Australian alternative singer-songwriter, Gordon Holland releases his mixed genre, four track EP, ‘Skipping Stones On A Salt Lake’.
Recorded and engineered by Harrie Kingston, Mixed by Digby Gillings and mastered by Lion Dance Records, ‘Skipping Stones On A Salt Lake’’ is an exploration of numerous themes that fluidly move between the nature of change, absence of change, travel, and reminiscing. The songs feature melodic and lush yet down-to-earth and intimate tracks that stand out for their catchy hooks and poppier appeal.
With a sound reminiscent of Paul Kelly, Bob Evans, Julia Jacklin, Steve Poltz, Carole King, Gerry Cinnamon, and Crowded House, Gordon’s creative process involved challenging himself to write a collection of new narrative songs and exploring the instinctual side of songwriting. He was also inspired by his love of melody and catchy hooks, finding beauty and inspiration in the mundane, and expressing feelings or moments in life that he couldn’t describe with just words.
Palm Tree Wallpaper – “This song is a phone call someone is having with an elderly parent, they met up at a cafe the day prior for the first time in ages. They wanted to break some bad news to their parent when they met up but the pattern of the palm trees on the wallpaper reminded them of happy times together in their childhood and they didn’t want to ruin the moment.” Gordon Holland
Half A Tank (And They’re All Counting On Me) – “This is about someone who gets up early and has to be at their destination in a country town before sundown, they’ve got half a tank in their car and try to stay focused and avoid the distractions on the drive. I wrote this with my friend and old bandmate Daniel Lomas, I’d been thinking about how to write this for a while but it was his idea to not reveal too much detail about why the character was going to this destination, and the song just flowed from there.” Gordon Holland
Midnight At The Karaoke Bar – “A couple of old barflies have been going to the same suburban karaoke bar for years (maybe even decades!) and one of them is lamenting the end of the night while reminiscing about all the times they’ve had there. It’s about the absence of change.” Gordon Holland
Departure Lounge Blues – “I had heard the song “I Wonder Who You Are Waiting For” by Mike McClellan on the radio one day and became obsessed with it. I had read his blog about writing the song and found it fascinating. I started thinking about the setting of an airport departure lounge and how something that seems so routine and dull is one of the most interesting places because of the amount of people arriving and departing, what are their stories? I was talking about it with my wife, and she suggested the point of view of someone working there. So it’s kind of like someone who gets to see all these people flying off to destinations around the world and imagining where they’re going and why.” Gordon Holland
Alternative singer-songwriter, Gordon Holland is a fiery force in Melbourne’s music scene, igniting audiences with his fusion of alternative country and Britpop. Holland’s sound, reminiscent of early Elton John and Paul Kelly, fused with the modern-day edge of Oasis, make him a must-see act for any music lover, and his lyrics are equal parts confessional and nostalgic yet woven with a humor and wistfulness. Listening to Gordon Holland is an experience of big choruses and singalong verses that’ll leave you singing for days.
Following his relocation from Perth, along with friend and collaborator Nathaniel Parbery, the pair formed The Naysayers in 2010 and soon took their garage rock to live stages around Australia. While still writing and working within The Naysayers, Holland found himself on a solo path which saw him merging his musical creativity into waters that had previously been uncharted. Soon after, he collaborated with fellow singer-songwriter Charlie Lane where the two constructed her successful The Darkest Time which featured on Spotify’s Badass Women playlist and heard around the world.
Producing his debut single, Melbourne Bitter in Los Angeles with Luke Tierney and mastered by Tom Beard in Australia, Holland led the cohort on a guitar owned by Foo Fighters guitarist, Chris Shiflett. Melbourne Bitter went on to become a semi-finalist in the 2019 International Song Writing Competition.
Gordon Holland’s EP ‘Skipping Stones On A Salt Lake’ is a testament to his creative prowess and his ability to explore various themes through catchy hooks and narratives. The EP is set for release on June 9th, 2023
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