THE Settlement has had a few line-up alterations, a name change, and an evolving sound, but 2017 looks like being the year it all pays off.
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The core Hamilton-based trio of Adrian Calvano (guitar, vocals), Matt Pitman (fiddle) and Shane Baker (bass) remain from the group’s Buddha In A Chocolate Box days, but since combining with Melbourne-based members Harry Pettit (drummer) and Jimmy Doheny (guitar) they’ve seen the band grow in stature and refine its music.
Calvano said a new album called Stand In The Middle, due in mid-February, had been in the can for 16 months, but he and his bandmates were keen for it to be as successful as possible.
“We shopped it around for about four months, trying to hit the industry up and find someone to work with us,” the frontman said.
“In the past, if you drop an EP and you don’t have a good plan in place, two months later you’re sitting around saying ‘what are we going to do now?’.”
The Settlement’s search led them to Footstomp Music’s Graham Ashton, who has worked with Busby Marou, The Medics, and Thelma Plum. It will be Ashton steering them through the album’s release and the hopefully hectic 2017.
“We’re hoping to get a showcase at Canadian Music Week … and do some shows in the States,” Calvano said.
“That’s the plan, fingers crossed, for April.”
Before that is a national tour which will see them return to Queensland and New South Wales, plus another single to be released (the track Clean Trouble is due out in February), and festival slots at Music In The Vines and the Grampians Music Festival.
This all follows the first taste of the album, the single She’s Alright, which came with a colourful film clip that has had over 3000 plays on YouTube.
It’s all in aid of The Settlement’s debut album Stand In The Middle – a record Calvano is fiercely proud of.
“I think the production ... hopefully it will be a surprise to people,” he said.
“It’s the best thing we’ve done.”
The long gap between finishing the record and releasing it means a lot of the tracks have already been played live and received a thumbs up from fans who have come to see them play.
“In the Buddha (In A Chocolate Box) days, it was all covers – we were learning our chops,” Calvano said.
“It was heavily ‘fiddle-dee-dee potatoes’ with the fiddle stuff and we wanted to get away from that sound a bit, away from the Irish reels. I think we became a bit heavier, rockier, (turned) more into Australian rock.
“Adding another electric guitar helped with that. The album is done in that vibe.”
Calvano said the recent addition of Doheny had given the band an edgier live sound.
“Jimmy’s guitar playing adds a bit of Americana stuff, so it’s a bit of a battle between that and me trying to keep it Aussie and raw,” he said.
The Settlement play at The Loft in Warrnambool on Friday night with support from Gullies and Stoney Rises.