Official press release
“Australian singer/songwriter Rick Price has walked the journey many musicians’ dreams are made of. From the very beginning, as a nine year old and the youngest member of his family’s band, music was Rick’s passion. Since those humble yet defining days, set amongst the backdrop of country Queensland, the selftaught artist has forged an internationally praised and respected career spanning more than three decades earning him double platinum status for his greatest hits and numerous industry awards.
Rick relocated to Nashville USA in 2009, primarily to tour with his buddy and great friend, Tommy Emmanuel. Together they toured for one year around the USA and Europe.
Following the completion of this tour, after being back on stage playing to big live audiences, Rick, feeling inspired and re-energised, jumped straight into co-writing with other artists in Nashville. The result will certainly be a surprise to some of his diehard fans. Love, a recurring theme in his new work, where it once spoke of heartbreak and loss, now speaks of hope and transformation.
The Water’s Edge indicates new influences and a broader style for Rick. While there are still echoes of a great pop artist, even more so, country and blues meld beautifully with folk sounds to create an album that transcends genre.
Rick Price returns to Australia and SE Asia in February and March 2012 to launch this stunning album. Every show will be a ‘celebration’ a ‘launch’. ‘The Water’s Edge’, which is his first release of new songs since 2003, has been crafted and honed and is receiving critical acclaim from fellow artists in this industry with descriptions such as ‘genius’, ‘brilliant’, ‘the best yet’, being vocalised.
“The best album I have listened to in the past 20 years”Mick King, Guitarist
“I listen to this CD as I travel in my car, it is pure genius”Brian Lizotte, Owner, Australia’s top live entertainment venue
The Water’s Edge has ten tracks including I’ve Got It Good, River and It Starts With A Kiss. Produced, recorded and mixed by Ben Wisch in New York City and additional recording by Don Kerce in Nashville, this album has all the elements of an international sound combined with the Aussie Rick timbre we know and love.
Audiences can expect to hear all these brilliant new songs and sounds from Rick, but as well he will never disappoint and the greatest hits will be performed as well.
During 2011 Rick starred in a narrative concert, theatrical production The John Denver Story. Interpreting the songs and story of John Denver. Backed with a full band, The Colorado Quartet, this production explores the personal life and the passions that drove John as an artist and individual. Hand picked for the role, Price’s interpretation of the man and his music has received critical acclaim with seasons already been held in Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane performing to over 25,000 theatre-goers. Rick stunned crowds with his relaxed presence on stage and hitting all those Denver notes so clearly, Rick was truly impressive in the role.
During 2012 the production will return to these cities and tour other major capital cities as well as regionally around Australia.
“Price Does Denver Proud” The West Australian
“Rick took John Denver’s music from being classic to being real” Simon Myers Executive producer Boldjack
Rick has a busy 2012 looming with further tours of South East Asia, a return to the stage for The John Denver Story and promoting and launching his new CD The Water’s Edge with performances around Australia. Of course, whilst all this is going on, he is still writing new songs, collaborating with fellow artists both in Nashville and Australia and already commencing work on the next album.”
We spoke to Rick last week about his time being based in Nashville, the background to his stunning new album The Water’s Edge and his evolution as a songwriter and performer over the last 20 years. If you haven’t witnessed Rick Price perform live before, then February and March is the opportunity for you to set that straight.
Hey Rick, thanks for taking the time to chat! So where do we find you today, are you in Nashville, which has been your base now since, what, about 2009?
Yes it has, for the last three years.
That may surprise some people, given you certainly have been a regular performer in Australia over the last few years! Tell me a little bit about your time in Nashville, have you been writing a lot with other artists?
Yes I do spend a lot of time writing with other songwriters primarily. While I do also write with other performers, generally I am writing with other songwriters, people who generally focus on that.
Have you found it to be an inspiring/creating place for you personally as far as your songwriting?
It has, you know they call it music city and there’s an enormous pool of musicians, film-makers and all kinds of people here, so it’s a great environment for music and creativity. There’s a lot of great music happening here in all different genres and styles, not just country music.
How about performing over there, are there a lot of opportunities?
I’ve toured all around the US with Tommy Emmanuel opening with him and also the UK and Europe as well. I do perform here, but my presence at the moment is more songwriting and recording. You know, I recorded a new album in New York City just recently, so I’ve been focussing more on the songwriting and recording. I then come back to Australia and Asia to tour, but this year I will be playing more in America.
As you just mentioned, you do have a new album release titled The Waters Edge, your first album of new songs since 2003. Whilst you have had the Revisited release during that time, I guess what was the trigger that said to you the time is right now to release a new studio album?
Well I had a batch of songs that I felt really strongly about and that’s what inspired it really. Coming to America in 2009 and touring with Tommy opening all around America opening his shows, I think it got me started again and sparked something in me where I started writing a lot more. Once I got that bunch of songs together and I also got in contact with a producer friend of mine, Ben Wisch, and we started talking about music and we made an album together, Tambourine Mountain, so I said to him I should come up to New York and we should make some music together, so that’s how the album was born really. I went up to New York and we recorded it at his studio in New York City.
Tell me a little bit about those recording sessions and what it was like to be working with Ben again?
It was really fantastic. We had a great bunch of musicians that we worked with on the record and Ben is an amazing musician, producer and engineer, his sounds are amazing. Sonically, it’s a beautiful record as well.
What of the origins of these songs, do some of these date back to before you moved to Nashville, or are these songs newly written tracks?
A couple of the songs I’ve had floating around now for a good while. The title track The Water’s Edge was actually written for a film back in Australia called December Boy. I wrote and produced and recorded a bunch of songs for that film and The Waters Edge was actually the first song I wrote for it, but that didn’t actually make the film. I’ve always loved that tune and Ben loved it, so it became the title track of the album. A couple of other songs, piano ballads that I’ve had for a few years now, Angels and The Last Goodbye, but the rest of it is all new songs.
You recorded the album in New York with Ben as you had mentioned, for those Rick Price fans that date back to the early days and haven’t yet heard any of the songs off the new album, how would you describe The Waters Edge in a musical sense?
Well, let’s see, it’s slightly more rootsy I think. It’s kind of where I’m heading these days, into more of that rootsy kind of sound and the new stuff I’m writing now for another album, it’s even more that way into the roots based.
As far as the way you tackle writing a song, how different would you say that is now to when you look back to say the Heaven Knows and Tambourine Mountain albums for example?
Well I tend to almost always write the music first now. I seem to be getting the music first now, whereas before I would mulch it all together and write it at the same time. But I’m definitely music first these days, so my writing style has certainly changed in that way.
And on these earlier albums, you were co-writing with a range of different writers, this is probably a hard question to put you on the spot, but in your evolution as a songwriter, what were some of the biggest learning’s you think that shaped you to be the songwriter you are today?
It definitely did shape it a lot. I learnt a lot about the construction of songs and how to be economical with lyrics. I’ve always been essentially a pop, cook, kind of songwriter you know. Even the folky songs I write, the singer songwriter songs, they’re still very melody based and I think that’s something I developed in the early days of songwriting. But it’s like I get a lot of song ideas, like lots and lots of songs 24 hours a day and what I learnt in those early days was how to craft and mould those ideas into songs and make them satisfying for both myself and the listener I guess.
In a few weeks you are back in Australia for a bunch of Rick Price shows, which once again will be shows not to be missed. I’ve been to a show now on each of your last few tours and they are incredibly intimate shows, with a real strong connection between yourself and the audience, that must be a pretty special thing as a performer to experience?
Yes definitely, that’s a great thing for me to look out into the audience and seeing people connecting with the songs. You know, people come up after the show and they might have had experiences in their own life that they they can relate the songs to. I’ve also written a lot of songs about my own family, my parents and grandparents and my son and whilst I’m not a religious person, I write songs that have a spiritual theme, so yes I think people certainly relate to the songs and apply them to their own lives. So that’s the beauty of music isn’t it and the beauty of songwriting to make that connection with people, so I feel very lucky in that way.
Is it fair of me to say that these days that’s where you are most comfortable as a performer, just your voice, acoustic guitar and many stories?
I really enjoy that intimate acoustic thing and that’s how I started off really, on the back step of my house as a little kid knocking out chords on the guitar and singing songs. I’m probably really doing pretty much a more sophisticated version of what I was doing back then! Nothing really changed much for me, I’ve still gravitated towards the things that I like, that singer/ songwriter, more roots style thing that I have and I also have a lot of really straight pop stuff as well. When I say pop, I mean more like something you would hear on the radio.
Speaking of the radio, performing songs such as Not A Day Goes By, Heaven Knows, which this year are 20 years old, what are your thoughts to be playing these songs 20 years on and importantly, the fact that they still have such a connection with the audience?
It brings back a lot of memories and it’s wonderful to have people in the audience that were around when those records came out. 20 years later to still be singing for a living and writing and recording music and playing to my audiences, it’s a great ride, I’m very lucky!
I can’t help but notice at these shows the mix of people at these shows, there really is a broad mix of ages amongst your audiences.
I’ve got some friends in Sydney that have some young kids that are three and four years old and the kids are like singing along to my album in the car, which is very weird to have young fans like that (laughs). I think what it is testimony to that pop, hook, infectious melodies, which is what I’m trying to go for you know. I like songs that have those strong hooks and melodies.
You also have some shows coming up in South East Asia as well, even 20 years on, you still obviously have a strong following in South East Asia.
That’s really, really something. The people are great and I just live going to South East Asia, it’s such a great experience. It’s a great thrill to be able to go there and play my music and for people to still be connected to it and wanting to hear the new stuff that I’m writing. It’s just a great crowd of people and audiences over there.
Last year you performed The John Denver Story in Australia, which you are coming back to do more shows of in 2012. More than just performing the songs, it was also a narrative of his life, how did you find doing these shows, from a performer point of view?
Yes there are some more shows coming up. It’s a great show, we have a wonderful band and John wrote some amazing songs. He has a great audience base in Australia who really love his music and we’re just really trying to pay homage to those songs and have a reverence for them and we’re really just throwing a John Denver party and have his fans come out and celebrate his music. The great thing about that show is that it’s not impersonating John, or not a tribute show, it’s a salute and celebration of what a great songwriter he was.
Now I won’t keep you much longer, but just lastly, you mentioned earlier that you are working on songs for a new album, is that something that you are looking to have released later this year?
I’m not sure it will be released this year, more likely next year, we don’t really have a release date for it yet. I’ve got a few records that I want to put out, I’ve got a covers album, there’s a Christmas album and then an album of all my new music, so there’s lots to do!
Essential Information
From: Australia
Website: www.rickprice.com.au
Latest Release: The Waters Edge (2012)
Australia & South East Asia Tour Dates Feb – March 2012
Sat 18 Feb Canberra Southern Cross Club Tuggeranong ACT
Wed 22 Feb Notes at Newtown Sydney NSW
Thur 23 Feb Brass Monkey Cronulla NSW
Thur 1 Mar The Vault Windsor Windsor NSW
Sat 3 Mar Clarendon Hotel Katoomba NSW
Fri 9 Mar Grand Pacific Jogjakarta-DIY Indonesia
Sun 11 Mar Santika Dyandra Medan-North Sumatra Indonesia
Tue 13 Mar Clarion Hall Makassar-South Sulawesi Indonesia
Fri 16 Mar Sasana Budaya Banesha Bandung-West Java Indonesia
Sun 18 Mar Grand City Surabaya-East Java Indonesia
Wed 21 Mar Topolino’s St Kilda Melbourne VIC
Thurs 22 Mar Wellers at Kangroo Ground Melbourne VIC
Fri 23 Mar Twin Towns Services Club Tweed Heads NSW
Sat 24 Mar Somerville Function Centre Hampton Park VIC
Sun 25 Mar Supreme Bar & Restaurant Maryborough VIC
Thurs 29 Mar Lizottes Kincumber Central Coast NSW
Fri 30 Mar Lizottes Dee Why Sydney NSW
Sun 1 Apr Lizottes Newcastle Newcastle NSW
