C.W. Stoneking

C.W. Stoneking has over the past 20 years become an Australian icon in the blues and roots scene. From his time playing on the Blues Train and busking in Melbourne, he has with each album release had incredible success throughout the world. Last year, he released his third album Gon’ Boogaloo, which received extensive airplay. He’s playing a few final shows in regional Victoria to wrap up the Australian tour before heading back to Europe and the US.
Although it took six years in the making, the final product of his third album is simply stunning. Recorded in just two days, with two microphones covering the whole band, the simplistic recording process – which pays homage to the old school recording methods of the ’50s and ’60s – gives the album a raw and honest feeling.
“I think that this album took so long because of writer’s block and being busy with other pursuits. The method that I take to writing songs is that I need a concentrated period to do it in which is becoming harder and harder to come by with my family and touring commitments,” he says.
Talking about the success of the record, when spending time at home, Stoneking doesn’t really see how big this album has become until he heads out on the road. “Unless I’m out talking to people, I don’t really see how big it is. I’ve seen a few of the reviews coming in and they have been good. It’s not really unless I am out on the road that I feel the true sense of how the album is going. It’s really nice that radio and media have got onside this time though.”
Recorded in regional Victoria in a recently new studio, the quick recording process with no overdubs or edits was always the intended idea. In turn, leading back to how the songs were written. “I never intended to produce this one as much. With Jungle Blues I was messing around with all these sounds and this time around I wanted to make a more straight up band record. We ended up doing it a lot more simply than I thought, yet it worked really well. For the time frame that the other musicians had, I think we came across with a really good sounding record.”
‘Get On The Floor’, the main single, is a simple rock and roll song that answers back to some of the criticism that is easily uploaded to the Internet these days. If you have heard the song, you will know that it is a simplistic upbeat tune that is easy to groove along to.
Throughout each of C.W.’s albums, the process to writing and recording has changed significantly. King Hokum, his debut record released in the mid 2000s, took a year to record due to financial limitations and calendar schedules of producers. Looking forward to the next record, Stoneking feels that he will be following on the process taken with Gon’ Boogaloo. Having started to write the new album already, under six months after the release, it might be a little bit of time before we hear new material.
“It might be a while yet before I bring out another album. I started writing the other day and am headed overseas again for some time. Come out to the show in Castlemaine and see the band in full flight whilst you can.”
When&Where: The Substation, Newport – February 27, Theatre Royal, Castlemaine – February 28 & Memo, Healesville – March 1
By Tex Miller