The tour low-light was probably having the entire national tour’s mailing list, (also had the New Caledonia mailing list entries) accidentally thrown away by the too damn efficient venue crew at the final Melbourne show October 10^th. If you put your name on the e-list this tour, apologies for not making it to the master list. Please feel free to sign up using the website.

I’m now back in Melbourne preparing for festivals next year and working on what I hope to be the final stages of the debut recording epic known as ‘Home Brew’ (look-out for the follow-up ‘making-of’ adaptions being prepared for stage and screen due to be hitting cinema and opera houses in the new-year..). The album release has been postponed due to a hold-up in the production process. Apologies for those hanging out to get it, the wait’s going to be a little longer. When it does come out, it’ll be well and truly worth the wait.

Thanks to the audiences, the people that fed us, opened their homes to us and made us feel welcome on our travels this time around. Thanks also to Home and Hosed Triple J Radio for their support of the tour, the brilliant Kate Miller-Heidke (a true artist) for having me warm up a couple of her crowds along the way, Ben & Lucas (the musicians who shared the stage with me) and the support acts who warmed up the good folk who came along to the shows. Thanks also go out to Monique Lisa, JB (John Butler) Seed, Darwin, Cairns, Bridgetown Blues and Femmes Funk Festival and all festival organisers and volunteers for taking such good care of us.

All the best to you and yours in the New Year- see you then.
Ox

Amira
(aka Tecoma)

Thanks go out to the good people that fed us, opened their homes to us and made us feel welcome on our travels this time around. Special thanks to Home and Hosed Triple J Radio, The JB (John Butler) Seed grant, Darwin, Cairns, Bridgetown Blues and Femmes Funk Festival organisers and volunteers, music venues, and media who took such good care of us. Our apologies to those who have been anticipating the release of the full length record ‘Home Brew’. A hold-up in the final production process has meant the release has been post-poned to the new year- stay tuned for more news on that soon.

Plans are underway for an even bigger 2008 on the live front with Tecoma performing at the Brunswick Music Festival and WOMADelaide also!

All the best to you and yours in the new year,

Tecoma & Polaris Music crew.

Hoping Winter’s being kind to you wherever you are. This time of year always makes me want to eat a lot and crawl into a cave and sleep, like the bears do, only on a futon or something ergonomically alright you know? Just wake up when the sun comes back in Spring- it’s making allot of sense to me at the moment. The next best thing in my mind is to pile into a car and head North with the birds- to go on tour ! In 3 weeks time I’m pleased to announce the Home Brew national tour kicks off in Alice Springs NT at my favourite venue under the stars, The Lane. The tour has got more regional dates and all-ages shows then any I’ve ever done. Check out the Shows page to find out when we come to your town.

I’ll be joined by a really special couple of musicians you’re going to hopefully meet : Ben Wheeler on the drums & programming/aural trickery & Lucas Taranto on the upright and electric bass. Did I mention there’s going to be special guests and surprise galore? Good surprises, that is, not nasty stuff like you find on credit card statements.
The tour is being presented by the good people @ Triple J’s Home and Hosed & the best thing is, that it’s in the lead-up to my first full legnth record’s release. It’s going to be a bit like having a birthday for it every night we play and then at the end of the tour, the record will be released.

There are many things I would love to tell you about how preparations have been going and what that process has been like. With the last of the record being captured at the same time, it’s felt like I’ve been getting to know the songs properly for the first time. Rather then telling you about it, better though that you come to the show and we show you what we’ve been up to & have a great night doing it. As soon as I’m able, I’ll be posting some of the new songs up on my myspace for you to have a sneak preview of my mighty opus ‘Home Brew’.

For now, here are some photos from the recording. None of them are of me. I’m afraid those ones didn’t turn out so good.. Introducing just some of the fine musicians I’ve had the pleasure of playing with lately:

Lucas - laying down some fat folk groove

Benjamin ‘Ben’ Wheeler on the drums.

Neda - low light, old style beat mixing.

Marrs Marrone @ The Biscuit Brown.

Take care till next time.
ox amira
(tecoma)

Sun 19th Oct
Garden Music Festival
with Hermitude, Mista Savona & others
Government House Gardens
Sydney, NSW
for further info go to Garden Music myspace.

Sat 4th Oct
Evolve Arts Festival
with Tex Perkins, Tripod, Sam Simmons & many more!
Red Devil Park
Byron Bay, NSW
for further info or to purchase tix go to Evolve Arts Festival web.

2008 Tecoma WA Tour - (4) for the Road!

Sun 14th Sep
Redcliffe on the Murray
Pinjarra, WA

Sat 13th Sep
Tanglehead Brewery
Albany, WA

Fri 12th Sep
Altitude Bar
Dunsborough, WA

Thurs 11th Sep
Quindanning Tavern
Quindanning, WA

Wed 10th Sep
Indi Bar
Scarborough, WA

Sunday 7th Sep
Southerly’s Bar
Port Denison, WA

Saturday 6th Sep
Bootenal Tavern
Geraldton, WA

Friday 5th Sep
Kalbarri Motor Hotel
Kalbarri, WA

Thursday 4th Sep
Clancy’s Fish Pub
Fremantle, WA

2008 Tecoma WA Tour - (4) for the Road!

Fri 28-30th Mar 2008
WOMADelaide
Further info & tix available here WOMADelaide

Friday 9- Sunday 11th Nov 2007
Blues at Bridgetown, WA
Further info & tix available here Blues @ Bridgetown

Home Brew Tour END!!

Sunday 14^th Oct
Ruby’s Lounge, Belgrave, VIC
With special guest Jordie Lane
8pm
Tix available now $8-$10 @ Ruby’s Lounge

Friday 12^th Oct
Golden Vine Hotel, Bendigo, VIC
9pm - $6
Venue info available here The Golden Vine

Saturday 8^th Sep
The Brass Monkey, Cronulla, NSW
Further info TBA
Venue info available here Brass Monkey

Saturday 7^th Oct
Regional New Caledonia performance

Friday 6^th Oct
Regional New Caledonia Tour

Thursday 28^th Sep - Sunday 1^st Oct
Festival Femmes Funk, Noumea, New Caledonia

Tecoma Tour New Caledonia

For further info on festival or regional dates go to Festival Femmes Funk

Sunday 23^rd Sep
Yahoo Bar, 47 High St Shepparton, VIC
7pm - Tix $6 at the door
With special guest Zhari

Thursday 20^th Sep
The National Hotel, Geelong, VIC
9.30pm
With Special Guest TBA
Venue info available here The National

Wednesday 19^th Sep
The Loft, Warrnambool, VIC
9pm
With special guest TBA
Venue info available here The Loft

Sunday 16^th Sep
The Northcote Social Club, VIC
Darebin Music Feast
Tix Onsale now $10-$12 @ Northcote Social Club or phone (03) 9486 1677
With special guest Jordie Lane

Saturday 15^th Sep
Grainery Lane, 34 Doveton St Ballarat, VIC
All Ages
8.30pm Tix $8

Thursday 13^th Sep
The Grace Emily, Adelaide, SA
With special guests SeesawTrace
9pm Tix $8
Venue info available here The Grace Emily

Wednesday 12^th Sep
The Republic Hotel, Hobart, TAS
9pm Free
Venue info available here The Republic

Tuesday 11^th Sep
The Vanguard, Newtown, NSW
Further info TBA
Venue info available here The Vanguard

Friday 7^th Sep
The Tea Club, Nowra, NSW
All Ages – 7.30pm
Special guest TBA
Tix available at the door $15
Venue info available here The Tea Club

Thursday 6^th Sep
The Clarendon Guesthouse, Katoomba, NSW
All Ages - 8pm
Tix available at the door $18 or seated with dinner reservation $48 from venue
Venue info available here The Clarendon Guesthouse

Wednesday 5^th Sep
The Oxford Tavern, Wollongong, NSW
Free 9pm
Venue info available here The Oxford Tavern

Sunday 2^nd Sep
The Cairns Festival, QLD
Carnival on Collins
Free 1pm All Ages
Festival info available here Festival Cairns

CANCELLED!! Saturday 1^st Sep CANCELLED!!
The Sol Bar, Coolum Beach, QLD
With Special Guests TBA
Venue info available here Sol Bar

Friday 31^st Aug
The Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay, NSW
Free 9pm
With Colin Bullock & The Frankie Band
Venue info available here The Great Northern

Thursday 30^th Aug
The Troubadour, Fortitude Valley, QLD
8pm
With Special Guest Emma Dean
Tix On-sale now $8 @ The Troubadour

Sunday 26^th Aug
The Tanglehead Brewery, Albany, WA
All Ages
Free 3pm
With Special Guests The Lonely Brothers
Venue info available here The Tanglehead Brewery

Saturday 25^th Aug
The Settlers Tavern, Margaret River, WA
Free 8pm
Venue info available here Settlers Tavern

Friday 24^th Aug
Prince Of Wales, Bunbury, WA
Free - 9pm
With Danny Haines
Venue info available here Prince of Wales

Thursday 23^rd Aug
Kulcha, Fremantle, WA
All Ages - 8pm
Tix On-sale now $10-$14 @ Kulcha

Wednesday 22^nd Aug
Darwin Festival, Botanic Gardens Darwin, NT
Star Shell - 8pm
All Ages
Tix On-sale now $16-$12 @ DEC

Monday 20^th - Tuesday 21^st Aug
On-board The Ghan
Great Southern Railways
All ages
Alice Springs - Darwin
Performing unplugged in transit

Saturday 18^th Aug
The Lane, Alice Springs, NT
All Ages - 8.30pm
With Zenith
Tix $15 On-sale @ The venue or on the door
Venue info available here The Lane

Friday 17^th Aug
Alice Springs Library, NT
Song writing workshop II for young people
For bookings & further info Ph (08) 8950 0507

Thursday 16^th Aug
Alice Springs Library, NT
Song writing workshop I for young people
For bookings & further info Ph (08) 8950 0507

Triple J’s Home & Hosed Presents Tecoma

Home Brew National Tour August-October 2007

Wednesday 15^th Aug
Veludo, Acland St, St Kilda, VIC
Free
Venue info available here Veludo

Past tour dates this year below

It’s been two weeks since the last leftover ‘unofficial’ gig of the national tour wound up at Melbourne University for their monthly BBQ. I couldn’t have wanted for a better (unofficial!) finish to the tour, with an awesome audience of about 450, perfect sound, clear sky and killer veggie burgers. Thanks to everyone who came along to the gigs on the tour, bought CDs and the musicians on the East and West Coast who kept me company on stage. Thanks especially to the venues who hosted my gigs (extra espec to Toni & Kim), support acts who warmed up the audienceJ, the ABC & community radio crew who continue to support my music and to all those who helped out sticking up posters and on door bitch/merch duties. You are whom put food on my table and make this Indy shoestring music thing possible - from the bottom of my stomach, thank-you.

A year ago I picked up sticks and left Alice Springs to make Melbourne my base from which to find a band and complete my first full length record. I’m proud to say it’s almost there, though the journey these songs have travelled since I penned and toured them solo and acoustic, to this last tour has been an epic one. It’s shaped the tone and texture of each song and grown me too.

After I released my first EP, ‘City Folk’ and was initially presented with the possibility of signing with a record label, I opted not to. In all honesty, it wasn’t in the pursuit of some higher moralistic ideal and only in part cos’ I knew the kind of deal an artist starting out can expect is never very good.. It was cos’ stubborn-me, I wanted this experience of finding my voice, of shaping the songs, of finding and connecting with collaborators as they presented themselves, of winning supporters in some of the most unexpected places, of defeating the doubters (mostly the great devil; self-doubt) and having my music standing or falling as the case may be, solely on the merits of my music alone. I wanted to own this experience, to learn from it and in the process put down the most beautiful, truthful collection of songs possible. Much of the work has already been done recording the album I’m calling ‘Home Brew’, to be released to stores in Spring.

Before I let it go though, I want to invite supporters of my music wherever you are to own a little piece of it too. There is something of an age-old tradition in the Indy and in particular, in the folk music tradition, of the Great Album Pre-order, whereby you buy the album ahead of it’s completion and receive it ahead of it’s official release. Often this is used as a way of raising funds to press the record and package it. While it’s something of a leap of faith on your behalf that a) you’re going to like the record once it’s finished and b)that the said artist won’t disappear to Byron Bay with your dollars; to acknowledge the role supporters at the grass roots around the country have played in allowing me to do what I love, pre-order subscribers will have their name included in the albums official artwork (unless you’re shy and don’t want it to be). If this sounds like something you’d like to be a part of, the ‘store’ section of the new web site is where you can sign-up to purchase an advance copy of the album- currently due for release around September. Until stocks run out, you’ll also be sent a bonus copy of the first single off the album ‘Air to Me’ with the b-side demo version of ‘Death Wish’ also available for sale separately at the web store.