Brisbane band Good Will Remedy have released a glorious new album, Silver Lined, as the successor to their self-titled debut album. The album was recorded in Brisbane and features some luminaries of the local scene, including Danny Widdicombe. Good Will Remedy cite influences that include Tom Petty, Ryan Adams and the Black Crowes, although there is plenty of energy from illustrious Brisbane bands (such as The Go-Betweens all the way to Regurgitator) to be found in their sound.
To celebrate the album’s release, the track-by-track notes for the album can be read exclusively here – just click on the Soundcloud image to listen while you read …
1. Mondays Tunnel
A song about Mondayitis! – and the song that produced the album title – Silver Lined.
I travel the tunnels to work most days – and every Monday, that first entry into the tunnel can stir up a number of emotions!
The song is about that and the fact that on some Mondays something’s will just never be good enough and all you want to do is get the day done and dusted, and it’s a pretty good feeling when its done – Mondays Tunnel is the start of a 5-day journey.
The guitar intro is written by Dave and sets up the song, and for that matter the album, perfectly.
2. Johnny
One of the third person/story songs on the album – a style of writing that I have always been keen to challenge myself with, it’s a style that I have never really tried before – yet a load of my favourite songwriters use it a lot – it is definitely something I want to continue to work on and with…
The song idea came from a period where I seemed to be meeting people (some old friends) who were coming out the end of a relationship (or at least thinking about it!) and were openly wondering where they’re life had gone – so Johnny’s story is based around some of these real life examples – he is a guy who has lost his family and is wondering what the hell to do now.
We were lucky to have got Adam Connelly to lay some saxophone down – and it really works with the song and Adams performance is excellent – it took 3 months of false starts trying to get sax on this track – they’re busy peeps those sax players – but so worth the wait!
3. Piggy in the Middle
How does it feel to be stuck in the middle – watching the ball travel constantly over your head – never really playing – never getting your hands on the ball – yet you are made responsible for that ball – even though you never get to play with it – doesn’t seem fair does it?
The time comes when you need to say enough is enough and make a change.
Piggy in the Middle is a song about frustration but a song about making a change and backing yourself (a bit of a recurring theme throughout the album)…..oh and about putting some daylight between you and a certain someone who is a lovely bunch of fellows! The song is real favourite live and was one of the first songs written for the new record.
4. Tomorrow We Run
Its about those days when you just want to lock the front door – put the keys back through the letterbox and just disappear – and the only decision to make is whether to turn left or right? …oh and to be sure to make the most of your final night before you leave!
The Middle 8 makes reference to big sky and this came from a conversation I had with an Indigenous guy one night – it was around Christmas time and we were chatting about holidays and the like, and he was explaining to me about this notion of finding your big sky and how he was due a trip away to go find some big sky – I just loved talking to him and this big sky theme provided me with all sorts of imagery and with his passion for searching for his big sky it provided me with some additional ideas as far as lyrics and story was concerned – sometimes you can connect with someone so quickly and just become so entranced in a discussion and this was one of these times…could have spent hours chatting to that guy…
5. Merry-go Round
This is about as political as we get.
I read somewhere that only 48% of the population voted in the US election – yet once the result was done and dusted there was a large majority up in arms with the winner! I mean – you had a chance to get involved and never did – so don’t complain when the outcome was not to your taste. Even in Australia we can be somewhat complacent about challenging – It is an Aussie thing I suppose to be pretty laid back; she’ll be right – but what if she isn’t right – wont be right and, never will be right until you stand up and do something? We allow too many chances and provide too much wiggle room for people, situations and behaviors – don’t accept it – challenge it – improve it!
Ok the soapbox is now back under bed – situation has now returned to normal. ….ish.
Brett Fowler plays up a storm on the Wurlitzer too…
6. My Angel
A song about coming home –…that special feeling that you can get when you are heading to meet that someone special after sometime apart – its about that tingly feeling….we all get it…
We were lucky enough to have Dan Mansfield play organ on almost all tracks – he is just a magician – and whilst its hard to pick a stand out as far as his parts go – this is a marginal favourite of mine
7. One Minute
Reassess priorities – just slow down for a minute and breath – spend time with a friend – get to know someone new; I think we can all be guilty of being too busy – in too much of a hurry – I mean its ok to take a spell and smell the roses from time to time…(note to self this is aimed at you too buddy!)
Both Dave and Mitch worked up the guitar harmony parts really quickly one night when we were having an acoustic rehearsal – they give the song a real Allman Brothers feel – and I’m ok with that!
…..bring back the guitar harmony I say! Oh and the repeat until fade..
8. Four Walls
Inspiration for this song came from songs like the Drive By Truckers track Sink Hole and Weddings Parties Anything’s A Tale They Won’t Believe – songs that for me create such great imagery…
The story follows a family man – forced to fight for his land, his family, his lively hood and his history – doing everything in his power to hold onto what he believes is his….but he goes too far and gets caught!
Its Country AND Western – both food groups!
We were really lucky to be able to get Danny Widdicomb to play pedal steel on this track and it works a treat.
9. Let It Roll
Don’t let the bastards win – take a chance, believe in yourself and roll with the punches.. What’s to lose? – If you never ask the answer will always be no – ask and the no becomes a maybe…I can work with a maybe!
10. One More Chance
A song written with Dave Newman – about not giving up on a good thing –begging for a second chance…. Because it’s worth it.
11. Big Pink
Righto – if there is an ounce of credibility left it will now be goorne – Big Pink is about a canoe – a surf ski type contraption…honestly.
I have a pink surf ski that just tends to cause trouble on the water – no matter where it is dropped in or used – the boat is a melon magnet…. One example was at Double Island Point – absolutely no one insight – myself and Big Pink enjoying some water time – we gently catch a wave back to shore – as we popped onto the top of the wave right there – below us in the water was the only surfer within cooee of the beach – one guy on the entire bloody coastline and there was Big Pink and I heading for his melon and surfboard – cue a last minute duck dive by fore mentioned surfer and all was good…Big Pink became a bit of a thing from that point and the song is about a bloody surf ski!! Death Ski – Ski-nado!
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