DAVE'S DIARY - 21 SEPTEMBER 2005 - CAMILLE TE NAHU & STUART FRENCH
CAMILLE AND STUIE - NO MUSIC IS AN ISLAND
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She's
appeared on prestige Texas TV show Austin City Limits with Kasey Chambers
and also toured the U.S. with Sydney's famed Feral Swing Katz And she cut a self-titled indie solo album in 2002 and duet disc with singing spouse-guitarist Stuie French. So why is Polynesian Camille Te Nahu virtually unknown in her adoptive homeland Australia since arriving in 1999? Well, it's not just because she and French hail from large islands - New Zealand and Tasmania. |
You guessed
it - the couple are indie country artists and treated like kryptonite
by our commercial radio.
But they have followed in the slipstream of peers and used ABC and community
radio and Pay TV network CMC to launch their invasion.
The title and entree track of their album Not Without You (camilletenahu.com)
is the not so secret weapon for their lunge at success.
And for good reason - the tune penned by Wynyard born French and Emily
Taheny has an aural accessibility.
So does biographical Nahu-Kevin Bennett tune Maori Woman tracing Camille's
roots to idyllic New Zealand seaside town Gisborne and Ruru Karaitiana
penned finale Blue Smoke.
The singer impresses on a powerful version of Eliza Gilkyson tune Walk
Away From Love and mentor Audrey Auld Mezera single Love You Like
The Earth.
MERLE HAGGARD & CHET ATKINS
 Camille Te Nahu & Stuart French |
French,
who supported Merle Haggard on his 1996 Australian tour while with
Troy Cassar-Daley, also bares his influences. Ode To Roy and Chet is a tribute to Haggard's late guitarist Roy Nicholls who died @ 68 in 2001, and Chet Atkins. The couple even named their son Chet after late legend Atkins. Their revamp of Storms Never Last also eulogises the writers - Jessi Colter and late husband Waylon Jennings - and French tune Since You Walked Out The Door is a stone country weeper. One of the many disc virtues is its eclectic nature - the duo exudes humour on a duet on late Randy Vanwarmer swing tune Wives Don't Like Old Girlfriends and There'll Be Some Changes Made. |
Also effective
is rollicking Chain Me, whose writers include Danni Leigh and Monte
Warden, Mark Erelli's evocative My Love and Where Does A Little
Tear Come From.
It's wondrous to discover an unsung gem whose substance far exceeds much-hyped
one trick pony mainstream and alternacountry releases.
French produced it at his Swingin' Door studio with seasoned session pickers
adding tasty fiddle, dobro, accordion, organ and guitar.
The duo also made a video for the title track that aired on PAY TV show
CMC and Nu Country TV on C 31.
CAMILLE
AND KASEY
When Camille travelled across the Pacific Ocean to Sydney in 1999 she
landed the support on Kasey Chambers' The Captain tour as well as singing
backing vocals in Kasey's shows in Australia and the U.S.
By 2001, Camille was touring with Gina Jeffreys and Rick Price whilst
being one of the most in-demand session singers in the industry.
She performed on Kasey ARIA chart topping hit Not Pretty Enough
and sang backing vocals for multi-award winning artists, Troy Cassar-Daley,
Beccy Cole and Sara Storer.
STUIE - VAN DIEMEN'S LAND REFUGEE
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Stuart
French has been a long time member of the country music scene since
he first picked up a guitar in his hometown of Wynyard, Tasmania
at the age of nine. He toured with Troy Cassar-Daley for eight years and five years in Gina Jeffrey's band whilst dabbling in his other love of producing. |
In 2000,
Stuart started his own studio, Swingin' Doors.
He co-produced Felicity's New Shadow album and Camille's 12 track
self-titled disc as well as other independent artists in between touring
commitments.
Stuart's career highlight was jamming with his all-time hero Merle Haggard
in 1995 and 1996 both in the US and Australia when Merle was touring.