Peter Baxter – Blue Black Waves

The Blue Black Waves

Dublin based Irish Australian Songwriter Peter Baxter has released his third album – The Blue Black Waves. Recorded in Dublin and produced with Dónal Lunny the album features 10 songs that bear the influence of his journey. Guest musicians include Dónal Lunny (Planxty, Moving Hearts, Bothy Band & producer / guest musician of Elvis Costello, Kate Bush, Christy Moore etc) & Keith Donald (Moving Hearts) as well as Sinead Madden (Moya Brennan Band & Clannad).

Included on the album is a cover “Watching Over Me” written by Indigenous Australian songwriter Archie Roach. Peter learned this song when touring the Northern Territory with Archie. Since then he has played at festivals and venues throughout Europe and supported acts such as Ben E King, Ralph McTell, Neil Murray, Jon “King” Cleary and Andy Irvine.

Three years in the making the album is shaped by the people he has met and the places that he has visited.

“ A really lovely album ” – Luka Bloom

“ A gorgeous album” Lillian Smith (RTE Radio Ireland)

“ Just gorgeous” Cherrie McIllwaine (BBC Radio)

Album Information • Recorded in Dublin and produced by Peter, Dónal Lunny and Dave McCune. Mastered by Tim Martin. • Independent release – available in CD Format and digitally via iTunes & Amazon • CD Artwork was designed by Barcelona based illustrator Oscar Garcia Lopez and inspired by the title track of the album. Limited edition prints will be available. • Included on the album is a collaboration with Australian writer Andrew Lindsay (“The Breadmaker’s Carnival” & “The Slapping Man) called “The Best Man” • Title track released as a digital version only single, accompanied by a video of super 8 footage of Peter & family emigrating to Australia in the 1970’s (see www.peterbaxter.ie) • Paulo Coehlo (author of “The Alchemist” wrote the sleeve note for Peter’s last album – The Miracle Bell • Peter is the founder and co-director of Songschool (see www.songschool.ie) • Neil Murray has performed a song from this album “Alonely” in his live set

CD Review by Bruce Elder Sydney Morning Herald

If you were battling against headwinds on the Australian folk/ singer-songwriter scene, wouldn’t you be tempted to sail away to a country where the music scene is vibrant and the folk scene lives in a thousands pubs and clubs?

There is now a welltrodden path from Australia to Ireland taken by the likes of Shane Howard, Rory Faithfield and Declan O’Rourke. In the simple act of temporary emigration, Baxter and the others throw their future in with sensitive and thoughtful Irish singer-songwriters such as Damien Rice, Bap Kennedy and Glen Hansard (of the Frames).

They also acquire a special advantage when production is handled by the likes of such giants of Irish music as Planxty’s Donal Lunny.

The result, Baxter’s third album, is a collection of 10 well-crafted songs including a thoughtful cover of Archie Roach’s Watching over Me and, continuing the exploration of indigenous issues, story song The Ballad of Pemulwuy, which charts the life of the famous Aboriginal resistance fighter.

Inevitably, the album is touched by an Irish melancholy that washes through songs such as The Liar’s Tears and gives the title track, Blue Black Waves, a darkness and sadness.

Baxter is a gifted singer/ songwriter who is attempting the near-impossible: to write songs about Australia while living in Ireland. The result is an interesting and provocative interplay between two different cultures.