1 00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:04,160 Speaker 1: Check one too. I'm a little bit horse today because 2 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:05,920 Speaker 1: this is the day after the show. 3 00:00:07,080 --> 00:00:16,800 Speaker 2: What his voice sounds like in the mid afternoon From 4 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:19,360 Speaker 2: The Australian. This is the weekend edition of The Front. 5 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:23,600 Speaker 2: I'm Claire Harvey. It's better to burn out than fade away, 6 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 2: sings Neil Young in the song hey Hey My My 7 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 2: ironic given the fact he's still performing after sixty years 8 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:34,600 Speaker 2: in the music biz, I guess it's a more romantic 9 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:38,959 Speaker 2: idea to spectacularly flame out in love and life than 10 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:44,640 Speaker 2: to just endure. There's not many songs about consistency or perseverance, 11 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:49,960 Speaker 2: but staying relevant and experiencing longevity in any artistic career 12 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 2: is a huge achievement. Today we look at Australian singer 13 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 2: Sarah Blasco's enduring career and how it's small towns the 14 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:03,840 Speaker 2: Australian bush that have helped keep Blascow's flame burning bright. 15 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:13,520 Speaker 1: So everybody's setting up their instruments and I'm standing my 16 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:16,360 Speaker 1: outfit with the in house stammer. 17 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:20,080 Speaker 3: I mean, this is the rock and roll lifestyle, isn't it. 18 00:01:20,319 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 2: Yeah. Earlier this year, our audio producer Jasper League got 19 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:34,240 Speaker 2: an email from Sarah Blasco with an offer. Sarah was 20 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 2: on the hunt for a bass player for her regional 21 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 2: tour promoting her new album I Just Want to Conquer 22 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:44,399 Speaker 2: This Mountain. With shows booked for weekends falling neatly around 23 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:47,840 Speaker 2: his work schedule, Jasper jumped at the opportunity to work 24 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 2: with one of Australia's best singers. He packed his bass 25 00:01:51,520 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 2: and gig outfits, along with a microphone and a camera 26 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:58,200 Speaker 2: to interview Sarah and shoot some video and record some 27 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:09,000 Speaker 2: audio along the way. 28 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:12,400 Speaker 1: To my memory, I started doing regional tours probably on 29 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:16,639 Speaker 1: my second record, and I've always done it. I get 30 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:20,000 Speaker 1: the feeling that that matters to people. If you consistently 31 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:23,680 Speaker 1: go to their place and the people at the venue 32 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 1: they're like, oh, welcome back, and they appreciate that you're 33 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: doing that. And then yeah, but I just love playing shows, 34 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:31,840 Speaker 1: so I wanted to play as many as possible, And 35 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:34,360 Speaker 1: if you just played the cities, you'd literally be playing 36 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:37,399 Speaker 1: five shows each time you put a record out, which 37 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 1: to me feels disappointing. 38 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 4: I'm only looking forward, I don't look back. And when 39 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:48,639 Speaker 4: you hear something by someone new, like you first hear 40 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:51,960 Speaker 4: at Tcheran or as a goal in Australia called Sarah Blasco. 41 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:54,919 Speaker 4: And whenever you hear something new that inspires you from 42 00:02:54,919 --> 00:02:57,000 Speaker 4: the young, it makes you feel I'm going to do that. 43 00:02:57,040 --> 00:02:59,680 Speaker 4: I want to do it. Once you stop, you die. 44 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 2: That's the voice of Elton John in a segment of 45 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:08,320 Speaker 2: James Corden's Couple Karaoke, neatly articulating and instinct shared by 46 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:12,359 Speaker 2: artists all over the world, the need to create, record 47 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:16,119 Speaker 2: and perform and to do so for as long as possible, 48 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:21,920 Speaker 2: no matter what. Recently, I had to sit down and 49 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 2: listen to my first record a lot because. 50 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:26,359 Speaker 1: I'm putting it out on vinyl for the first time. 51 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:30,519 Speaker 1: And as I was listening to it, I could sense 52 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:33,119 Speaker 1: from what I was trying to do with the artwork 53 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:36,880 Speaker 1: and the songs of the sentiment was to sort of 54 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:40,000 Speaker 1: show that I wanted to do this. 55 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 4: For a long time. 56 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 1: So I was kind of in a way, kind of 57 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:47,560 Speaker 1: proud of myself that that was what I wanted, and 58 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:50,600 Speaker 1: I was kind of trying to set that up. So 59 00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:52,320 Speaker 1: for me, it was just about that I would have 60 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:55,320 Speaker 1: loved to have had a song that was huge, or 61 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 1: to go on like David Letterman or like all those 62 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:01,400 Speaker 1: sorts of things were like, oh, that be amazing to 63 00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:05,200 Speaker 1: have an international career. In fact, it was quite brutal 64 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 1: at one point where I kind of realized, oh, that 65 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:13,400 Speaker 1: wasn't going to happen. Then you regroup and work out 66 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:19,160 Speaker 1: you know that those things aren't actually career goals as such. 67 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:22,240 Speaker 1: Like the music, the projects are the actual making of 68 00:04:22,279 --> 00:04:25,240 Speaker 1: the music. I always have to think, well, how can 69 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:29,279 Speaker 1: I make the most of what I have? So this 70 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:32,599 Speaker 1: is one of the things I have. I have these 71 00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:36,520 Speaker 1: small pockets of people who want to come and see 72 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:41,400 Speaker 1: me play all over the place, which is actually a godsend, 73 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:44,560 Speaker 1: really like, it's really very fortunate. And then you realize, yeah, 74 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:45,839 Speaker 1: not everybody does have that. 75 00:04:47,839 --> 00:04:49,960 Speaker 2: There's something very rock and roll about the way she's 76 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:52,760 Speaker 2: living out her art now, which is not to curl 77 00:04:52,839 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 2: up in a ball and be sad that she didn't 78 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:58,080 Speaker 2: end up playing Madison Square Garden or the O two 79 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 2: Arena that she's playing the be a Chuka Town Hall, a. 80 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:07,320 Speaker 3: Chuker Paramount Theater, which is actually a cinema. We were 81 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:11,960 Speaker 3: playing in theater I while the latest Hollywood blockbus that 82 00:05:12,279 --> 00:05:14,120 Speaker 3: was playing in the theater next door. 83 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:18,840 Speaker 2: It's so cool to embrace that be proud of that 84 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:22,359 Speaker 2: and throw herself into it being a touring artist in 85 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 2: the way that she can. She's not giving in to 86 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:30,000 Speaker 2: the disappointment that she's obviously felt at some points in 87 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:31,880 Speaker 2: her career that she's not Lady Gaga. 88 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:32,600 Speaker 1: Yeah. 89 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:35,400 Speaker 3: Growing up in Australia, so many young artists have these 90 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:40,520 Speaker 3: aspirations of going overseas and it's almost like the size 91 00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:43,240 Speaker 3: of the venue is somehow the best barometer of how 92 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:46,160 Speaker 3: your career is going. But I guess the nature of 93 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:49,520 Speaker 3: dreams is that they do evolve over time, they do change, 94 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:53,280 Speaker 3: and they mature. And she's arrived at this point in 95 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:56,720 Speaker 3: her career where instead of looking around and thinking about 96 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 3: the things that she doesn't have, she's grateful for the 97 00:05:58,720 --> 00:06:01,159 Speaker 3: things that she does have. I think it's a real 98 00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:06,720 Speaker 3: antidote to bitterness. And what she does have is something 99 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:10,719 Speaker 3: that has eluded so many artists, and that is longevity. 100 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:13,760 Speaker 3: She can rock up to pretty much any talent around 101 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:16,240 Speaker 3: our country and a couple hundred people are going to 102 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:18,840 Speaker 3: come out to see her. That's a significant achievement and 103 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:22,720 Speaker 3: is the byproduct of a lot of hard work and 104 00:06:22,880 --> 00:06:25,039 Speaker 3: consistent output. 105 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:31,599 Speaker 2: Regional venues face an inherent challenge which comes down to 106 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:35,880 Speaker 2: money and geography, securing high quality acts that attract audiences 107 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:39,839 Speaker 2: big enough to keep venues operating. Some venues struggle to 108 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:43,719 Speaker 2: bounce back after COVID lockdowns, and it's estimated more than 109 00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:48,359 Speaker 2: thirteen hundred Australian live music venues have closed since the 110 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:53,000 Speaker 2: pandemic due to increases in public liability costs, rising rents 111 00:06:53,279 --> 00:07:00,360 Speaker 2: and energy prices. So who's helping these places stay afloat? 112 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:01,440 Speaker 5: Made muchical. 113 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:04,480 Speaker 1: The vibe in a lot of those places is very 114 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:06,800 Speaker 1: different because a lot of the people are volunteers, so 115 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:09,000 Speaker 1: there's definitely a different energy when. 116 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:09,920 Speaker 3: It's not there. 117 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:14,720 Speaker 1: Job as such, it's kind of more, you know, something 118 00:07:14,760 --> 00:07:17,880 Speaker 1: that they're trying to foster in their community. The theater 119 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:22,280 Speaker 1: draws people that maybe they want to see from the 120 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:25,920 Speaker 1: city to that place. If you're into the arts, or 121 00:07:25,960 --> 00:07:28,920 Speaker 1: you're you know, you love music, or who you want 122 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:32,240 Speaker 1: to get out one night a month or whatever, then yeah, 123 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:34,960 Speaker 1: you would put your energy into it because you probably 124 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:39,160 Speaker 1: know that you know that's your lifeline in that place, 125 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:43,360 Speaker 1: and it creates an atmosphere in the community. Like I 126 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:45,800 Speaker 1: really felt that in the Brunswick Kids Place, there was 127 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:47,600 Speaker 1: a couple of people that were hanging around at the 128 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:51,560 Speaker 1: end that were clearly just in the community but had 129 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:54,000 Speaker 1: made friends with the owners and come to things there 130 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:57,040 Speaker 1: all the time, and you can feel that they're invested, 131 00:07:57,080 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 1: Like they were wearing their Brunswick Picture House T shirt 132 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:01,800 Speaker 1: and they're keeping it alive. 133 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:05,520 Speaker 3: I did manage to ask a couple of volunteers why 134 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:09,080 Speaker 3: they did do that, and their motivations were almost always 135 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:12,720 Speaker 3: for the benefit of their community. They understood what these 136 00:08:12,760 --> 00:08:15,400 Speaker 3: concerts brought to their community, the sort of the enriching 137 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:17,720 Speaker 3: nature of these concerts, and that's something that was important 138 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:21,600 Speaker 3: to them and that they wanted to continue to contribute to. 139 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:25,320 Speaker 3: I almost likened it to like people who retire and 140 00:08:25,960 --> 00:08:29,440 Speaker 3: end up working for the rfs or community radio stations 141 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:31,560 Speaker 3: or something like that. You know, these people are community 142 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 3: minded and they understand the value that these venues bring 143 00:08:36,160 --> 00:08:37,199 Speaker 3: to their communities. 144 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:45,280 Speaker 2: Coming up how Blasco's childhood in the church is shaping 145 00:08:45,400 --> 00:09:05,120 Speaker 2: her musical present. Sarah Blasco's latest album, I Just Want 146 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:09,240 Speaker 2: to Conquer This Mountain, her seventh studio album, is Honest 147 00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:13,080 Speaker 2: and Raw. It's produced by Blasco with Nords to Nigel 148 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:16,960 Speaker 2: Godrich's work with Beck and French group Air, and though 149 00:09:16,960 --> 00:09:20,840 Speaker 2: there are large ensemble moments, it's largely driven by the 150 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:27,040 Speaker 2: piano and Blasco's incredible voice. The album is also autobiographical. 151 00:09:28,679 --> 00:09:34,080 Speaker 5: Okay, out of the Marriage one Roz only twenty six 152 00:09:35,679 --> 00:09:40,160 Speaker 5: a ladda novo Giller Mosa the Wog. 153 00:09:43,080 --> 00:09:46,120 Speaker 1: I grew up in the church, and like in the 154 00:09:46,120 --> 00:09:49,320 Speaker 1: Penecostal church where everybody would kind of make up all 155 00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:52,720 Speaker 1: of these songs. As much as I kind of turned 156 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:55,719 Speaker 1: my back again on the on the church, there was 157 00:09:55,760 --> 00:10:00,600 Speaker 1: something really beautiful about that experience and performing live, I 158 00:10:00,679 --> 00:10:04,280 Speaker 1: just love the community of it. I think as well, 159 00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:08,760 Speaker 1: like there's something about the way that when everyone is 160 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:12,760 Speaker 1: interacting and playing together, you you're not necessarily looking at 161 00:10:12,800 --> 00:10:17,560 Speaker 1: each other or it's just a very intangible, magical kind 162 00:10:17,559 --> 00:10:18,760 Speaker 1: of feeling. 163 00:10:18,840 --> 00:10:19,400 Speaker 4: I think. 164 00:10:23,520 --> 00:10:26,400 Speaker 2: There's something very evocative about these little venues. They feel 165 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:28,120 Speaker 2: a bit like church halls, don't they. And they feel 166 00:10:28,120 --> 00:10:30,200 Speaker 2: a bit like church meetings with people who are not 167 00:10:30,280 --> 00:10:33,760 Speaker 2: your normal necessarily rock and roll crowd sitting in chairs 168 00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:35,880 Speaker 2: or on pews, you know, looking up at the stage. 169 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:37,480 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's such a good way of looking at it. 170 00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:40,320 Speaker 3: And I hadn't seen the overlap between these regional venues 171 00:10:40,360 --> 00:10:43,400 Speaker 3: in the church. But you're absolutely right. Probably the biggest 172 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:45,200 Speaker 3: thing that they have in common is that they function 173 00:10:45,240 --> 00:10:48,200 Speaker 3: as community hubs as much as they do anything else. 174 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:50,480 Speaker 3: I mean, obviously they're set up as music venues, but 175 00:10:50,520 --> 00:10:52,760 Speaker 3: it's almost like the music is an excuse to get 176 00:10:52,760 --> 00:10:55,840 Speaker 3: the community together. And this isn't to take away from 177 00:10:55,880 --> 00:10:58,840 Speaker 3: any artists that manage to draw a crowd in the country, 178 00:10:58,880 --> 00:11:01,920 Speaker 3: but the reality years there's less to do in these places. 179 00:11:02,400 --> 00:11:05,600 Speaker 3: And we actually played a place called Brunswick Picture House, 180 00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:09,160 Speaker 3: which is a converted cinema up in Brunswick Heads on 181 00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:12,280 Speaker 3: the Northern Rivers, and there was a huge sign outside 182 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:14,760 Speaker 3: that venue that said get off the telly, come to 183 00:11:14,800 --> 00:11:19,800 Speaker 3: a concert. Something like that. Artists like Sarah who breathe 184 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:22,040 Speaker 3: in and out of these towns, they sort of act 185 00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:26,120 Speaker 3: like magnets really for those local communities. But another way 186 00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:29,840 Speaker 3: it's reflected is the age spread and the diversity in 187 00:11:29,880 --> 00:11:31,959 Speaker 3: the crowds. It's not like a concert in the city 188 00:11:31,960 --> 00:11:36,080 Speaker 3: where certain bands draw a certain crowd that all dressed 189 00:11:36,120 --> 00:11:40,040 Speaker 3: the same or have similar haircuts. Some of these venues 190 00:11:40,080 --> 00:11:43,760 Speaker 3: that we'd go and play, you'd have three generations under 191 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:44,599 Speaker 3: one roof. 192 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:47,920 Speaker 2: That sign about getting off the telly and getting out 193 00:11:47,920 --> 00:11:50,560 Speaker 2: to a live show. I mean that's relevant for all 194 00:11:50,679 --> 00:11:53,960 Speaker 2: of us, isn't it, especially when the best television that 195 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:57,520 Speaker 2: has ever been made is available for us all every night. 196 00:11:58,160 --> 00:12:00,400 Speaker 2: What do you think about that idea that we have 197 00:12:00,760 --> 00:12:04,840 Speaker 2: sort of an obligation to go out and experience entertainment live. 198 00:12:05,120 --> 00:12:07,880 Speaker 3: I think the obligations on everybody. I think the obligations 199 00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:11,440 Speaker 3: on audiences for being honest with yourself and thinking, hey, 200 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:13,319 Speaker 3: have I gotten a bit sort of stuck in my ways? 201 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:15,440 Speaker 3: Maybe I should make more of an effort to go 202 00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:18,680 Speaker 3: out and support the arts in whatever form that might be. 203 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:22,520 Speaker 3: But there's a responsibility on performers and musicians in this 204 00:12:22,600 --> 00:12:26,040 Speaker 3: case as well to entice people off the couch. And 205 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:29,640 Speaker 3: I think Sarah does deliver that she has a gift. 206 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:32,520 Speaker 3: She's an incredible singer. To see her sing and to 207 00:12:32,559 --> 00:12:36,719 Speaker 3: hear her perform her music is a really attractive alternative 208 00:12:36,760 --> 00:12:40,640 Speaker 3: to another night of watching Love Is Blind or Maths 209 00:12:40,920 --> 00:12:41,640 Speaker 3: in my case. 210 00:12:45,760 --> 00:12:49,720 Speaker 2: So, how has Sarah Blasco enticed people off the couch 211 00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:52,079 Speaker 2: and built a national audience? 212 00:12:52,600 --> 00:12:59,439 Speaker 5: Kids A drive inside just bus meby. 213 00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:02,480 Speaker 1: I used to get played on Triple J and that 214 00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:05,559 Speaker 1: had a huge effect on my touring and playing festivals 215 00:13:05,600 --> 00:13:08,800 Speaker 1: and everything. But yeah, I don't know. I think it's 216 00:13:08,800 --> 00:13:11,120 Speaker 1: probably just been that period of time where I've just 217 00:13:11,240 --> 00:13:15,040 Speaker 1: kept going at this point, so people might know the 218 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:18,800 Speaker 1: name or know my cover of Flame Trees at the 219 00:13:18,920 --> 00:13:19,719 Speaker 1: very least. 220 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:26,480 Speaker 4: The choshnus. 221 00:13:29,280 --> 00:13:41,080 Speaker 5: Bless makes. 222 00:13:51,840 --> 00:13:54,640 Speaker 2: Sarah Blasco performs for the last two shows of her 223 00:13:54,679 --> 00:13:58,480 Speaker 2: tour this weekend in Hobart and Lawnceston and Jaska will 224 00:13:58,520 --> 00:14:02,400 Speaker 2: be there. You can watch tool video called Longevity at 225 00:14:02,480 --> 00:14:06,480 Speaker 2: the Australian dot com dot a you right now. Thanks 226 00:14:06,520 --> 00:14:08,640 Speaker 2: for joining us on the front this week. Our team 227 00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:11,960 Speaker 2: is Jasper League, who produced and edited this episode and 228 00:14:12,080 --> 00:14:17,080 Speaker 2: composed our music regular producer Kristin Amiot, Stephanie Coombs, Tiffany Dimak, 229 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:20,480 Speaker 2: Joshua Burton, Leat Sammagloo and me Claire Harvey.