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"...It's a surprisingly good collection from a real new talent and in ten years time we might all be going around pretending we bought it when it came out..." -David Quantick, Q Magazine London, reviewing "SONGS ABOUT LOVE, DRUGS, FAME AND SUPERMARKETS".
"This second release from..Spurling..takes the promise shown on his debut one step further. The feel is somewhere between the wistfulness of Crowded House and the down home feel of wilco, with the best tracks featuring little other than Spurling's brilliant voice and guitar..."
Juice Magazine, reviewing 'LEON SPURLING'
Alice Springs has always been a place that stimulates the imagination of the world's city bound dreamers. It is also a place that has inspired Alice Springs performer Leon Spurling to write his compelling and somtimes perverse observations about love, drugs, fame and supermarkets.
A lot of people can relate to leon and he has proved immensely popular in the N.T. Over recent years Leon has performed with just the accompaniment of his acoustic guitar. Working solo he has supported the JOHN BUTLER TRIO in Darwin, CHRISTINE ANU, SPIDERBAIT, DAVID BRIDIE, HILLTOP HOODS, MAGIC DIRT, DARREN HANLON, HOLLY THROSBY and PETE MURRAY among others.
Leon began his musical journey with 'SICKNESS', a death metal band he formed with a mate. After signing with Sydney based Vampire Records the band split up. Soon After leon began his career as a solo artist by releasing two EP's, 'highEST EMOTIONAL LEVEL' (Jan '95) and 'SMALL TOWN SYNDROME' (March '96). These sold extremely well in his hometown. His Debut CD 'SONGS ABOUT LOVE, DRUGS, FAME AND SUPERMARKETS' (Dec '96) did remarkably well with no help from mainstream media. It was recorded very simply, with leon doing a solo acoustic set directly to tape. The result was a dry and brutally honest CD with no frills - but plenty of emotion and charisma.
In January 2000 Leon released his second CD 'LEON SPURLING'. Both CD's gained excellent reviews throughout Australia and overseas and gained considerable radio airplay throughout the Northern Territory. In November 2001 Leon won the best emerging act in the Northern Territory, an award voted by the general public on the Internet during Australia Music Week. His song 'WISH I'D NEVER MET YOU' was included on the 'Unaustralian' CD around the same time. The CD includes artists such as Alex LLoyd, Jimmy Little and Somthing for Kate.
With the help of Leon's father, Fred, who plays his sons music in his taxi and then sells his customers a copy, both CD's and tapes combined have sold over 4000 copies, to people all around the world.
Leon has finsished his next EP, 'SONGS FOR THE LONELY & THE UNLOVED', Due for release July 2009.