It’s been many years coming, but superstar duo The Darling Downs has finally graced us with another album, In the Days When the World was Wide.
Now the name The Darling Downs might not mean very much to you, but you’ll certainly know the names of the talent that makes up this very special double act. Kim Salmon was a key member of Scientists, Beasts of Bourbon, The Surrealists, and heaps more. Ron S. Peno made his name with Died Pretty. They’ve been friends for more than three decades, and have been making music for a decade. However, this is their first album together in six years. For the record, they never broke up. “We just had a break”, Ron says.
In the Days When the World was Wide takes its name from a collection of Henry Lawson’s works that Ron loved as a child. The album is striking in its simplicity, with songs that easily blend folk, bluegrass, and indie rock.
“It’s a songwriting cliché to say ‘the songs come from somewhere else’,” Kim says, “and I normally refute that idea. But I cannot explain why writing with Ron works; it’s mysterious. And because it’s mysterious, it seems quite magical.”
In the Days When the World Was Wide hits record stores today.
Image used with permission from Two Fish Out of Water