THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “ARIA Hall of Fame member and revered multi-platinum singer-songwriter Kasey Chambers takes the concept of words and music to a new level with a pair of complementary releases in different media: The album Backbone (The Desert Child) and the companion memoir Just Don’t Be A Dickhead… And Other Profound Things I Have Learned.
Never one to shy away from home truths, introspective storytelling and unfiltered honesty, Chambers’ distinctive brand of writing weaves through both the musically versatile Backbone and the thematically versatile Just Don’t Be A Dickhead. Pressing play on the self-produced Backbone will take listeners on a journey through not only where Chambers has been over the years, but where she’s at right now.
Chambers enlisted some of the usual suspects to play on Backbone — her dad and guitarist Bill Chambers, her guitarist Brandon Dodd and longtime bassist Jeff McCormack. In a surprise twist, two first-timers also joined the fold in the studio: Guitarist Sam Teskey (Teskey Brothers), and acclaimed drummer Brady Blade (Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Dave Matthews).
“Good and bad, this album is who I am,” she says. “I worked with my favourite musicians, and I sang about every beautiful, joyous, embarrassing and tough thing I’ve gone through. Everything that’s gone into making me this person. Even before anyone has heard this album or read the book, I feel like I’ve achieved something special.”
Of the cheekily titled tome, she says: “The book is a collection of stories and experiences from my life that I’ve learnt from over the years. Some from humorous, embarrassing moments, some from deep, heartfelt memories that taught me unlikely things to consistently draw on along the way.”
The book captures at her most heartfelt and honest. From her childhood in the Australian outback to the heights of her international success as a singer-songwriter, Kasey has trusted her gut, stuck to her values and learned some hard truths, always while trying to live by the best advice she’s ever received. “I am so keen (and a little bit scared) to share these two real and honest representations of my creative soul, along with the inspiration I’ve found in unexpected places throughout my unique life,” she says.
Chambers is an Australian country music artist whose distinctive voice, heart-felt lyrics and world-class performances have earned her the rightful position of one of the most popular and acclaimed artists of her generation at home, whilst winning a devoted cult following around the rest of the world. Hailed for bringing Australian country music into the mainstream, she has won 14 ARIAs, 24 CMAA Golden Guitars and 10 APRA songwriting awards, while her 12 albums have earned platinum awards, with five reaching No. 1 in addition to her No. 1 single Not Pretty Enough.
In 2018, her exceptional career was honoured when she was the youngest female ever to be inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame. With a career spanning over 25 years, Chambers continues to inspire with her trademark authenticity and unwavering commitment to her craft.”
