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Mia Dyson part of hit new song When the Honourable Prime Minister Kevin Rudd delivered his apology speech to the stolen generations in February this year, he reunited millions of Australians; little did he know that this act of reconciliation would inspire a revival of the song ‘From Little Things Big Things Grow.’ Originally written and produced by Australian icon Paul Kelly, the revived track features new lyrics and a lush musical arrangement that includes performances from Kev Carmody, Paul Kelly, Urthboy, Missy Higgins, Dan Sultan and of course, Mia Dyson; this group known as the GetUp Mob. Released as a digital download by the activist group GetUp!, the voices of Mr Rudd and the former Prime Minister Paul Keating are also integrated on the track. The video clip features Pat Dodson, Lowitja O'Donohue, Leah Purcell, Anthony Mundine and keep a keen eye on Mia Dyson also. Download the song right now from iTunes or preview the video clip on YouTube.
- The New York Times
- International Herald Tribune |
| An Exciting Year Ahead 2008 is shaping up to be another outstanding year for Mia Dyson; nationwide tours, songwriting, collaborations and compilations all on the horizon. Mia is currently in the process of writing her new album and is looking forward to composing yet another chapter in her already impressive recording career. In addition to this, Mia continues to travel the lengths of Australia in headlining festivals, performing sellout shows and passing on her valuable songwriting knowledge in workshops throughout the country. Mia is particularly looking forward to her Sunday afternoon performance at the Blues on Broadbeach Music Festival on June 1st. Mia’s fans – old and new – will be treated to a very special performance in the unique village like atmosphere and relaxed ambience that is Broadbeach. Headlining the Kurrawa Park ‘Blues for the Soul Concert’, Mia will be a major draw card to the event which is like no other in Queensland, remaining a free event. What more could you ask for? A sunny afternoon in paradise, the beach, the food, that bustling festival mood and a premier Australian blues talent, Mia Dyson. All the senses shall be fulfilled indeed. |
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1 struck down by the open road |
1 Roll Me Out [4:31]
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2. Return [4.46] 3. Roll On [4.36] 4. Through This Town [6.51] 5. Precious Thing [5.11] 6. The Judgement Song [5.54] 7. Sweet Struggle [5.12] 8. Tali Karng [2.07] 9. Deilaphelia [4.20] 10. St. Kilda Lament [4.02] 11. Make A Stand [5.11] |
RIGHT CLICK TO DOWNLOAD HI-RES SHOTS FOR PRESS
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Struck Down 2007 Mia Dyson is on the road. Yeah, we know she's been there since she was 19, but with her third album, Struck Down, she's no longer looking back. It stretches forever in every direction. It's no longer possible to define her by the Australian bush home she left behind, or by how long ago. "The last three years have been revolutionary for me," she says. "I finally feel like this is my place, that music is my thing and I'm in love with being a musician. I feel like I'm past the doubt, the struggle. This is what I do." Struck Down is an album about finding your place in the wide world and simultaneously getting lost in it. It's a mature, contemplative surrender to chaos and beauty, confusion and clarity, sadness, strangeness, and to the rich traditions of roots Americana that first made her dream. Mia's revolution has been both public and private. To the world at large, it began with a nationally televised milestone, the 2005 ARIA Award for Best Blues and Roots Album for her second album, Parking Lots. (Her debut, Cold Water, had been nominated in '03). In a sense, the other bookend to that red-carpet arrival was her invitation to open for one of the household names of the blues, Eric Clapton, across Australia in early '07. That summer, Mia played to the largest audiences she's met since she picked up her first home made guitar at the age of 14. Her profile was also boosted by a song on the soundtrack to the acclaimed Australian feature film, Look Both Ways, and an invitation to join Deborah Conway's collaborative singer-songwriters' roadshow, Broad. Meanwhile, her personal trophies were accumulating somewhere slightly to the left of the mainstream spotlight. Opening for Bonnie Raitt on her recent tour of Australia was a more personal affirmation of Mia's path. "She was a childhood hero, very much a part of why I play music," she says. "It closed a circle for me, cause Bonnie Raitt was the first concert my Dad (Victorian luthier Jim Dyson) took me to when I was 12. Perhaps the biggest milestone was Mia's first American tour of June/ July '06. "I've grown up on songs about those places, that countryside; American movies, music: roots music, blues, soul, country, gospel . . . I've got an almost nostalgic feeling for America. When I went there, it was all confirmed for me." With her past and present, dreams and reality in harmony, Mia checked into a quiet cottage in Lorne, on Victoria's windswept south coast, to define the next step in her extraordinary journey. Struck Down was again co-produced with Lloyd Barratt, but a new rhythm section seals an advance in her musical convictions. Drummer Angus Diggs had carved a formidable reputation with Jeff Lang, Don Walker and Wilson-Diesel. A new bond was strengthened when he recommended bassist James Haselwood midway through the Parking Lots tour. "I wanted a band that was deeply into the kind of music I wanted to make," Mia says. "As a trio it's not like they're in the background and I'm up front, it's a lot more intimate than that. They bring in a really unique and exciting feel but also a passion for this music. It makes it very different. From the first, keening chords and windscreen-wiper rhythm of Struck Down, the band's feel and passion are indivisible. It's a song of everyday wonder that sets the album's warm, wood-grained tone and theme of dawning discovery. "There's definitely a theme of journeys, driving, being alone," Mia reflects. "Struck Down is about grasping the scope of the world you live in as opposed to just looking at the steering wheel, being open to everything out there." The album's emotional panorama ranges from the half-amused caution of People Will Turn On You to the hypnotic voyeurism of Cars Fly By to the near hysterical venting of World's On Fire – songs respectively inspired by Australian tabloids, American gas stations, and everything under the sun. For the first time, too, Mia truly surrendered her songs to the sublime talents of her guest players: that's Garrett Costigan (Tex Don and Charlie) playing pedal steel; Matt Walker plays harmonica on Heavy and lends his voice to Cars Fly By; Steve Grant plays horns, accordion and piano, Jodi Moore (of Dirty Lucy) plays viola and Carl Pannuzzo sings back up. In various permutations, they borrow a little of The Band's loose, rolling, back porch vibe, or some of Little Feat's restrained soul in the album's only cover, Long Distance Love. They also know when to stand back, most obviously for Mia's solo acoustic take of With The Blue Sky, with nothing but the creek behind the house for accompaniment. "As a listener, I don't need dancing tunes, I don't need entertaining tunes, I like emotive tunes," she says. "It doesn't matter if a whole record is slow for me, as long as it's pulling me in. From the rollicking waltz of Never Felt Young to the climactic lament of My Country, Struck Down is an album that pulls you in and takes you for a ride. And this is just the beginning. "I feel like I've written some of the best songs I've written," Mia says. "I've made a few steps forward and I've taken a couple of steps back. I feel excited that I've progressed as a songwriter, but mainly I've reaffirmed that I can keep going." Struck Down is out independently August 25th 2007, through MGM Distribution. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Parking Lots 2005 When Mia Dyson packed her guitars, her band and a portable recording studio into her car and headed out to a friends’ mud brick house in Daylesford Victoria, she had no idea she was about to make one of the most talked about debut albums of 2003. Cold Water was nominated for an ARIA award and jettisoned the then 22 year-old into a continuous touring schedule both here and overseas. Taking in major festivals such as the East Coast Blues and Roots, Falls, Womadelaide, NXNE in Canada and The Edinburgh Festival in Scotland, Mia was wholeheartedly embraced by audiences and critics alike. In 2005 she has returned with her self-produced sophomore album Parking Lots, cementing Mia’s place as one of Australia’s most exhilarating songwriters. Recorded by co-producer Lloyd Barratt and mixed by internationally acclaimed producer Nick Launay (Lou Reed, Nick Cave, Silverchair) Parking Lots delves into raw, impassioned territory. It launches from a rock solid ground of roots influences, with wild songs of love, devotion, gratitude and dispossession. There is a sense from the album’s opener ‘Roll Me Out’ that one is in assured hands, Mia Dyson has arrived. Mia plays electric, lap steel, baritone, slide and acoustic guitar on Parking Lots. The focus of the album, like her live shows, is as much about Mia’s dynamic guitar playing as her extraordinary voice. Hailing from the surfing town of Torquay along Victoria’s west coast, Mia grew up in a house passionate about music. Her father Jim Dyson, a respected guitar maker and musician, played Mia records by Ry Cooder, Bonnie Raitt and Little Feat whilst her mother Gail introduced her to the likes of Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen. It was Mia though, who sought out the work of Lucinda Williams, Gillian Welch & Will Oldham. Parking Lots was recorded at a holiday house in Victoria’s Mt Martha with Mia’s band Lucas Taranto (bass) and Daniel Farrugia (drums). Stage two saw the studio move back home to the bungalow in Mia’s backyard, where she was joined by special guests Matt Walker, Steve Hesketh (Jet/Dan Brodie) Carl Panuzzo and Sime Nugent. Last but by no means least came diva Renee Geyer, who added backing vocals during the album’s mixing stage at Sing Sing, Melbourne. Parking Lots is a stirring collection of inspired songs, delivered with the kick and command of an artist who has found her voice and isn’t afraid to use it. What the critics say: “Tough, rocking rhythms and slow grooves on one guitar behind a voice that has control --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cold Water 2004 Mia Dyson plays Jim Dyson guitars. That’s not a sponsorship announcement, it’s a fact of life. She’s been breathing her luthier father’s sawdust since the day she was born, in a mud brick house her parents built in the Victorian bush an hour North East of Melbourne. What’s harder to believe – given the extraordinary depth of passion in her voice, her soulful feel for electric and lap slide guitars, the maturity of her writing and rare magnetism as a performer – is that that day was only 22 years ago. It was to a very similar house that Mia returned to record her first album, Cold Water , in the winter of 2002. The first tangible fruit of a rapidly escalating stage reputation on Australia’s east coast, it was promptly acknowledged among ARIA’s Best Blues and Roots Albums of 2003. With a characteristic lack of studio fairy dust and second-guesses, Cold Water resonates with the unadorned spontaneity of the most affecting roots music. Mia’s slide wavers and falters like breath, her voice sighs and breaks over vivid, real life scenarios and simple arrangements. “Loaded with deeply-felt, closely-milked ballads, Cold Water is a stark, soulful wonder, driven by Dyson’s husky temptress of a voice and her very spare, very bluesy guitar picking and strumming” (four stars) - Jeff Apter, Rolling Stone, October 2003 “Cold Water is a remarkably accomplished debut…Her breathless rasp soars and sinks with the kind of measured beauty that transcends the usual lovelorn blues.” - Julie Hosking, Melbourne Herald Sun, April 2003 Mia’s apparent overnight success began at the family piano when she was five years old. She remembers playing the rhythm part to Ry Cooder’s version of “Dark End of the Street”, with her sister Ariel on guitar and Dad playing slide, when she was all of six or seven. “It was quite an isolated existence,” she remembers of her first home, just outside the spring water town of Daylesford. “I think the significance of that time was that I wasn’t exposed to any trends or fashion or commercialism. It was straight-up country living. All I heard was Mum and Dad’s records.” With Ry Cooder, Bonnie Raitt, Little Feat, Steely Dan and Bob Dylan firing Mia’s nascent musical imagination, the family moved to the seaside town of Torquay when she was eight. Turned off the piano by an overbearing teacher, Mia picked up one of her father’s guitars at 14. “I took it up under the terrible pretext of keeping up appearances,” she confesses, “but within six months I was totally in love with it.” She started writing songs at 16, feeling for the qualities she’d long admired in roots music: “music from the heart,” is the best way she can describe it, “music that’s trying to be honest. Genuine music.” With the new aspirations came new influences: Lucinda Williams, Gillian Welch, Allison Krauss, Tom Waits, Nick Cave. “I learnt by imitating people, trying really hard to sound like them,” she says, “but then over a stretch of about a year, I started finding my own voice.” In her last two years at highschool, Mia started performing in local pubs with a variety of rock and roots ensembles. Then, one New Year’s Eve, she wrote a song called “Precious Thing”. It was a revelation. For the first time in her modest writing experience, it was a song she really liked. “I don’t know why, but I didn’t enjoy performing,” she remembers. “lt was the songwriting that got me excited about the possibilities of playing and it was that particular song that drew me into the idea of being able to continue and grow, the possibility of writing, recording and performing better and better songs.” Jim gave Mia a lap steel guitar for her 19th birthday. She’d been inspired by revered Melbourne blues player Matt Walker and approached him for a few lessons. “I’m not an expert by any means,” she insists. “I wanted it as a tool for songwriting more than anything. If it can spark an interesting song, I’ll use anything.” Moving to Melbourne, Mia hooked up with bassist Dean Addison and drummer Carl Pannuzzo for her first residency, at the Dan O’Connell Hotel in Fitzroy, in November 2000. Over the following six months, they threw themselves into the songs that would become Cold Water . “It seemed natural to head back into the bush to record,” she says. “It was another mud brick place that belongs to friends of my family. We had rooms to stay in, left the recording gear set up. We just recorded the songs we’d been playing, basically live, over a period of a week.” In the immediate wake of Cold Water , Mia sought out a permanent rhythm section to pursue a growing demand for her live performances. Bassist Lucas Taranto and drummer Daniel Farrugia became an integral part of the sound, the arrangements and the dynamic live momentum of her new material. Mia intends to record her second album “when it’s ready”. Meanwhile, a steady trickle of new songs has fuelled her shows from the Port Fairy Folk Festival to the internationally renowned Byron Bay Blues and Roots Festival, from pin-drop supports for the likes of Eric Bibb, Tony Joe White and Renee Geyer to ever-swelling crowds at her headlining gigs. Whatever the bill, Mia Dyson’s arresting voice, her sometimes poignant, sometimes fiery guitar technique and palpable, infectious belief in the power of song ensure a rapt gathering of instant converts. “I feel quite awkward on the microphone,” she admits with a laugh. “It doesn’t seem to matter though. I’m aware from going to concerts myself that people just want to hear a bit of who you are. I guess when you’re open to an audience, they’ll be open to you.” Mia Dyson’s first trip to Europe and North America is currently being sketched out for 2004. Cold Water is available through Black Door Records distributed by Shock Michael Dwyer, January 2004 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jim Dyson (Mia's Father, Guitar Maker) Jim Dyson was a late starter, learning the rudiments of guitar playing from a friend at the age of 20. The same friend suggested that if Jim learned Classical guitar, he would be able to play anything. Not knowing any better Jim launched into a 3 hours a day practice regime, teaching himself to sight read as well as appropriating technique from books and friends. This was the early 1970’s and Jim’s listening habits were moving away from Classical back to the popular music of the day; The Rolling Stones, The Band, Little Feat, Steely Dan, Ry Cooder, Bob Dylan and the blues. After a couple of years of study it was becoming clear that Classical technique and sensibility was good for Classical and not much else. With the encouragement of friends and yet more books, Jim’s finger-style technique was put to good use learning blues songs arranged by the likes of Stefan Grossman, Leo Kottke and most notably Ry Cooder. The penny finally dropped about the importance of the backbeat while watching film of a Ry Cooder recording session from the album INTO THE PURPLE VALLEY. At about this time Jim was initiated into the pleasures of slide guitar and he found he had a natural aptitude. From that day to this, Jim’s been on a quest for tone and groove and along the way, with help from Elmore James, Muddy Waters, Hubert Sumlin, Albert Collins, Albert King, Freddy King, Slim Harpo, Johnny Guitar Watson, Ry Cooder, Jimmy Vaughan and others Jim has developed a distinctive R ‘n’ B style where playing “in the pocket” with the rhythm section is the main aim. It’s been five years since Marisa and Jim formed CHUBBY RAE & the ELEVATORS and almost four with the settled lineup of Karl Inderberg on drums and Craig Chiller on bass and Jim still often pinches himself to check that he really is lucky enough to be playing with such great players who are also good friends. Previous to CHUBBY RAE & the ELEVATORS Jim had been in a number of bands – Another Roadside Distraction, Black No Sugar, Fritz the Cat- all of which had one thing on common; they all broke up not long after their initial gigs. Jim’s Gear Amps Speaker cabinets Pedals Jim's Guitars I began making acoustic guitars in the early 70’s, starting out with 5 Classicals in two years and finally a flattop steel string, which I designed and built as a scaled down version of a Gibson J200 in 1975. This guitar is still in use and can be heard on all of Mia Dyson’s three albums. In 1975 my love of the electric guitar, particularly in roots music, started me on a journey in search of electric Tone; the kind of tone that’s inspired the great players since the very birth of the electric guitar and stimulated music lovers ever since. www.jimdysonguitars.com.au Guitars and Pickups have been used on recordings by: |
Struck Down Australian Tour Salty Dog Blues n Roots Podcast People Will Turn On You People Will Turn On You Broad Tour Reviews Rave Magazine Review 12.6.06 Hot Source Review 26.5.06 Sun Herald Review May 2006 Herald Sun June 2005 Sydney Morning Herald 8/4/05
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PEOPLE WILL TURN ON YOU Single Reviews “While everyone else around her is embarrassing themselves by hanging onto the new rock revolution, or chasing the Wolfmother dollar, Mia Dyson remains as classy as ever – and People Will Turn On You is both as good as her “old” stuff and better. With each record she relaxes further into her voice and into her voice – not to mention her guitar-playing – and this makes me very excited about her upcoming third album.” “Mia Dyson projects a voice that sounds like it has been worn by the constant battering of scotch on the rocks and chain-smoking, all before the age of 25. And while her hoarse and affective croon sounds like it would emanate from the dark recesses of a smoky New York basement, instead it is carried on the sea breeze of Torquay, Victoria. Comparable to the likes of Lucinda Williams and Janis Joplin, Dyson’s sincere and gravelly vocals ride the rhythmic current of unassuming percussion and her own spirited guitar.” “It’s the most famous festival of all time, but have you ever actually looked at the list of acts that played at Woodstock? Sure, you’ve got your Hendrix, The Who, Sly & The Family Stone, Janis Joplin, Joe Cocker, Santana (pre-duets) – plenty whose reputations have maintained or probably even grown over the years. But there’s also a shitload of acts whose names haven’t held up so well over time. Quill? No idea. Bert Sommer? Could be a real dude, but who knows? Incredible String Band? Not even sure I want to know more there. With her earthy voice and her cruisy MOR roots floating through the speakers, Mia Dyson sounds not like a Victorian singer in her mid-20s, but like she could have been one of the early-arvo performers playing almost anonymously in the background of the Woodstock doco. People Will Turn On You is essentially ‘60s Dad rock, in the most flattering way possible, juggling its Doobiesque chorus and Joan Baez-like verses to create a song that sounds both timeless and entirely out of its time in 2007. Too smoothly produced to appeal to the beach-roots market of the past few years, and too new to be played on oldtime hits stations, this single may very well fall between the cracks, but fans of classic songwriting will be rewarded for grabbing a torch and searching it out.” “This single heralds the third album from petite phenomenon Mia Dyson…People Will Turn On You thumps with the steady guitars of blues rock and horns of classic Motown; Mia climbing slowly to the peaks of the track with a very cool crew of doo-wopping backing vocalists under her wings. Slick an unhurried, it showcases a new songwriting confidence in a track that seems well-informed but genuinely fresh. If blues rock has a future in this country, she’s it.” “Mia Dyson’s voice is like a crushed silk sheet and the rhythm section is brilliant, as per usual. This new single will grow on you the more you listen”. “It’s all country shuffle and dirty licks on Ms. Dyson’s new single ‘People Will Turn On You’. It works well too, with Dyson’s raspy voice rounding it off nicely as the driving voice of her bitter tale. Even nicer are the soft “ooooh”s which pop up throughout this. If it’s your style then you’ll probably cream yourself, I’ll happily just bob my head and grin.” PEOPLE WILL TURN ON YOU – Single Tour Live Reviews “Mia Dyson; just the mention of her name puts a smile on my face. Before we get onto the music, let me fill you in on one of her greatest assets: her ability to cross-over all age groups and social standings, and cut a slice through all genres of music. It does not matter what style you prefer, you are bound to find enough in Mia’s music to keep you happy. We even have representatives from the local Nomads bikers in attendance…it is just too easy to like Mia Dyson. Stepping onstage with surprise guest guitarist Matt Walker, Mia is welcomed with a feeling of affection from the Cambridge crowd. Her music is honest and ever-changing, and tonight we get a sneak previous of some newly-penned songs. From country folk, dirty guitar rock, and onto a swing that is just too sexy for words, it appears so effortless. And when she slows the tempo right down, the eyes close, and you drift. Adding Matt Walker to the mix was a fruitful decision. Matt is a fine guitarist in his own right, and it was a joy to hear the slight country earthiness that they both possess, on one of the few occasions when they have teamed up. Quite simply, Mia Dyson is a true talent and a rising star of Australian music. If we are not careful, being able to see her this close and intimate will soon be a thing of the past.” STRUCK DOWN Album Reviews “Mia meets the big bad world but comes out with her sensitivity intact. Mia serves up a soulful blues/roots brew that, for the most part, simmers – suggestive of dreams lost and the endless process of ‘Paying Your Dues’. It lifts in intensity with the Black Crowes-ish ‘People Will Turn On You’ and ‘World’s On Fire’, where the frantic energy rises to boiling point. The sensitivity and passion in Mia’s stellar vocal and guitar performances outshines the often-times weighty subject matter, reminding us that not only is music an important vehicle for revealing the injustices of life but also a primary means for providing comfort from them. Everybody might be ‘Going Down’, but it’s important to make sure we are goin’ down smilin’.” “Mia Dyson’s third album is a more mature and probably even better effort than Parking Lots, which won the 2005 ARIA award for best blues and roots album. As the title suggests, a melancholy Dyson is burdened by the world’s troubles. The songs are at a slower tempo, which allows her sultry voice to smolder and her evocative lyrics to wash over the listener. From the stunning opener, ‘Struck Down by the Open Road’ - featuring pedal steel from Garrett Costigan and backing from new rhythm section James Haselwood and Angus Diggs - Dyson has called on some of Melbourne’s finest roots musicians, including Matt Walker, whose graceful playing is all over the album. But as the listener is being lulled in, she unleashes her angriest song yet, ‘World’s on Fire’, before finishing with the stunning reconciliation song ‘This Country’, which ends with Dyson’s soulful refrain “Mend baby mend, heal child heal”. This sublime album will help her shake off the Lucinda Williams copycat tag and expose her to the larger audience that may only know her from her gigs supporting Eric Clapton or Bonnie Raitt.4/5” “The follow-up to her 2005 ARIA-award winning second album sees Mia Dyson continuing to explore blues and roots sounds in fine style. Again she’s paying heed to various shades of classic Americana from the delta to the dusty rural backblocks, but giving them an earthy Aussie twist. It’s most obvious in the one cover in these 10 songs, an aching but tender take on Little Feat’s ‘70s standard, Long Distance Love, shaped by a lovelorn, husky drawl that seems older than her age of 25 years. Those same aspects inform touching tracks like The Blue Sky, but even when Dyson rocks out a little, as in People Will Turn On You, she serves it up with a vintage feel which makes it come on like some lost classic. And then she kicks it up another notch in World’s On Fire (appropriately names Kapow when played in you PC). But though it has its share, for the most part, this isn’t about instant fireworks, it’s about smouldering, lingering feeling. The clear example of that here is closer This Country, a song that juxtaposes remembering our war dead and forgetting what was done to our first peoples here. Mia Dyson struck down? I think now. ****” “Praise can’t seem to be heaped high enough on Mia Dyson and her wonderfully smoky voice and guitar playing, but with her third album Struck Down, the 26-year-old Victorian also shows further advances in her songwriting abilities. The pervading slow-tempo that is found on many of these ten songs creates a fittingly reflective feel, which is demonstrated best on ‘Struck Down By The Open Road’, ‘With The Blue Sky’ and ‘The Driver’. But in saying that, some of the album’s best moments are found in the unbridled ‘Never Felt Young’ and ‘Worlds on Fire’, the latter being is a relentless five minutes in which Dyson fuses soul-searching lyrics with blistering guitar work. She then tones it down for slow burning closer ‘This Country’, which confronts our nation’s shamed history concerning the stolen generations. As lead single ‘People Will Turn On You’ indicated, Struck Down often finds Dyson in a rather pessimistic frame of mind, warning against people who are quick to pass judgment on others. Such pessimism is also found on ‘Heavy’ with telling lines such as ‘…people will want you to do just as they do’ and ‘…people will choose for you’. Struck Down solidifies the notion that Dyson is one of our leading female talents. 3.5/5” “For someone hailed as a guitar prodigy, there’s very little in the way of six string exhibitionism on Mia Dyson’s third album. And that’s a good thing. See, almost anyone can develop technical instrumental proficiency given enough time. Not everyone however can produce great songs. Fewer still can create great albums. The guitar solo on Dyson’s first single from Struck Down, ‘People Will Turn On You’, is a great example of how she employs her guitar to serve the songs on the album rather than using songs to showcase her playing; it’s an understated, well constructed collection of notes with plenty of tone and feel. Dyson has avoided any major label pressure to showcase her guitar playing and focused on her singing and songwriting. So, rather than the next female Stevie Ray Vaughan, she comes across as the next female Bob Dylan. Indeed, her raspy, drawled vocals are often reminiscent of Dylan’s (if a little more tuneful!). It’s a voice with the texture and substance of sticky date pudding and is equally irresistible. And the songs - swinging between locomotive rockers like ‘People Will Turn On You’ and Worlds On Fire (check out that crunchy peanut butter guitar tone!) to meandering bluesy country ballads like opening track ‘Struck Down By The Open Road’ (oh the weepy pedal steel of Garrett Costigan). Once you start making friends with these songs and they begin to reveal their more intimate details, it’s then that the subtlety and feel of Dyson’s guitar playing will strike you. That kind of playing is the mark of a truly talented musician.” ““I’ve never been young,” declares Dyson on her third album. It’d be an odd statement coming from a twenty-five-old if it wasn’t for that voice. Equal parts whiskey, gravel and smoke, its rough hewn quality belies her youth as it curls around the stories that drive the follow-up to 2005’s ARIA-winning album Parking Lots. As expected, she’s in no hurry, inching along on sparse, tender arrangements. No doubt her slow burning brand of country will prove too languid for some - indeed, at times the music is so subtle, it feels like she’s left the band in the car park. But she can let her hair down too, as tracks like first single “People Will Turn On You” and “Kapow” attest. Dyson’s winsome glimpse of Australiana may be an acquired taste in modern sense, but it’s still a rewarding one. 3.5/5” “The album’s title track adheres to the “less is more” philosophy of Dyson’s tour mate Bonnie Raitt and is a subtle exploration of the blues and one of many driving-themed songs here. A powerful moment comes in People Will Turn On You, inspired by the public’s to-ing and fro-ing in newspaper letters-to-the-editor columns. With The Blue Sky is a simple tale of life on the road. The Driver was inspired by Dyson sitting in a diner in Nowheresville, America, watching people and imagining where their lives were going after finishing their meals.” “Struck Down is a step in a different direction for Mia Dyson. As she moves away from gritty rock tunes to put the blues back into Aussie blues and roots, this album allows her undeniable skill as a songwriter and musician to quietly shine through. “Struck Down is the third album from ARIA award winner Mia Dyson, and her favourite so far. Cold Water and Parking Lots were traditionally blues based albums, while Struck Down is a little more country, melancholic, and less focused on genres. With a voice that lends itself to a much older owner and incredible guitar skills, she presents a new album about finding your place in the wide world and simultaneously getting lost in it.” “Mia Dyson is one of my favourite musicians. So naturally I had high expectations when her latest album landed on my desk. Fortunately for me, she doesn’t disappoint. Her unique and incredibly husky voice is mesmerizing and I particularly love People Will Turn On You. 4/5” ALBUM OF THE WEEK “The album’s title track adheres to the “less is more” philosophy of Dyson’s tour mate Bonnie Raitt and is a subtle exploration of the blues and one of many driving-themed songs here. A powerful moment comes in ‘People Will Turn On You’, inspired by the public’s to-ing and fro-ing in newspapers letters-to-the-editor columns. With The Blue Sky is a simple tale of life on the road. ‘The Driver’ was inspired by Dyson sitting at a diner in Nowheresville, America, watching people and imagining where their lives were going after they finished their meals. 3.5/5” “Victorian based singer, songwriter and guitarist Mia Dyson’s third album, Struck Down, follows recent national opening slots on Eric Clapton and Bonnie Raitt tours. It’s also the first to feature her new rhythm section, drummer Angus Diggs and bass player James Hasselwood. Along with guests such as Matt Walker (assorted guitars), Garrett Costigan (pedal steel) and Steve Grant on various horns. Struck Down opens in a rather low key fashion with ‘Struck Down By The Open Road’, which features Costigan along with Grant’s flugel horn. It also features a tasty yet subtle guitar break from Mia. ‘Heavy’ is another slow, bluesy offering while Jodi Moore’s viola gives ‘Never Felt Young’ a slight country folk feel. ‘With The Blue Sky’ features only Mia on vocals and acoustic guitar and Walker on dobro. ‘People Will Turn On You’, the album’s first single, will already be familiar to those who tune to triple J. It’s one of the album’s few up-tempo songs. ‘Long Distance Love’, perhaps, owes too much to Mia’s American west coast 70’s influences such as Raitt and Little Feat. ‘It’s No Crime’ gets things rocking, as does ‘World’s On Fire’, while the albums closing piece, ‘This Country’, features a military-style snare drum and deals with the stolen generation. I hate to say it, but it seems Mia is wearing her early influences too heavily on her sleeve and Struck Down, on first impressions at least, doesn’t seem quite as good as Parking Lots. Repeated listens, however, are likely to reveal more of Struck Down’s laid back charms. Initial pressings also come with a four-song limited edition bonus disc of acoustic demos of songs from all three Mia Dyson albums. Most notable of these is the five-minute acoustic version of ‘Parking Lots’ and the voice and piano-only demo of ‘Heavy’. ‘God damn I love this woman! She’s sassy. She’s husky. She writes music that makes you wanna hit the road and drink till you drown and on top of all this, she’s just damn hot! The release of her new album sees Dyson take a more mature approach to the sound that is so uniquely hers. One thing I dislike about blues musicians these days is their inability to just put raw emotion into their music. When you listen to Mia Dyson you get the feeling she’s just run with whatever it is she’s going through. No fancy trims. No bullshit. Just honest, gritty blues. Oh and she’s kindly added an acoustic home demo CD in the mix as well. Everybody, say it with me now, Mia Dyson Rules!” “Warm, gentle and occasionally bluesy, this easy listening album would be good for a rainy road trip. Mia Dyson’s unique, rasping voice is strangely reminiscent of Bob Dylan’s - every word seems strained and anguished. Struck Down is a slow, mellow meditation, the vague lyrics and repetitive accompaniment never developing into anything more. ‘Long Distance Love’ is heartfelt, but so sporadically orchestrated and slow that it goes on too long. ‘World’s on Fire’ is more driven, spiraling in a dizzy whirl - but the lyrics are incoherent in Dyson’s cat-scratch yowl. ‘Heavy’ opens out in a chorus of gospel-style declarations, but is probably more affecting heard live. ‘People Will Turn On You’ is a more funky tempo, made for soft rock radio stations. On ‘Never Felt Young’ Dyson groans like a geriatric, bemoaning in the husky tones of bitter experience, “Never felt young, never felt free/ that’s what I am, it’s been told to me.” The jagged viola and turbulent piano amplifying the delicate strumming of guitars. ‘This Country’ is a prayerful wish for reconciliation, the sustained brass and military drum beat appropriate in this elegy for civil rights, which contrasts the pride of Anzac commemorations with the more shameful elements of Australian history. The bonus CD features acoustic versions of the gorgeous ‘Lonely’, giving Dyson’s voice room and showcasing her talent on guitar; ‘The Driver’, with a rawness for more appropriate to her voice; ‘Parking Lots’ with its challenging rhythms; and ‘Heavy’ accompanied by subtle piano. This album would be a good soundtrack for a cinematic sunset, background music setting a nostalgic mood. Vocally, Dyson can really wail - but this music is so restrained she doesn’t do herself justice.” “Every now and then an artist comes along with something so natural, so much their own. Songs that are so pure and organic, they carve their own style. These musicians need not be lumped into easily defined genres. They cut their own path. There is a select group of these individuals who produce song after song and album after album of worthy material. Mia Dyson is one of these. Struck Down is Dyson’s third album, and, from the opening track ‘Struck Down By The Open Road’, it’s got her name written all over it. Subtle tremolo guitars and creeping pedal steel create the underbelly for Mia’s reaching voice. Sounding as worn, weary and fantastic as ever, she bemoans the pitfalls of open road travel. This is a theme that runs throughout. From the story of a hard working truckie to the tale of unfulfilled passion of ‘Long Distance Love’, Struck Down is filled with stories of being on the move. Mia tells these tales with an endearing fatigue. She has that voice that says ‘I have lived these songs.’ In the same way folk heroes Dylan and Young have done before her, Dyson makes you believe this is her life. Mia’s new band, and a few special guests, accompany her sleepy vocals perfectly. Tracks like ‘Heavy’ amble along with a dreamy easy. Rolling piano and lethargic guitars lag behind the beat like one of those pissed off, bored kids you see trudging after their parents at the supermarket. Not that her boys are lazy. When the picking needs picking up they pick it. ‘Never Felt Young’ kicks with a country punch; while album highlight, ‘World’s On Fire’, is a racy eight bar blues. With a stand out guitar solo that seems to channel Thurston Moore, Dyson and the band know how to scruff it up. This is one of the many great things about Stuck Down. While the laid back, somnolent songs are totally sublime there is always another dimension to keep you interested. Like single ‘People Will Turn On You’, this often comes in the form of a straighter blues number. But as straight as this album ever gets, there’s always an indefinable quality that holds it all together avoiding the cliché. If the nine band accompanied tracks aren’t testament enough to Mia Dyson’s talent then ‘With The Blue Sky’ is. Here she shines with nothing but her acoustic guitar and gravely voice. Again asking questions about travel, “any road might take me,” she gets all somber and back porch. Done with such ease, the sparse backing only highlights Mia’s distinct vocal style while laying testament to her song writing skills. As if all this isn’t good enough Struck Down comes with a limited edition bonus disc containing Mia’s acoustic home demos. Bless.” “Listening to Mia Dyson always make me want to buy an old red leather couch, wear second-hand boots and stay out ‘til dawn drinking whiskey. I’m not sure if it’s the husky voice, the maturity of her songs or if blues music just has that effect on people in general. Dyson is a fantastic musician. She has written (except for one), performed an co-produced all the songs on this album, supported by a strong team of musicians. What I like about Dyson is that she means what she sings; her voice breaks from soft and whispery into screaming frustration at the pain of long-distance love and heartache or people who are just downright mean, backed by her proficient blues guitar work.” ALBUM OF THE WEEK If Dyson was with a big label she’d be told to consolidate at this early point in her career. It’s to her credit, then, that instead she’s followed her heart to make an album that might take aback fans used to the energy on her last effort, Parking Lots. Struck Down is a subtle, delicately textured album that finds Dyson in reflective mode, with a deep blue hue that seems to have come partly from a lot of time looking out a bus window and the outsider status of a touring musician. Struck Down is a significant step forward for Dyson as a songwriter and arranger. Try the opener, Struck Down By The Open Road, for a lovely, country-tinged evocation of a road trip as an example of how subtly Dyson has learned to use her horns. Or Never Felt Young, which sets an existential despair and a kind of acceptance of the elusiveness of happiness (“the closer you look, the further from sight”) to jaunty, waltz-time acoustic guitars. Often the music is reduced to little more than just Dyson and an acoustic guitar, as on the sublime With The Blue Sky. The song begins with the sound of a running creek and evokes a picture of Dyson strumming her guitar on the porch of a house in the country while the sun rusts through the smoke of fires, “Head full of nothing”. New addition Matt Walker, and Australian blues legend, thickens the ambience with some exquisite dobro playing. And just so you know, Dyson can still rock out, as she does with abandon on what has to be the most cathartic song about the state of the world I’ve heard in a long time, World’s On Fire. Struck Down will challenge Dyson’s fans, but it’s a mature work from an artist who just seems to get better with each new album.” STRUCK DOWN Album Tour Live Reviews “After multi-instrumentalist Matt Walker (who is also one quarter of Mia Dyson’s band) had left the stage from opening the night, Ballarat’s Epicure re-introduced themselves to a half filled room. As front man Juan Alban and his fragile, breaking voice filled the Gaelic with an unlikely sense of intensity, the room began to fill and punters filed in to see Dyson in all her glory. Playing older tracks such as ‘Life Sentence’ and ‘Tightrope Walker’, along with new track ‘Landslide’, Epicure proved themselves once again. Perhaps not one of their strongest gigs, the anticipation to see Dyson in the flesh made every musical flaw redundant. As a leather jacket clad Mia Dyson took the stage with a leopard print bandana around her neck, the audience knew they were in for some serious sultry rock. Embracing Americana in all its fullness, Dyson’s four-piece band jammed along with this goddess of country/rock. With crowd favorites being the obvious radio friendly ‘Parking Lots’ from her sophomore release, along with tracks of the newly released Struck Down, the skinny rural Victorian was on top of her game. With a masterful version of ‘Never Felt Young’ and ‘People Will Turn On You’, Dyson has never looked so hot or sounded so damn good. Though I am an avid fan of Dyson and her brave album releases, after seeing her perform live, it is fair to say that no studio album will ever do justice to Mia’s huge voice and the devilish performer within. With her lap steel guitar and her electrifying riffs, Dyson owned the venue at a gig that doubled as an album launch for the independent artist. The most sensible next step is to take Dyson out of the pub and into the Enmore - as this songstress can most certainly fill any space you put her in. With a polite “thank you, folks” after every track, Mia was genuinely thankful to her fans, who are quite wholly responsible for Mia’s success, cramming themselves against the stage to see her in the flesh. Throwing off her jacket, revealing a green velvet waistcoat not dissimilar to one my grandmother would wear, Mia can take anything, no matter how outdated and make it sexy. With her unique brand of Americana meets Australian rock, this 20-something year old is so far ahead of her years it’s almost frightening. Supporting the likes of Bonnie Raitt and Eric Clapton on their Australian tours, she’s obviously doing a few things right. With an encore featuring one of the first major Triple J played singles, ‘Roll Me Out’, this gig sent punters out in a frenzy. Country, rock and blues- who would have thought?” “Mia Dyson elicited one of the best responses as her howling drawl quickly recovered the depleted crowd revealing her proficient guitar talent sometimes lacking in oft-modest women performers. As it became apparent, dancing was the gauge for audience appreciation at Wave Rock, and Dyson was on to a winner.” “I have often heard people say that white people don’t have soul, how unfortunate for them that they’ve never witnessed Aussie songstress Mia Dyson perform. Mia’s voice is both velvety and raw, making her so soulful, it’s like her words pour from the earth. Lucky for some that Mia is currently touring a new album Struck Down. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PEOPLE WILL TURN ON YOU Live Reviews Guitar heroes Bonnie Raitt and Eric Clapton (both of whom Dyson recently supported) could easily be imagined standing at stage left, listening with equal parts enjoyment and concern. Listening to soulful sounds pouring out of a woman too petite to contain them and reconsidering the decision to follow her on stage.” “After witnessing a refreshing, but topsy-turvy mixed down Epicure support just prior to Mia Dyson hitting the stage, I stopped to reflect the reasoning behind why the support acts are generally mixed at lower and weirder levels. Surely the main attraction has nothing to worry about – if they are last on the bill it’s for a reason as they’re the ones with the point to prove. So give the supports equal sound clarity opportunities and keep the fight fair. “But yes, we have all come to see Mia Dyson and finally (I’m talking 11.30 here – musicians may not have day jobs but the rest of us do) her tiny figure appears. The raw emotional energy that she brings is nothing short of what we’ve come to expect from this soulful little lady. Guitar riffs that make you wanna laugh til you cry or cry til you laugh persist throughout the set with Mia hiding nothing – musically or emotionally. Old tunes revive the memories of old fans while new songs initiate recent ones. Experimentation with guitar effects allows an openness in communication between band members, while the crowd is happy just to be a part of this musical journey. Overall, it’s a show with class written all over it.” “Mia Dyson; just the mention of her name puts a smile on my face. Before we get onto the music, let me fill you in on one of her greatest assets: her ability to cross-over all age groups and social standings, and cut a slice through all genres of music. It does not matter what style you prefer, you are bound to find enough in Mia’s music to keep you happy. We even have representatives from the local Nomads bikers in attendance…it is just too easy to like Mia Dyson. Stepping onstage with surprise guest guitarist Matt Walker, Mia is welcomed with a feeling of affection from the Cambridge crowd. Her music is honest and ever-changing, and tonight we get a sneak previous of some newly-penned songs. From country folk, dirty guitar rock, and onto a swing that is just too sexy for words, it appears so effortless. And when she slows the tempo right down, the eyes close, and you drift. Adding Matt Walker to the mix was a fruitful decision. Matt is a fine guitarist in his own right, and it was a joy to hear the slight country earthiness that they both possess, on one of the few occasions when they have teamed up. Quite simply, Mia Dyson is a true talent and a rising star of Australian music. If we are not careful, being able to see her this close and intimate will soon be a thing of the past.” PEOPLE WILL TURN ON YOU Single Reviews “While everyone else around her is embarrassing themselves by hanging onto the new rock revolution, or chasing the Wolfmother dollar, Mia Dyson remains as classy as ever – and People Will Turn On You is both as good as her “old” stuff and better. With each record she relaxes further into her voice and into her voice – not to mention her guitar-playing – and this makes me very excited about her upcoming third album.” “Mia Dyson projects a voice that sounds like it has been worn by the constant battering of scotch on the rocks and chain-smoking, all before the age of 25. And while her hoarse and affective croon sounds like it would emanate from the dark recesses of a smoky New York basement, instead it is carried on the sea breeze of Torquay, Victoria. Comparable to the likes of Lucinda Williams and Janis Joplin, Dyson’s sincere and gravelly vocals ride the rhythmic current of unassuming percussion and her own spirited guitar.” “It’s the most famous festival of all time, but have you ever actually looked at the list of acts that played at Woodstock? Sure, you’ve got your Hendrix, The Who, Sly & The Family Stone, Janis Joplin, Joe Cocker, Santana (pre-duets) – plenty whose reputations have maintained or probably even grown over the years. But there’s also a shitload of acts whose names haven’t held up so well over time. Quill? No idea. Bert Sommer? Could be a real dude, but who knows? Incredible String Band? Not even sure I want to know more there. With her earthy voice and her cruisy MOR roots floating through the speakers, Mia Dyson sounds not like a Victorian singer in her mid-20s, but like she could have been one of the early-arvo performers playing almost anonymously in the background of the Woodstock doco. People Will Turn On You is essentially ‘60s Dad rock, in the most flattering way possible, juggling its Doobiesque chorus and Joan Baez-like verses to create a song that sounds both timeless and entirely out of its time in 2007. Too smoothly produced to appeal to the beach-roots market of the past few years, and too new to be played on oldtime hits stations, this single may very well fall between the cracks, but fans of classic songwriting will be rewarded for grabbing a torch and searching it out.” “This single heralds the third album from petite phenomenon Mia Dyson…People Will Turn On You thumps with the steady guitars of blues rock and horns of classic Motown; Mia climbing slowly to the peaks of the track with a very cool crew of doo-wopping backing vocalists under her wings. Slick an unhurried, it showcases a new songwriting confidence in a track that seems well-informed but genuinely fresh. If blues rock has a future in this country, she’s it.” “Mia Dyson’s voice is like a crushed silk sheet and the rhythm section is brilliant, as per usual. This new single will grow on you the more you listen”. “Mia meets the big bad world but comes out with her sensitivity intact. Mia serves up a soulful blues/roots brew that, for the most part, simmers – suggestive of dreams lost and the endless process of ‘Paying Your Dues’. It lifts in intensity with the Black Crowes-ish ‘People Will Turn On You’ and ‘World’s On Fire’, where the frantic energy rises to boiling point. The sensitivity and passion in Mia’s stellar vocal and guitar performances outshines the often-times weighty subject matter, reminding us that not only is music an important vehicle for revealing the injustices of life but also a primary means for providing comfort from them. Everybody might be ‘Going Down’, but it’s important to make sure we are goin’ down smilin’.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ by Claire Stuchbery Date: 22 Aug 2007 Issue: Beat #1078 Mia Dyson well and truly cemented her place of one of Australia’s alt. country darlings with her ARIA award winning album, Parking Lots in 2005, the follow up to her 2003 debut, Cold Water. It’s been a busy couple of years since then with almost continual touring, some ventures into the USA, singing in the Broad group and the writing of her latest release, Struck Down. Some big leaps in Mia’s career have seen her mature as a musician and Struck Down bears the mark of an artist in revolution both musically and emotionally. In many ways Struck Down carries the same level of emotion that made Mia Dyson so appealing on Parking Lots and also live. Her raspy, blues-based voice is well versed in carrying the stories that draw in her fans. Struck Down is in many ways a more personal album than its predecessor, with less of the story based songs and more of a theme. “Struck Down is mainly ‘journey’ songs,” says Mia. She’s doing the rounds of the music industry today, dropping into the Beat office to chat about the new record looking as personable and enthusiastic as if it were her first interview of the day. “I’ve been on the road so much, so parts of the album are literally about journeys and some are more about the emotional things that can be a journey too, the things you learn and the realisations you have.” Having more or less grown up playing guitar with father, Jim Dyson, a well-known guitarist and guitar-maker, Mia always knew that she wanted to play music. “You spend a long time trying to just live as a musician,” she says, “and now that I am actually doing it, it took a bit for me to kind of realise that I am really living that life and that this is what I want to do as a career. And that has been a really affirming and scary thing to think, that yes, I really can make a career out of this and stop having as much self-doubt about it.” There’s probably a few things that have given her pointers to stop doubting herself as either an artist or personally. Namely, an ARIA Award, an American tour, a song on the soundtrack of feature film, Look Both Ways, supporting Eric Clapton and the support slot for one of her all-time idols, Bonnie Raitt…as mentioned, Mia’s accolades have been accumulating over the past couple of years. “Playing with Bonnie Raitt was amazing!” Mia recalls, “To get the opportunity to share the stage with someone you’ve admired so much was just incredible.” With her Dad standing side of stage it was a proud moment for everyone and a milestone worth noting in any artists schedule to play with one of your musical heroes given that Bonnie Raitt was the first concert Jim took Mia to as a 12 year old. Bonnie Raitt is amongst many of Mia’s American influences that drew her over to the States to tour. “It was really good to be able to go and see where so much of the music that I’ve loved and grown up with has come from,” Mia says, “And because of those influences my music carries a bit of that American style, rootsy sound so the audiences seemed to accept it well. My music fits in over there pretty well and there’s a lot of folk and country festivals to play.” With so many personal goals being accomplished on Mia’s journey, Struck Down also features some more literal songs like, Cars Fly By. “That song was written about being outside a petrol station in America where we had stopped for a break and to fill up on the tour and just watching all these cars driving past which got me thinking about how all the people in those cars are on their own journeys and going places and how sometimes you bump into people as your journeys go along and it might just be for five minutes or an hour or something and then that’s it. When you’re touring there are a lot of people like that, people that you play a show with that you might just meet for one night or whatever and we were doing a lot of that on the tour of America, so that song was really just about those little chance meetings of people going in and out of each other’s lives.” Then you’ve got the first single, People Will Turn on You which is a more reflective song about people’s expectations and some of Mia’s experiences in the music industry so far. Although she had quite some success with the first album, Mia has chosen to remain independent. “Just because I haven’t been offered anything that allows me to make as much per album as I can independently,” she reasons, “I’ve got a really good manager now and a good team in place, so with those people helping me I don’t really need to sign a major label deal.” One of the people in Mia’s team is Lloyd Barratt who has produced albums and the band she now plays with, Angus Diggs and James Haselwood. “It’s not like I just play up the front and they’re in the background,” Mia says, “they’re a really important part of the music and even more so on Struck Down.” She also collaborated with guest appearances for the first time with Matt Walker, Jodi Moore (Dirty Lucy), Carl Pannuzzo, Steve Grant and Garett Costigan (Tex, Don & Charlie) all making themselves heard amongst Mia’s songs. “I guess it was a bit of an experiment for me to get other people to come in and play on this album,” Mia says, “I had to let go of that control a little bit and some of the ideas that came out of doing that were really good.” Having returned to Australia, Mia again locked herself away with the band in a house in Lorne to write Struck Down, reflecting on the things she’d learnt on the road. The result is an album well suited to listening to in the car. “I spend a fair bit of time driving around on my own around country Victoria and I find it a really peaceful sort of time to listen to things and have ideas. I really enjoy just all the things you notice driving along when you’re not busy chatting away to someone else with you.” Not that Mia’s had much chance to drive alone in recent months. Having toured Australia to support the single release, People Will Turn On You in July, then shooting off to Europe to tour before heading back home for another round of the country to launch the new album, it’s been a busy couple of months in cars and on planes with her band. But Mia handles it like she’s been born into touring. And with her history and extensive touring since she was 19 years old, she more or less was. It’s been a gradual clime into the Australian psyche for Mia Dyson, but her heartfelt lyrics, emotive melodies, dynamic guitar playing and incredible vocal sound should make her a household name throughout Australia before her career is through. Struck Down features some of the best songs Mia feels she’s ever written and carries a level of maturity of an artist now confident in living out her dream as a musician. Struck Down is out on August 25. Catch Mia Dyson playing the Corner on Friday October 19. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Broad Tour Reviews "Mia Dyson is an amazing talent. She had a variety of guitars scattered around her, in the 1940s, substantiating Mia Dyson as a true blues and roots artist, and a master of her art.” Fasterlouder - The Broad Tour ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Rachel Surgeoner - ravemagazine.com.au Mia Dyson/Dirty Lucy/Liz Stringer - The Zoo Thurs June 1 It’s Thursday evening and the temperature is dropping, but Miss Mia Dyson pulls heart-strings and a 250 strong crowd. Maybe some heard the call of earthy-electro-bluesy-rock, others closet fans of the heel-and-toe polka who boot-scooted at the chance of seeing some banjo in the big smoke. First up is Liz Stringer, accompanied by her enchanting, dread-haired drumming comrade. Liz is like a howling belle of this great southern land, and clearly admired by Mia herself, later inviting Liz back to the stage at least twice during her set. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Contributed by Sarah Stanbridge - Hotsource Correspondent Mia Dyson Captivates at the Basement Don’t you love it when you have no plans to go out and at the last minute you venture into the night, unknowingly into one of the most memorable nights you will have in ages? The Basement is probably one of the best venues in Sydney for live music, smaller and more intimate you get a real sense of the exceptional musicians that grace its tiny stage. It’s only 8pm, but the room is packed, as we jostle for a spot on the outer rim, we settle into the perfect position, centre to the stage. Preparing to soak up the sensational sounds and atmosphere, my eyes roam the memorabilia - old pole posters remind me of the astounding history in this place. I’d only heard of Mia Dyson since she played the Byron Blues and Roots Festival, her rasping soulful voice and amazing song writing ability has seen her touring the east coast from a tender age, but this was the first time I had seen her live. Having been raised in country Victoria, she herself says this isolation meant she was not “exposed to any trends or fashion or commercialism. It was straight-up country living”, this truth in her music is very real and sends soundwaves to your soul. With a voice that soars and sighs, she captivates her audience. Simple compositions are given texture as she switches from electric to acoustic to lap and slide guitar. Even the most accomplished musicians can only admire how beautifully she composes and delivers her set. Liz Springer and her sidekick the dreadlocked drumming dynamo, were support, and were in no way playing second fiddle. Liz too has the same power and heartfelt delivery. She reminded me how much I missed my old Tracey Chapman albums for some reason, and I made a mental note to dig them out when I got home. Her husky voice and skill on the harmonica, guitar and banjo show how truly diverse and gifted she is as a musician. Perfectly comfortable onstage, giving us snippets of her thought process behind some of her songs - it was an awesomely intimate experience. I felt disappointed when I sensed her winding up. Thankfully she later joined forces with Mia onstage. When it was all over, saturated in artistic appreciation, and a little bit of beer, I felt such a feeling of elation that lasted into the following day. Even on a week night there is sensational live music to be had at the Basement. A measly $20 cover charge could not be better spent that in support of artists like this. Yeah you pay for the experience but your life is so much richer for it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Sun-Herald Entertainment Review Mia Dyson, The Basement Thursday 25th May WHERE does that voice come from? With a deep, gravelly howl from the depths of the delta - or more precisely Victorian surfie town Torquay - petite Mia Dyson croons and growls like a woman more than double her 25 years. Blasting into the blues'n'roots world with her debut album Cold Water, Dyson earned an ARIA nomination immediately. She has since won an Australasian Performing Right Association grant for her slick songwriting and an ARIA for best blues and roots album with her follow-up release, Parking Lots. She has the ability to woo an audience with her rosy-cheeked sincerity and barnyard, foot-stomping jams and is garnering a solid following from festival gigs and national tours. Not only is her voice astounding, but Dyson plays a mean guitar. She glides from electric to lap steel with ease and when she invited her support act, Liz Stringer, on stage for some banjo strums and harmonica blasts, Dyson had the Basement crowd whooping. But it is that voice that steals the show. Opening with her latest single, I Meant Something To You Once, Dyson thrust the audience into a world of vulnerability and smoke-tinged rumbles. Her tribute to her late grandfather, No Other, was a tender touch and Lonely, a riotous howl. We can only imagine how a few years of blues festival booze-ups, smoky venues and tour shenanigans will enhance this songstress's powerful vocals. Already sounding bourbon-soaked and feisty, Dyson can only get better. Carly Hordern, 19, Surry Hills: I thought it was fabulous. I love her voice, it's fantastic. I'm into the Waifs and all that stuff and she's on their level. Roger Moore, 34, Cremorne: Terrific. I went there from word of mouth and because Monique Brumby raves about her on her website. I was surprised, I really enjoyed it. Sara Jones, 18, Hurlstone Park: It was great. I really loved Mia's voice, it's so gravelly and cool. I've got an album so I thought I'd check her out live. The banjo and harmonica were really cool. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Nick Higginbottom Review for Herald Sun June 2005 Parking Lots Album Launch - Live Review ONE of the most talked -about local singer-songwriters of recent times took to the stage with her two-piece backing band on Friday and validated all the hype. With an utterly captivating balance of naivete and confidence, Mia Dyson performed an impressive mix of songs , incorporating electric bluegrass, reflective avant garde ballads and John Lee Hooker-inspired guitar hooks on her more rock-out numbers. She is truly a master of the music she's created, which has myriad influences yet remains undeniably hers. An accomplished guitarist and a powerful singer, she is supported on stage by the sublime talents of Danny Farrugia on drums and Lucas Taranto on bass — two chop masters whoperformed with unrivalled restraint and beautiful colour, creating the perfect backing band for Dyson .Every s | |
