Stormcellar Band Home Page

As part of our ongoing Digital Streaming strategy, we've been releasing Digital Collections, starting last year with The Mid West Triptych and the 10 Years Underground collections.

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/stormcellar/cZtH

 https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/stormcellar/dA3T

Even in the time that we have been active, things have changed a lot. I could write here, but I'll ask Drake what he thinks. What do you say, Drake, Mate?

On every album we've made so far, there have been a variety of different styles.

Every time I upload one to a distributor they ask me to put them into a genre.

We've worked with everything from Cello to Mongolian throat singing, original Authentic Old Dude KC Blues, Colonial Folk, Japanese pop mashups, it makes it a bit hard to set us in one category.

Just as formats have always influenced recorded music, in duration and style, we embraced the Streaming world pretty strongly with Rogue State, starting some of the songs right at the beginning with no intro, as people now click on a song and either dig it or move on.

With 150 tracks in our catalogue, including singles and remixes, doing a streaming playlist as opposed to an 'album' gives us a chance to re-sort our work in different ways to suit the changes in the way people hear/access music.

Following along with the idea that Streaming Platforms are making simple genre based choices, I figured it was worth re-compiling the tracks into playlists based on styles.

We have enough for a Blues list, a Country List, 2 X Rock lists (hey cross overs right?) and a Folk List. That's close enough. Further detail perhaps overly complicates things LOL

Thus over the next little while, I'll be putting out those play lists.

The next one up, just uploaded is the Stormcellar Blues Collection Vol 1.

 https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/stormcellar/stormcellar-blues-collection-vol-1

I gotta say it's been a heck of a last 3 years.

In 2017 we canned our 5th US tour when Bill got sick, 7 days before we flew out.

By 2018 Rosies Dad died, Paul's Mum died and Bill went back to Uni. I canned the tour in Feb.

It's 2019 and....yikes.

These guys (and gal) are precious to me. And looking after myself makes sense too.

To borrow from Lincoln, my first task is to preserve the Union.

As Self Propelled Artists it's up to us to look after us. That's first and foremost.

We have had a wonderfully productive decade - 11 albums in 10 years and a chance at some more work this year :-)

I'm getting ready to launch a few digital collections and found we have 150 tracks released.

We've hit show 500. We're still working.

Having the patience to be a good steward of the wonderful community we have takes time, patience, and a willingness to not always get what we want.

You know what I mean, right Mick?

We'll continue to adjust our navigation as the weather develops.

Late Night, Live & Strange.

Your friends in the stormcellar.

Yesterday, I had a chat with one of our Mentors in the scene, a long term Road Warrior and he was pretty bummed out.

Over the last 10 years or so, Australia has seen the consolidation of Clubs, the closure of music venues, the transformation of Pubs into Flats or into Gastro Pubs.

That's having a direct effect on Bands who played these venues; in frequency, total number and value of gigs.

We've explored this theme in the ill-fated pilot of 'the Last Gig In Sydney' and like many elements of truth, it's something not easy to face.

The Pub Rock scene was the genesis of the Oz Rock takeover of the world some 40 years ago OMG ITS 40 YEARS AGO.

Having a 'scene' meant opportunity to ply your trade, learn your craft, be exposed to and inspired by others.

it was funded by the non stop Australian desire to Get It On, right Hoges?

As a society we don't drink like we used to.

No really, we don't:

"Australians are drinking less alcohol than at any time since the early 1960s, as new figures show the country's gradual downturn in booze consumption has resumed. ... The ABS says Australia hit "peak beer" in 1974-75, when the average annual consumption of alcohol was equivalent to 500 stubbies per person.Sep 3, 2018"

 500 Stubbies per person. Wow.

Now, at $20 a drink at VENUE CENSORED and a Random Breath Test plus $$ to go out, the cost of living in Sydney and.....THE POKIES!!! YAY!

"Queenslanders lose record $2.4 billion to poker machines" - Brisbane Times Feb 19 2019. 

That articles from two frickin days ago. $2.4 Billion????? Are you kidding me???

There's no benefit in complaining about Lock Out Laws, Noise Restrictions, X-Box Alternatives, unaffordable housing or any of the other factors that have led us to where we are now. 

Live Music at the Pub is no longer king in Oz.

Booze is not as big a part in our lives so there's less to spend on bands, and Pubs that rely on Food or Pokies for revenue do not want loud bands making noise over their $25 Hamburger and Triple Bet Feature Win Pokie moment.

The Booze-and-music era is a fraction of what it once was. It will never disappear altogether, but it has taken a hit and is no longer a sustainable business model for musicians.

 Here in the Stormcellar Experimental Won-ton & Szechuan Pepper Philosophy and Marketing division, we can only suggest one response

 Mutate now!

That which was done, was done well.

A great thanks to my bandmates for their support, and a great thanks to the 4RAR and 9RAR Associations and the North Ryde RSL for their help.

I had the opportunity to talk to one of Dad's fellow unit members and to hear some stories.

Rosie very kindly joined me and we played Onward Traveller and Everywhere Feels like Home at the wake, on Dad's old Maton guitar.

And so we continue onwards.