This year, Laura Jean hosts one-off screenings of a beautiful concert film for her new album 'Amateurs'.
Revered Sydney songwriter Laura Jean launches a beautiful concert film version of her acclaimed new album Amateurs with screenings in Melbourne, Sydney and Castlemaine, including a Q&A with Laura and director Jasmin Tarasin.
Across the summer of 2021-2022, Laura went into striking Sydney venue Phoenix Central Park to film a live version of Amateurs including a full band and string section.
Directed by the acclaimed Jasmin Tarasin, the beautifully shot 46min film includes introductions to each song by Laura, giving a deeper understanding of Amateurs’ poetic, engrossing world.
Laura Jean – Amateurs Concert Film Screenings
Tuesday, April 11, 8.30pm
Melbourne – Thornbury Picture House
Thursday, April 13, 8.30pm
Sydney – Our Golden Age
Sunday, June 4, 4.00pm
Castlemaine – Theatre Royal
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Her first record since the much-celebrated Devotion in 2018, Amateurs (released in November) is a stunning, string-laden album, set at a mystical midway point between the deep synth-pop of Devotion and the folkier sounds of Laura’s earlier work. The album features backing vocals from Aldous Harding and Marlon Williams on three songs (Teenager Again, Amateurs and Folk Festival).
Laura worked with producer Tim Bruniges on Gadigal Country around the long 2020-2021 lockdowns. Erkki Veltheim (Gurrumul, Archie Roach) arranged gorgeous strings for the album, which were recorded in Naarm/Melbourne by Devotion producer John Lee.
Amateurs is an album about anti-art and anti-intellectual culture in Australia (but applies equally to other parts of the world). It sees Laura questioning her role as a songwriter and examining the reality of her life choices. It is also a warmhearted, humorous and sonically breathtaking album.
“Amateurs means to do something for love, not money, and somehow it’s become a dirty word, shorthand for a failure,” says Laura. “These songs arise from my acceptance that I will always be an ‘amateur.’ At the same time, in making this record I was fuelled by a desire to create something inordinately luxurious and beautiful.”
2018 album Devotion had superlative reviews from Pitchfork, Gorilla Vs Bear and elsewhere, and made it into end of year lists for Spin, Idolator, Apple Music and more. Laura also acquired some high-profile fans such as Lorde and actor Brie Larson. She did two UK/Europe tours around that album with Courtney Barnett and Aldous Harding.
Laura has twice been shortlisted for the Australian Music Prize and has recorded with Adalita, Paul Kelly, The Drones, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Jenny Hval and Grand Salvo.
Laura Jean’s own back catalogue of Devotion (2018), Laura Jean (2014), A fool who’ll (2011), Eden Land (2008) and Our Swan Song (2006) place her as one of the premier Australian songwriters of this century. Amateurs is another powerful statement of that fact.
Find out more and purchase tickets here.
