A Country Practice exemplify an archetypal antipodean sound: unabashed Australian accents mixed with a detailed eye for the minutiae of everyday life, bursting ripe with a poignancy and sense of place. We are very honoured to be able to premiere the exquisite video for the track ‘The Longest Drought’ from the band’s debut album ‘I will leave this town while there’s still light’, released last year.
‘The Longest Drought’ perfectly captures a sense of yearning mixed with apprehension – the frightening consequence of drought in a dry and arid landscape that typifies outback Australia, mixed with a sense of pride and resilience. The ability to capture and reflect the sunburned dry land and the fragility of human existence shines through in this song with its raw depiction of struggle in an uniquely Australian context. The unadorned diction and earnest delivery gives a sense of veracity.
The video tells a simple story of a struggling elderly couple dealing with the vicissitudes of life surviving in the dry land: it is heartbreakingly raw with its super eight bleached out colours and hints of the battle not only against the elements but the encroaching world of the city. Drummer and vocalist Kelly says:
Growing up, drought was the norm. We filmed this between lockdowns, and the land was
just like what we knew growing up in the Lockyer Valley. Back then, the landscape was always a pale yellow. The dry was engulfing – the air hummed with heat, punctuated by crickets and cicadas.
Filmed by the band on brothers Andy and Joel’s parents’ rural property on Yuggera Country in South East Queensland, the clip features the parents wandering the farm during an extended dry spell.
The scene of the couple playing in the empty bath adds a dash of dark humour: a heart achingly beautiful moment of levity amongst the bleakness:
This is a raw and visceral, beautiful and moving portraiture.
‘I will leave this town while there’s still light’ is a collection of sparkling, unassuming gems reflecting the Australian landscapes and observations on the human condition. It is available through all the usual streaming and download sites and through the link below:
A Country Practice will be launching the album following a series of CVOID-induced delays on 4 March 2022 – see details below and get tickets here. Further gigs are also planned as follows:
April 23rd
Brisbane / Yuggera Country
The Junk Bar
With Bonnie Songs
April 30th
Canberra / Ngunnawal Country
Ainslie & Gorman Arts Centre
With s.wells
Tickets here.
