You’ve heard breakup albums before, right?

 

Maybe you’ve heard fifty of them. Many of your favourite (and least favourite) records were born out of heartbreak, drenched in tears, punctuated with fury and occasionally resolved with acceptance. It’s a comforting journey - the romance is idealised, the callous, lover demonised and the hurt party ultimately vindicated by our sympathetic ears.

 

Not for the faint-of-heart, the record plots the lifespan of a fiery coupling from the start, through the finish, to the aftermath. But despite the fire, the songs are decidedly adult - tackling the complexities and messiness of grown-up attraction and separation.

 

THE PLEASURES are fronted by renowned singer-songwriter Catherine Britt - a mother, breast cancer survivor, multi-Golden Guitar winner, multi-ARIA nominee and youngest ever Australian Grand Old Opry performer and Melbourne's Lachlan Bryan - modern day troubadour, songwriter's songwriter, Golden Guitar winner and consummate story-teller. Together they bring all of their experience and humanity to the band - as well as two of the most authentic and character-filled voices you'll hear this or any other year. Friends for a decade now, bandmates for just on a year, they united over their shared upbringing on Hank Williams, Townes Van Zandt and Emmy-Lou Harris, and their shared love of the unconventional show business life.With Damian Cafarella (bass) and Brad Bergen (drums).

 

The Pleasures produce a sound that is raucous, dirty and blues-inspired (occasionally interrupted by delicate moments of sublime country-folk), whilst the lyrics leap from bold and bawdy to heartfelt and insightful. They might get called a country band, but there's as much Jack White influence here as there is George Jones (in fact there’s plenty of both), alongside the plethora of mythologised girl-boy country acts with whom they will inevitably draw comparison.If The Beginning of the End resonates as the truth, it’s because that’s what this is - real life delivered with sass and swagger by a woman and man who’ve been there, done it, then gone and done it again.
 

With support from RILEY CATHERALL.

Riley Catherall is a Singer-Songwriter based in Melbourne whose graceful trajectory into the Australian Alt-Country Music world has not gone unnoticed. Riley has built a credible status as a one of the country’s most promising songwriters through his poetic sincerity and alluring live shows.