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NIGEL WEARNE
releases new video
BLACK BEHIND THE BLUE

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Photo – Ian Laidlaw

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“warmth flecked with grit…beauty awaits “ – ROLLING STONE

“the narrative-fuelled prose of Paul Kelly” – BEAT MAGAZINE

“An eruption of energy, rhythm and melody” – RHYTHMS MAGAZINE

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Today, Nigel Wearne releases the Official Music Video for his single Black Behind The Blue (released September 1st). Channelling the spooky charisma of Twin Peaks, he enters a dreamland filled with quirky characters; a bunny that plays a Gretsch, a crow dancing with the moon and a blue velvet vision. Created in collaboration with Melbourne based videographer, Arlo Dean Cook.

Black Behind The Blue is an Americana-noir-blues shuffle that spills over the edge and harnesses the swagger and sway of New Orleans jazz. Inspired by a dream of forbidden romance; elusive and mysterious, the song and video capture the amnesic déjà vu that sleep brings. The feeling remains, but what actually happened? ‘Every time I remember, I forget her somehow’.

Wearne’s warbly Gretsch guitar swathed with rambunctious horns, drums and double bass set the scene. What ensues is a slow eruption of energy and rhythm, culminating in a no-holds-barred, ragtime crescendo. Rattling the walls with the high notes of Sidney Bechet and the clang and twang of Tom Waits and Marc Ribot.

It was late 2019, in a shapeless airport hotel room as the sun set on a Canadian tour. Nigel heard a piercing clarinet note that cracked open the night sky… somehow, he knew this would change everything. A Frenchman living in Quebec, Aurélien Tomasi has traversed the world honing his craft; a composer, clarinettist and saxophonist. An instant connection was cast and the music played long into the night, descending into the hallways and etched into memory. After reconnecting in New Orleans in January 2020, they got to work during lockdown and the rest is in the tape-reel.

Self-produced by Nigel Wearne, Black Behind the Blue features Wearne on electric guitar and vocals and an all-star cast of musicians: Danny McKenna on drums, Isaac Gunnoo on double bass and some of Montreal’s hottest Jazz cats. Aurélien Tomasi working the arrangement, clarinet and alto-sax, Alex Bouchard on trombone and Christian Leclerc on tuba. Together they channel the spirit of jazz, buoyant and vibrant; as Wearne dives deep into a new sonic direction.

Singer-songwriter, luthier, poet and gleaner, Nigel Wearne saunters after dark in the music of the night. Hailing from Gunditjmara country in the deep south of Australia, he’s a guitarist and multi-instrumentalist with diverse influence from Nick Cave, Tom Waits and Gillian Welch. Blending blues, folk and Americana-noir, he sings of human frailty, grace and the cosmos. A deep thinker and truth speaker with a penchant for all things peculiar; songwriting that cuts to the bone.

Nigel has toured Australia, New Zealand and Canada and performed at a long list of music festivals, including the Port Fairy Folk Festival, Adelaide Guitar Festival and Queenscliff Music Festival. His sophomore album, Black Crow garnered wide critical acclaim including a 4-STAR review in Rolling Stone, acnomination for Best Country Album at the Music Victoria Awards and it debuted at #1 on the AMRAP Charts.

Nigel hits the road this October to celebrate the release of Black Behind The Blue.

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TOUR DATES

6 OCT // Rainbow VIC – The Oasis
7 OCT // Aldinga SA – Cooee Arthouse
8 OCT // Uraidla SA – Hills Folk Club
9 OCT // Adelaide SA – Wheatsheaf Hotel
14 OCT // Kyneton VIC – Major Tom’s
16 OCT // Melbourne VIC – George Lane
19 OCT // Wagga Wagga NSW – The Curious Rabbit
20 OCT // Newcastle NSW – The Royal Exchange
27 OCT // Murwillumbah QLD – The Citadel
29 OCT // Gold Coast QLD – Dust Temple
30 OCT // Brisbane QLD – It’s Still A Secret
6 NOV // Warrnambool VIC – Hotel Warrnambool

TICKETS & INFO
nigelwearne.com

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Follow NIGEL WEARNE
Website – Instagram – Facebook – YouTube

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Photo – Arlo Dean Cook

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AMNPLIFY – DB