Melbourne based singer-songwriter Shayne Cook is releasing another two tracks from his debut LP ‘Epiphonetics’ which is due late October. ‘Restless Lovers’ and ‘Back to Love’ will be available on all digital platforms from August 25.
Born from a gentle descending guitar, ‘Restless Lovers’ is the love you had to have. The one that’s intense, all consuming, knows how to trigger and will faintly beat in your memories with a promise of good love again.
The piano by Phil Turcio, Bass by Chris Bekker and the drum track from Josh Barber stay restrained but dance in response to the raw and reminiscent lyric. Orchestral composition by Tilman Robinson and played by City of Prague symphony Orchestra builds on the rawness of this track to bring Producer Simon Moro’s focus’s each element of the song in its own sonic dimension and overall, letting the song guide the production to allow it be the most beautiful song you will here today
Listen to ‘Restless Lovers’.
‘Back to Love’ was inspired at a particular anxiety fuelled low point of life during the process of writing the album. Shayne headed to one of his favourite Melbourne parks, Darebin Parklands to drunkenly wallow and sleep out in the car. It was also a full moon which is a stunning view in this park, so ideal for self pity. The lyrics came to the song that night with a previous guitar part stuck in Shaynes head. It deals with hitting lows as a person and supposing that happens with people as whole as well – and in that shit storm of feeling the only possible direction other than complete destruction is something that feels in some sort of direction closer to love.
Cook describes ‘Back to Love’ as initially a guitar-based folk song, “but when Chris Bekker came in and improvised a muted and percussive bass line, instantly we knew this is what the song needed – it transformed the song into something completely new.
The guitar driven song became a bass driven song which just really gave the darkness the song deserved. Simon also had an idea to get the orchestra to create the click sounds with their bow and instrument using a techniques called pizzicato. This just added to the movement. The last note of the song you can hear the snap of one of the violins bridge plates which we thought made sense just to stop it there”
Check out ‘Back to Love.’
‘Restless Lovers’ / ‘Back to Love’ will be released on August 25.
‘Epiphonetics’ will be released on October 23.
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THE FULL LINE UP
‘Restless Lovers’
Shayne Cook: Writer / Vocal /Guitars l Simon Moro: Producer/ Mix Engineer l Joe Carra (Crystal Mastering): Mastering Engineer l Joshua Barber: Drums, Percussion l Chris Bekker: Bass l Phil Turcio: Piano l Tilman Robinson: Orchestral Arrangements l City of Prague Symphony Orchestra: Strings
‘Back to Love’
Shayne Cook: Writer / Vocal /Guitars l Simon Moro: Producer/ Mix Engineer/ Synth Keys l Joe Carra (Crystal Mastering): Mastering Engineer l Joshua Barber: Drums, Percussion l Chris Bekker: Bass l Phil Turcio: Piano l Tilman Robinson: Orchestral Arrangements l City of Prague Symphony Orchestra: Strings.
SPECIAL FULL SHAYNE COOK STORY
Shayne Cook Epiphonetics
Shayne Cook is a Brisbane-bred, Melbourne-based singer-songwriter who writes hypnotic songs ranging from dark, simple and haunting to unleashed emotional outpourings. His musical influences span from Nick Cave to Ainslie Wills, Bon Iver to City and Colour, Tom Isanek to Thom Yorke, Emma Louise and beyond. With his debut LP ‘Epiphonetics’ Cook has delivered an impressive introduction of 9 songs that highlight a raw and open songwriter with notable talent, his music not convoluted or overly elaborate, his vocals both fresh and yet familiar, and the songs delivered with heart and honesty.
Atmospheric album opener ‘Stawell Gift’ is driven from a piano riff droning in a hypnotic loop. Piano, on this and the rest of the album was played by the masterful Phil Turcio with Shayne and producer Simon Moro both adding keys/ piano elements to the track. Josh Barber added all the additional mood on drums. The song is particularly personal as it is an ode to Cook’s father, describing his history of being abandoned at an orphanage and eventual adoption.
‘Shouldn’t War’ with its hypnotic percussive colour, haunting legato piano lines and syncopated acoustic guitar is Cook’s response to a someone dear to him revealing having suffered a sexual assault. The sense of sadness, anger and helplessness felt by both the victim and Cook stayed with him for a long time – his vocals giving full range of expression to the anguish reverberating in the listener.
Third track on the album ‘Blood’ is in essence, about feeling love, almost unexplainable, but coursing through your veins, and the idea of losing that beauty is like a death itself. The song’s concept had been with Cook for many years, morphing and developing until what it is today. Producer Simon Moro perfectly highlights each instrument in such an intricate way to allow Cook’s vocals to gently float on the rhythm to end up soaring through the mood shifts. Drums from Josh Barber, Chris Bekker on Bass, and orchestral composition from Tilman Robinson.
‘Matters of the Heart’ features a 12 string acoustic waltzing with the rhythm section while Shayne’s heartfelt vocals describe the decisions made by the heart and also those made by the head. The impulsive and the considered; the questions we ask about what is or what isn’t “right’, making a choice fraught with risk; knowing all well the probability of failure, but still going ahead anyway. The junction between letting go or holding on tight and seeing where love leads.
Cook originally thought ‘Matters of the Heart’ was a throw –away demo, but album producer Simon Moro heard it and suggested they see how it developed. His ideas and finesse as a producer/ engineer – including utilising contacts at the City of Prague Symphony Orchestra for strings on the song, helped ensure the song made the cut for his debut, and indeed become the album’s first single, scoring support from the likes of Triple J’s Roots N All and CBAA / 2SER FM’s Dirt Music.
‘Restless Lovers’ Born from a gentle descending guitar, ‘Restless Lovers’ is the love you had to have. The one that’s intense, all consuming, knows how to trigger and will faintly beat in your memories with a promise of good love again.
The piano by Phil Turcio, Bass by Chris Bekker and the drum track from Josh Barber stay restrained but dance in response to the raw and reminiscent lyric. Orchestral composition by Tilman Robinson and played by City of Prague symphony Orchestra builds on the rawness of this track to bring Producer Simon Moro’s focus’s each element of the song in its own sonic dimension and overall, letting the song guide the production to entice you back for another listen.
‘Disaster Yet’ is an argument between lovers. The fight is not the end of the world, and you know the moment you are lying in bed wrapped in each other that it is all going to be ok. The string arrangement by Timan Robinson sends the song into a dream state leaving the guitar to create the misty lake the dream passes within. Phil Turcio on piano, Josh Barber on drums, Chris Bekker on bass complimenting the simplicity and movement of the narrative. Shayne’s vocals sit in a place between both the simplicity and sometimes underlying complexity of the subject matter.
Describing the inspiration for ‘City Fire Lights’ Cook explains “Music has always been my innermost desire to pursue. Prior to writing this album I was working full time in finance. While I most definitely did enjoy my job I always felt music was my calling and time felt it was slipping away. Walking away from comfort and predictability can be tough. I also felt like I had left my run too late, that I’d put it off due to insecurity and waiting for everything to be right. Turns out there is no such thing as the right time and you can spend all your time waiting for the right time.” Phil Turcio on Piano a piacere with Shayne sets the introspect of the song while the full band kicks in with resolve.
‘Back To Love’ which received airplay from both Triple J’s Roots N All and Double J’s Stir It Up amongst others started as a guitar based folk song. As Shayne explains, “When Chris Bekker came in and improvised a muted and percussive bass line instantly we knew this is what the song needed – it transformed the song into something completely new. The guitar driven song became a bass driven song which just really gave the darkness the song deserved. Simon also had an idea to get the orchestra to create the click sounds with their bow and instrument using a techniques called pizzicato. This just added to the movement. The last note of the song you can hear the snap of one of the violins bridge plates which we thought made sense to keep”.
Ritual
Imagine sunshine streaming through the window while you sit with your lover enjoying a coffee. The romanticism of talking about owning that farmhouse one day and heading on a sea change to escape the city. Sitting on the back steps together with a whiskey after a shitty week. Unsleeving that Nick Cave record and listening to ‘Into My Arms’ while entwined with your lover for those few minutes. These things. The moments we cherish.
Shayne explains “I had originally written the solo on a midi keyboard with a saxophone as a choice of sounds it was a little corny but I liked it. Uncle George’s piano accordion coupled with a lush reverb was the obvious replacement for this on the album and fittingly George is also a man that enjoys the simple rituals of life.”
“In all I feel this album was about me taking the leap into my passion and releasing music.
It’s what I feel I have to give to the world and this album is the beginning of that”
