We promised you new Matinée artists so here’s the first of two big announcements this week: the magnificent Australian band Bart and Friends have joined the Matinée roster!
From humble beginnings in the 1990s in Girl of the World to founding member of The Cat’s Miaow (and later Hydroplane, Pencil Tin and The Shapiros), indiepop icon Bart Cummings has spent two decades warming our hearts with his jangly pop nuggets. With a cast of other Australian luminaries, Bart and Friends debuted around the turn of the century with releases on the esteemed Drive In Records (hi Mike!) and Bart’s own Library Records. Nearly a decade later, Bart and (some new) Friends made a very welcome return with a superb EP and mini-album on the always hip Lost and Lonesome Recording Company imprint.
The new releases were handsomely received by critics and old-school fans alike so we were delighted when Bart got in touch with us earlier this year with his latest batch of songs. Joining Bart in the current lineup are Mark Monnone (The Lucksmiths), Louis Richter (The Lucksmiths, Mid State Orange), and Jeremy Cole (The Zebras), with vocal stylings by Pam Berry (The Pines, The Shapiros, Glo Worm, Black Tambourine, etc.) and Scott Stevens (Summer Cats, The Earthmen). Can you say supergroup?
The debut Bart and Friends release for Matinée is the ‘There May Come A Time’ EP (matinée 081) showcasing Pam’s incomparable vocals across six fantastic songs. With the superb title track, the band has accidentally recorded their first three-minute pop song which is certainly remarkable to any student of Bart’s previous work!
Other tracks on the EP include a cover version of the Elvis Presley classic ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love’ and new gems ‘A Kiss You Won’t Forget’ and ‘There Are So Many Things I’d Like To See’ plus two favorites—‘These Words Are Too Small’ and ‘A Summer’s Dream’—from the sold out first EP for Lost and Lonesome. It’s a smashing release and we’re very excited to have it come out on Matinée in late June. We will share more release details and start taking preorders in the Matinée shop on the first of the month. While you wait, you can enjoy the magnificent title track on the Soundcloud player below.