From the apple-growing industry of Huon Valley in Tasmania, where they have lived for the last ten years, raising a family and finding their voices, Tiffany Eckhardt and partner in music and life, Dave Steel have finally come home.
Settled into South West Victoria, the songwriters recently made the move following in the footsteps of their children as they started flying the coop with sights set on the big smoke of Melbourne.
“I had been very homesick basically since we left Victoria, so I was really happy to come home. I really missed my friends and family, and the country too; the familiar trees, and light and the smell of the ocean here. I feel like it’s the right ecosystem for me or something. I’m so happy when I wake up every morning to the sound of magpies – there were none around where we lived in the Huon Valley,” explains Eckhardt.
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The transition comes at a pivotal time for the couple as a family but also for their songwriting careers. Tiffany Eckhardt has just released her new album Starry Stuff whilst Dave Steel returns to music releasing his first solo album in 20 years titled Wooden Music.
Starry Stuff saw Eckhardt record live across two days in an old apple shed-turned-studio Rolling on the River Studio on the Huon River with Jed Pickett. It’s an album that features Louis Gill on bass, Ross Smithard on fiddle, Matt Boden on piano, and Jeremy Marcotte on drums. It wouldn’t be complete without the life-long collaboration of Dave Steel taking on both guitars and mixing duties.
“It was the most amazing recording experience I’ve ever had, doing it all live over a weekend like that. We tweaked arrangements before each take and somehow managed to get it all recorded by 7pm Sunday night. I felt very honoured to have such amazing humans playing these songs, it was a very special musical collaboration, and I think it comes through on the album,” explains Eckhardt.
The couple’s collaboration is one of dreams where a deep mutual understanding exists already and flourishes in the music setting.
“Dave has had a huge impact on my music. I was originally a big fan of his when he put out ‘Old Salt Blues’ in the early 90’s. Dave’s roots/blues vibe is quite different from my more folky approach. So I guess we have kind of blended the two sounds in the music we play together. He’s a talented audio technician and producer and multi-instrumentalist so we’ve been able to make albums in the home studio, so I’ve continued to make albums every few years whenever I’ve got enough songs for an album,” she says.
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“It’s wonderful having a partner who understands how it is to be an artist and all the things which go along with that. We give each other feedback during the songwriting process and work together well in the studio where it’s great to have an extra pair of ears – it can get pretty confusing – especially during the mixing process. We’ve been together for over 20 years so we understand each other pretty well. It’s a great working partnership.”
The favour is returned as Eckhardt appears on Wooden Music. Also sharing bass beast Louis Gill and violin virtuoso Ross Smithard, Wooden Music is the culmination of 20 years of skill development in the audio department and playing contribution to other bands, working as a tutor for many years, being reminded of the possibilities that present from simply jamming, a reminder of time-lost and overwhelming encouragement from Eckhardt.
“I did a lot of small acoustic shows in Tasmania with the remarkable Ross Smithard playing blues and folk and my own songs. We never rehearsed, and Ross is uncannily able to read my mind and to understand my sensibility. Playing with him reminded me of the possibilities of the joy and freedom of improvisation. He also introduced Tiff and I to Louis Gill the master bassist and I got this idea in my head,” explains Steel.
“These recordings were in some sense accidental, we (Ross, Louis and I) were booked into Jed Pickett’s studio and I recorded a rehearsal just roughly without paying a lot of (technical) attention. When I listened back to the recordings I realised we had done it!”
The result is a time capsule of tracks, capturing the past, the present and the future.
“Many of these new songs are like little polaroid’s – freeze frame moments- leaving home for Hobart in the early morning winter dark (‘Woodsmoke’), watching the Sickle Moon at 3am through the kitchen window (‘Sickle Moon’). And of course there’s some reflection involved. It’s inevitable, I think, at this age to look back more than forward. I have an increasing awareness of mortality!”
Both Eckhardt and Steel’s return has been welcomed with open arms, selling out shows at Geelong’s Cafe Door and The Birregurra Hall.
We’re sure to see more of their music around the region in coming months. Keep up to date with their music journey’s here.
