbourne, and Sydney.

We're on at 12 midday, so if you want to see us, make sure you come early!

Poster:

the full line up:

12:00pm - 12:30pm The Steadfast Shepherd
12:50pm - 1:20pm Soundtracks Will Dissolve
1:40pm - 2:10pm Transcription of Organ Music
2:30pm - 3:10pm Lakes
3:20pm - 3:50pm Anthony Rochester
4:10pm - 4:50pm East Brunswick All Girls Choir
5:10pm - 5:40pm Charles Du Cane
6:00pm - 6:30pm Ivy St.
6:50pm - 7:30pm Naked on the Vague
7:50pm - 8:20pm Yama Boy
8:40pm - 9:10pm The Vivids
9:30pm - 10:10pm Fabulous Diamonds
10:30pm - 11:15 Moe Grizzly

Album Launch in Hobart!

2009-07-14T00:39:00.000-07:00

We're launching our album in a special show as part of the Amplified 2009 (a Tasmanian music festival/conference).

Details:

Transcription of Organ Music

The Steadfast Shepherd

Billy Whims

Our Sails

Sirens Upstairs (6 Victoria St, Hobart)

7.30pm, Friday 17th July 2009

Free Entry!

We'll be playing as a 3-piece on the night as Lance (from Broken Flight) is coming down from Melbourne especially to play cello for us. We'll have our album available for $20, as well as a few copies of The Open Sky EP and some badges for sale.

Transcription of Organ Music is also launching his new album (which Nathan played drums on). Its a beautiful record, and definitely worth picking up on the night. It will also be his first show as a 3-piece (drums and organ).

Damon Bird (TOOM) has also selected video to be projected on the huge screen behind the stage so it should be visually quite amazing.

Seriously. Don't miss this one.

sunrise. yesterday.

2009-03-26T22:00:00.000-07:00

fairlie was up at sunrise yesterday and managed to take this photo looking over north hobart towards the derwent.

just dwell on it for a while. it works for us.

Show at the Alley Cat (Nth Hobart) with Andy Brazendale and Broken Flight

2009-02-07T20:00:00.000-08:00

listen at:

Andy Brazendale on Myspace

Broken Flight on Myspace

The Steadfast Shepherd on Myspace

Melodica Photos...

2009-01-18T11:00:00.000-08:00

Photos from the Melodica show in south hobart last night-

the mountain:

floor sleepers:

projections:

transcriptions of organ music:

Many thanks are due for an amazing night last night. we really enjoyed the evening of music, and having the opportunity to be a part and play to such a great crowd of people.

thanks bridget and sam for putting the show on, anthony for the sound, huw for his pa, and damon for an amazing set.

Melodica Presents.... Hobart, Saturday 17th January

2009-01-17T19:30:00.000-08:00

We're really looking forward to this great show in South Hobart. Its in a church hall and should have a really intimate, friendly vibe. The other guys playing represent some of the most interesting quiet/folky stuff happening in Hobart at the moment.
Plus, entry is super-cheap.

Check out the myspace pages for:

transcription of organ music
billy whims
her last unicorn
the steadfast shepherd

Photo & Video from Glitch Show

2009-01-08T02:18:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who came to the show last week at Glitch Cinema in Melbourne. Matt and Alice played great sets, and we were a little overwhelmed by the number of people who turned up - its only a small cinema!

Here's a video shot on the night and edited with some of the footage projected on the screen during our set:

Wer'e planning another show at Glitch later in the year as part of a national tour to launch our debut album....details soon.

Saturday January 3rd in Melbourne

2009-01-03T20:00:00.000-08:00

The Steadfast Shepherd are heading to Melbourne over New Years and will play an intimate little show in the Glitch Cinema (above glitch bar at 318 St Georges Rd, Nth Fitzroy) on Saturday 3rd January 2009.

Supporting us on the night will be Matt Mcbeath (who we've been a fan of since The Rebel Astronauts), and Alice Hutchison.

Check them out at:
http://www.myspace.com/mattmcbeath
http://www.myspace.com/alicehutchison

If you're hanging around town that weekend it should be a nice low-key night to help with the recovery from Christmas/NYE.

There's a projector at the venue (it is a cinema after all) so we're organising some footage to play during the set.

Doors will open at 8pm, entry is $5.