Unveiling Back Yourself, the third solo album from revered Australian singer songwriter Ben Salter, following 2011’s The Cat and 2015’s The Stars My Destination. It is his second album to be released through ABC Music.
The album features lead single ‘Isolationism’, written by Salter with long time Gin Club collaborator Conor Macdonald, and impacting at media today.
Back Yourself was made over a twelve-month period at locations around Tasmania and Victoria. It was predominantly recorded with producer Chris Townend (Augie March, Daniel Johns, Tim Finn, Portishead) at his White Light studio, located on the edge of Tasmania’s Huon Valley.
Back Yourself features guest appearances by well-known Australian guitarist and songwriter Jeff Lang, Peter “Blackie” Black of underground legends The Hard Ons, and Something for Kate drummer Clint Hyndman. Melbourne based jazz saxophone virtuoso Julien Wilson and his BeeforChicken Quartet act as the backing band on two tracks, ‘The First Sign Of Madness’ and ‘I Need You’. Wilson has played on all three of Salter’s albums. Other key personnel include regular collaborator Seja Vogel (Regurgitator) on synthesizer and vocals, vocalist Gemma Sharard (Skyscraper Stan & The Commission Flats) and Tasmanian based drummer Sam Dowson (Lawless Quartet, Mephistopheles, Lazer Baby, Milquebarth).
Back Yourself continues some of Salter’s long held thematic preoccupations – love, dreams, armageddon, video games; the ocean and the stars; the intersection of myth and science; and the nature of reality itself.
Opening track ‘Where Corals Lie’ is a version of a piece by English classical composer Edward Elgar, which was itself an adaptation of a poem by minor English poet Richard Garnett. It was originally performed in 1899. Final track ‘End Of Days’ was written in Lyttelton with NZ songwriter and performer Marlon Williams on Salter’s last NZ tour.
To mark the release of Back Yourself, Ben will hit the road for an extensive national tour.
Back Yourself National Tour
October
Thurs 19 – Sydney NSW / High Tea (solo)
Fri 20 – Lennox Head NSW / House Concert (solo)
Sat 21 – Brisbane QLD / The Flamin’ Galah
Sun 22 – Brisbane QLD / The Flamin’ Galah (TBA)
Wed 25 – Smith’s Alternative, Canberra
Thurs 26 – NSW / details TBA
Fri 27 – Sydney NSW / Marrickville Bowls Club
Sat 28 – Gooloogong NSW / Gooloogong Log Cabin Hall (solo)
Sun 29 – Maitland NSW / The Grand Junction Hotel (solo)
November
Thurs 2 – Ballarat VIC / The Eastern
Fri 3 – Melbourne VIC / The Tote
Sat 4 – Melbourne VIC / The Old Bar (TBA)
Sun 5 – Castlemaine VIC / Castlemaine Theatre Royal
Thurs 9 – Launceston TAS / St John Craft Beer (solo)
Fri 10 – Ulverstone TAS / The Wharf (solo)
Fri 10 – Sheffield TAS / Mountain Mumma (solo)
Sat 11 – Swansea TAS / House Show (solo)
Sun 19 – Hobart TAS / MONA