Tag: Broads

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Broads Stun With “I Fed the Horse”

I urge you to take a few minutes out of your day to listen to “I Fed the Horse,” the latest track from Melbourne indie darlings Broads. This isn’t one of those songs that should serve as the background to your housework or holiday socialising. It’s the kind of single that should really be listened to, with complete and utter attention.

Crooning vocals are one of Broads’ trademarks, but the sublime harmonies on this track are some of the best I’ve heard. They wring every inch of emotion from this song. They anchor the song, drawing you in so that by the powerful climax, you’re totally invested.

“I started writing ‘I Fed The Horse’ with just a feeling in mind. Or a lack of feeling – an emptiness, a detachment from everyone around me. For a while I was worried something inside was incurably broken. Of course, I’ve come to realise this was not the case. But such a feeling can be drawn out of you by its own strong will, and the song seemed to just grow into itself.”

“I Fed the Horse” is the second single lifted from Broads’ sophomore album, which will be released early next year.

Image used with permission from Heapsaflash

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Deborah Conway Brings Broads Together

Now in its third year, Deborah Conway’s traveling celebration of female music, Broad, is hitting the road again.

This time around rootsy Anne McCue, R&B diva Jade McRae, blues queen Abbe May, and folkster Sally Seltmann (aka New Buffalo) will join Ms Conway on stage.

The idea behind Broad is simple: put five eclectic local musos on stage together, and see what happens. The performers play their own material and a few choice cover versions, making the experience truly one to remember.

The concept may seem like a clever marketing ploy, and it is. Yet Broad’s goal is a deeper one, allowing women to play together and celebrate their craft.

“Since I stopped playing with Do-Re-Mi I’ve never really played with other women,” Deborah admitted to The Australian. “And I miss it. It’s not like there’s a glass ceiling for women in the music business any more.

“I’m not taking any pride in busting open this imaginary glass ceiling, which I’m sure no one believes exists, but the fact of the matter remains that it’s very unusual to see five women on stage together. It just doesn’t happen.”

Bringing together five very different singers is a challenging, but ultimately rewarding, experience for Conway.

“You have to think about what part of the octave range you’re going to occupy,”she said. “Hopefully when we start singing harmonies everyone will be comfortable with it. It has been a fantastic learning curve for me. I was never much of a harmony singer up until the time we started this whole process, and I’ve become a better one because of it.”

Deborah Conway is currently focusing her attention on the current Broad tour, although she can’t help but think ahead to next year’s event.

“This is a concert that’s unlike any other. It has been an absolute joy to work on. It’s always a privilege to play with all these other wonderful women, and I think I walk away having learned something every time.”

Broad 2007 begins in Brisbane this Friday. The tour will play selected concert halls around the country. See the Broad website for a complete list of dates.

Image source: Kwanie @ Flickr.com