2020 and 2021 left many Melbourne musicians playing alone in the burrow of the longest lockdown in the world, though co-habitant musicians Alison Ferrier and Jeff Lang soon realised they had another option – “Wanna make a record?” one of them stammered, and High Ace was born.
As a wife and husband team, High Ace is imbibed with a rare synergy and they quickly discovered a unique and magical song-writing method: deciphering strange incantations played in reverse, and what the unusual, twisting cadences of those vocalisations were telling them.
This radical departure in the song-writing process was prompted when Ali & Jeff’s kids used the ‘reverse’ function on a family video rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’, suddenly one of the most recognisable melodies in the world became strange and other worldly.
Jeff explains further; “Oftentimes one of us could hear a sentence implied where the other could not. After we’d written down what we each had decoded from the backwards improvised recordings, we’d listen again to see if we could fill in the gaps. There’d usually be a kind of thrust to the lyrics that we could follow, even though what we were transcribing wasn’t actually in any real language.”
The first sampling of this wonderfully unique writing process is the debut single ‘Where, Where, Where’, set to be released today.
‘Where, Where, Where’ is a fusion of contemporary storytelling against a foundation of guitar-led folk and stringed global ethno-influences, that sees Alison and Jeff singing in harmony, yet still offering their individual styles room to flourish.
About Alison Ferrier
London born and raised singer/songwriter/guitarist/violinist Alison Ferrier has released three solo albums and most recently has been touring and releasing music with the highly regarded Opelousas, alongside Kerri Simpson and Anthony Shortte. Their debut album ‘Opelousified’ won Music Victoria Best Blues Album of the year.
About Jeff Lang
In a career spanning over 30 years and many stylistic twists, Jeff Lang has won three ARIAs, collaborated with countless artists including Malian Kora virtuoso Mamadou Diabate and Tabla maestro Bobby Singh in Djan Djan. He’s toured the UK, US and Europe multiple times and played extensively in Asia, including appearances in major festivals in Japan, China and India. In 2021, Jeff published his first book – “Some Memories Never Die” – a fascinating and funny memoir of his life on the road.
Where, where, where to see High Ace performing:
WOMADelaide, Adelaide Saturday, March 12- Tickets: www.womadelaide.com.au
National Folk Festival, Canberra, April 15 & 16 – Tickets: www.folkfestival.org.au
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