New album a tribute to southern, life history
A Southland-proud musical outfit are releasing their album at the start of May featuring songs on shearing, World War 1, whalers and other key foundations of the land of the rolling "r".
After coming runner-up at last year's Gold Guitar Awards, Brendon Fairbairn said he formed a band called Brenny and the Bushwhackers and then recorded an album at the Southern Institute of Technology.
The album, titled The Land of the Rolling "R", is set to come out on May 2, and Fairbairn said it has a little bit of country, punk and Irish.
He said he listened to The Pogues when he was younger, for better or for worse.
He wrote the lyrics and the music was written by his son, Invercargill based musician Liam Fairbairn.
The band also boasts Catlins-based singer-songwriter Lachie Hayes on rhythm guitar, and Southern musicians Antonio Mercuri and Chris Chilton on drums and bass guitar.
Brendon Fairburn plays the harmonica and bagpipes, the latter of which features strongly on the song about the World War 1 battle Chunuk Bair.
"People tire of bagpipes," he said.
They have a song about shearing, called The Ringer's Song, that details the steps and rhythm of the Godfrey Bowen technique.
On another song, he sings about duck-shooting, to be released just in time for the mai mai.
On another he sings of the whaling history of Bluff.
The album release party will be held on May 9 at the Riversdale Community Centre, with proceeds going to the Waikaia Trails Trust.
The band can be found on Spotify and at brennyandthebushwhackers.com.
ella.scott-fleming@alliedpress.co.nz
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