Freelance violinist, tenor guitarist, and all-round musical storyteller Carl Dickens is back at it, soaring high with his latest single Trial Balloon—a soul-stirring anthem that tips its hat to grit and perseverance.
Based in Victoria and once a journo, Dickens brings a lifelong love of language into the mix, weaving it seamlessly through his classically trained strings and a genre-hopping sound that touches everything from Celtic to pop, jazz to rock. The result? A tune that’s potent, playful, poetic—and unapologetically real.
Carl Dickens (trio)
- When: Sunday 4 May,
- Where: The Monastery, 49 Tanner St, Breakwater
- Tickets: here
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Trial Balloon isn’t just a song—it’s a mood. A reflection of personal upheaval, it wears its heart on its sleeve while still managing to keep things quirky, with a surrealist-inspired music video (think René Magritte meets indie dreamscape) directed by Jackson Hayat.
If you caught Dickens’ 2023 debut album Pith and Vinegar you’ll know this isn’t just a one-hit wonder situation. Trial Balloon is the first of several singles lined up for 2025, and it’s already shaping up to be another feather in his cap.
Dickens isn’t just the voice here—he’s the whole band, handling vocals, strings, guitars, and keys. Long-time collaborator Isaac Barter joins him on bass and drums, and also took the reins for mixing and mastering.
Whether you’re a fan of layered lyrics, lush instrumentation, or just looking for your next “on-repeat” track, Trial Balloon is well worth a listen. And with more music on the horizon, Carl Dickens is definitely one to keep an ear on.
