On Tuesday, Australian country singer Kasey Chambers announced that she has both a new book and album slated for release in early October. The former, which sports a profane title, shares lessons she’s learnt during her hardscrabble life, while the latter—titled Backbone—features songs inspired by them. An audiobook is also slated to hit the digital shelves at the same time and looks to be a ton of fun, as it’s unabridged and features her not just reading what she’s written, but singing some songs, too.
Chambers has long been a favorite, of course, though for a time I was something of a prodigal fan—as I related in this recap of her 2017 concert in Philadelphia. For those who don’t click through: Diane and I first saw her, backed by a crack band that included her dad Bill, in a small club in Bryn Mawr, Pa., called the Point in late 2000, where we were two of maybe 20 folks in the audience. It’s a night we still talk about. The same goes for the 2017 concert—but I’m getting sidetracked.
Back on point: The single in question, “Backbone (The Desert Child),” finds her reflecting on her days on the Nullarbor Plain. To say that it conjures the songs of her classic (says I) solo debut, The Captain, is an understatement; it feels a bit like pulling on a favorite shirt, if that makes sense, and has had me revisiting her early albums the past few days. She wrote the song, of course, and also produced it (and the album in full). The crack band behind her still features her dad as well as longtime bassist Jeff McCormack, and is rounded out by guitarist Brandon Dodd, who joined her band in 2017, guitarist Sam Teskey of the Teskey Brothers, and drummer Brady Blade, who’s backed Emmylou Harris and Steve Earle, among others.
The Old Grey Cat 
One thought