After more than a decade on the music scene, and with an international following, three albums, and four ARIA Awards, the Teskey Brothers‘ mesmerising guitarist Sam Teskey is going solo, detailing his new record, single, and tour today.
Having first formed the Teskey Brothers back in 2008 with his brother Josh alongside bassist Brendon Love and drummer Liam Gough, Sam Teskey has slowly become one of the most renowned performers in the local music scene. Now, he’s going it alone, with debut solo album Cycles set to arrive this October.
Described as a “cosmic journey, from sprawling, orchestral balladry to dissonant, ambient soundscapes, from folk to heavy psych-rock freak outs”, there’s no doubting the fact that Teskey has created something truly unique with Cycles, something that is proven with the record’s lead single, “Love”. Fittingly, “Then Love Returns” – a reprise of the track – closes out the record.
“Cycles. That’s the concept of the album for me,” Teskey explains. “It just loops around in that sense. It could be a life cycle. Or a year. Or a day. At the start you can see the sunrise and then it goes all the way around and you’re seeing the same sunrise. The whole movement of a cycle.”
A warm, soulful example of the folky, rock balladry that Teskey has a penchant for, the tune also comes accompanied by a lyric video which sees Sam playing Bob Dylan in reverse in a scenic homage to the classic “Subterranean Homesick Blues”.
Having originally recorded his solo album as a chance to showcase more of his own music inspired by the great English psychedelic bands of the late ’60s and ’70s, Teskey found himself working on the album in early 2020 during the COVID-inspired lockdowns many of us experienced. Capturing the record at his almost exclusively analogue home studio in Warrandyte (where the Teskey Brothers had previously recorded their albums), Teskey called upon his musician friends to help capture the music live.
“So many elements of the album needed to be live tracked,” he explains. “There’s nothing quite like getting great players in a room and recording that as opposed to layering it with overdubs and what not. That was a very special experience for me just to record that and witness having those amazing musicians in the room together. It was essential to have.”
With “Love” officially released today, and Cycles set to arrive in a few months, Sam Teskey has also unveiled a run of headline tour dates in support of the record. Kicking off in Brisbane on release day, fans will get a chance to hear tracks from Love at special shows in Sydney, Adelaide, Castlemaine, and Melbourne, with tickets on sale later this week.
Sam Teskey’s “Love” is out now, while Cycles will be released on October 8th, with pre-orders available now.
Sam Teskey Cycles Album Tour
Friday, October 8th
The Triffid, Brisbane, QLD
Saturday, October 9th
Oxford Art Factory, Sydney, NSW
Saturday, October 16th
Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide, SA
Friday, October 22nd
Theatre Royal, Castlemaine, VIC
Saturday, October 23rd
Corner Hotel, Melbourne,VIC
Pre-sale tickets on sale from Thursday, July 15th
General public on sale from Friday, July 16th
