CHRIS CAVILL & THE LONG WEEKEND
Chris Cavill and his band, The Long Weekend have been united by a passion for producing quality music inspired by life experience. Each of their songs, written by Chris and arranged by the band, aims to restore a sense of optimism and positive energy in their audience, that is too often missing in society these days.
Chris’ solo career began back in 2006 with the release of his debut EP, “First Impressionsâ€. From here the singer/songwriter set new limits and released his first live solo record in 2007, following an inspirational 3-month journey around Australia. Soon after, Chris discovered the amazing talents of Alena Schneider who brought her African-influenced percussion into the mix.
Alena Schneider hails from Barooga, NSW, and her desire to learn authentic African percussion saw her embark on two extended tours of Ghana, where she was able to immerse herself in African Culture, playing and studying with members of some of Africa’s top cultural ensembles, the renowned ‘Salaka’ and the ‘Kusun Ensemble’. The influence that these trips have had on Alena’s musical direction is obvious to all who have seen her perform.
After only six months of performing together, the duo went on to release Chris’ third EP “Clara’s Storyâ€, in front of a jam-packed Northcote Social Club. It was clear Chris and Alena’s popularity was growing, and they achieved unprecedented success with shows at the 2007 Queenscliff Music Festival and a tour-filled summer heading into 2008. The hefty touring schedule continued, with return trips to Tasmania, Adelaide and the East Coast, allowing Chris to share his passion for music with a wide and varied audience. In recognition of his hard work, Chris has now sold over 1300 records and has received numerous amounts of airplay on Triple J’s renowned ‘Roots N All’ program, as well as local radio institutions such as Melbourne’s Triple R and PBS FM.
In the second half of 2008 ‘The Long Weekend’ was born, providing a talented rhythm section to support the already powerful combination of Chris’ vocals and guitar and Alena’s percussion.
Lucas Taranto was warmly welcomed on bass. Over the years Lucas’ talent and his professionalism has earned him the right to play alongside many successful Australian artists including Mia Dyson (with whom he recorded the aria-award winning album “Parking Lotsâ€), Gotye and Pete Murray.
And so was Johnny “Hooves†Clayton, a drum and bass producer, DJ and accomplished drummer, originally hailing from Christchurch, New Zealand. As well as being a mighty fine drummer, John has also taken on a production role for the band, currently co-producing their debut album. John’s playing has seen him “hoovering†around the vibrant Melbourne musical scene for over 6 years having played in bands such as The Red Eyes and the Josh Owen Band.
Chris is thrilled to be able to welcome such talented musicians to The Long Weekend and is excited to offer the first instalment from the band, their debut single ‘Monday Train’.
Stay tuned for more from Chris Cavill & The Long Weekend, with the album due to be released in July 2009.
WHAT THE PEOPLE ARE SAYING...
“Music to restore optimism†– Sunraysia Daily, Mildura
“A genuine voice…with a stage presense of a seasoned campaigner†– www.fasterlouder.com.au
“The vocals and instrumentals are just fantastic. If this cd doesn’t sell extremely well then something is wrong with the punters†– Wendy Rudin, Spirit FM
For gig bookings please write to [email protected]
For all media enquiries please write to [email protected]
Cheers!
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