In celebration of Leonard Cohen’s 86th birthday, Melbourne-based singer, composer Cam Giles has released a new album, “Darker – Songs from Leonard Cohen.” Launched in September on Ambition Records via Sony Music, Cam’s new album contains 16 classic Cohen songs including some of his most celebrated compositions and some that veer a little off that well trod path to a road less traveled by explorers of the Cohen Canon.
Australian Musician’s Greg Phillips sat down with Cam via Zoom to discuss the making of the album
Last year Cam was approached by a promoter after one of his INXS JAZZ shows to see if he would be interested in doing a Leonard Cohen show. At the time he thought nothing of it but says, “I was intrigued to check out more of Mr Cohen’s work. I knew he’d done the great songs that we all know, Hallelujah, Suzanne, etc. A random flick through Leonard’s albums found so many songs that I was in love with in an instant. It was all there. The darkness, the loneliness, the loss, the love and the humour. There is so much to draw from Leonard’s music, books, poetry and his drawings. It takes a lot a sacrifice to live a life devoted to art. So much depth and courage. Funny how it always seems to be, the music finds you.”
Driven to record these songs, Cam worked like a man possessed, spending over six months in the studio non-stop. throwing out the rule book and doing what each song needed for his interpretations. Some came out darker and some more pop driven – with translations and transitions along the way.
The fruits of his labour are contained in the 16 tracks of this superb new album, which is essentially a love letter to the writer of the greatest songs of all time.
Cam said, “And he was so right, there is a crack in everything and that’s how the light gets in.”
Cam Giles & his band:
Damon Grant : saxophone and electric horns.
Lance Sua : guitar.
Cam Giles : vocals, piano, keys, all production.
Gavin Pearce : bass.
Ryan Menezes : drums and percussion.
Cam Giles – D A R K E R – The Songs Of Leonard Cohen – Album Equipment list
2 X Presonus ADL 600 stereo
2 X Avalon VT 737 mono
2 X Golden Age Pre 73 mono
1 X Presonus ADL 700 mono
1 x Giles Audio VMP – C2 mono ( Cams vocal only )
1 x JML Audio TG 500 mono
1 x Lindell 6X500 mono
1 x Sebatron VMP – 2000eVU stereo
1 x MGP 12 Yamaha 12 Channel mixer
1 x Mackie VLZ 4 channel mixer
1 x Warm Audio Stereo Buss Compressor
1 x Klark Teknik KT2A Compressor mono
1 x Focusrite ISA One mono
1 x RME Fireface 802
1 x Babyface Pro
1 x Radial JD48 DI
1 x Presonus ADAT Digimax FS 8 channel
1 x Behringer ADAT ADA 800 8 channel
1 x Protools HDX card
1 x Protools AVID OMNI Interface
2 x Universal Audio PCIe cards
1 x Yamaha Keyboard P250 88 keys weighted
1 x 64 Fender Jazz Bass,
1 x 64 Fender Pression Bass
2 x SIRE Jazz bass
1 x Hagstrom SG Guitar
1 x Acoustic Fender Guitar
1 x Fender Telecaster
1 x Fender Strat
1 x Horns, tenor, Alto, fluts,
1 x Yamaha Ewi WX 11
1 x Beesneez Arabella U47 ( Cams Vocal Only )
1 x Beesneez C12
2 x Advanced Audio CM67se
2 x Rode M5
2 x Rode NTK
2 x Shure SM58
1 x Oktava 319
1 x Telefunken M80
1 x Sennheiser E956
1 x Sennheiser E945
2 x Sennheiser 416
1 x Rode K2
2 x Rode NT3
1 x Studio Projects T3
1 x Sennheiser E902
SOFTWARE:
Cubase Pro
Protools HDX
Presonus Studio One
Universal Audio
Waves
Spectralsonics Omnisphere, Keyscape, RMX , Trillion.
Synthogy Ivory, etc
MONITORING:
Yamaha NS10
Yamaha HS 5
Quested VS 2108
Mackie HR 824
KRK 10 SUB
QSC K12 PA
Yamaha MS 5