Description
Listen to “The rocks are dancing” here:
With a sound somewhere between The Seekers and Jenny Morris, Canberra’s Daisy Chain delivers indie-folk songs aboutidentity, connection, and the state of the world. Led by singer-songwriter Jo Evans, Daisy Chain blends mandolin, bass ukulele, keyboards, drums, acoustic guitar, and rich vocal harmonies to create a warm, distinctive folk-rock sound.
Playin’ with the band! is Daisy Chain’s debut album recorded live at the Australian National University School of Music. The whole band, live: harmonies, guitar, mandolin, bass ukelele and drums!
Daisy Chain – Playin With the Band
CD review by Tony Smith
TN2613-89 – $10
TN181 Nov 26
The 2025 debut album by Canberra band, Daisy Chain, is so well presented that they must have been playing together for some time.
Their website www.daisychaincanberra.com reveals that there are various combinations on offer from a solo performer to an ensemble of five or more players.
The soloist is likely to be the songwriter Jo Evans, who plays guitar, sings and smiles radiantly.
On this album, she is joined by the ‘whole kit and caboodle’, also known as Paul Marsh (bass ukulele, vocals), Thomas Weaver (mandolin, vocals), Margaret Lewis (keyboards, harmonies) and Trev Edwards (drums).
Steve Read also contributes bass ukulele on ‘Nobody’.
Other tracks include ‘Wonder’, ‘Heart Connection’, ‘Blues Skies’, ‘The Rocks are Dancing’, ‘Walk Along’, ‘Now Is the Time’, ‘Night Visitor’, ‘Husk of the Corn’, ‘Last Words’, ‘Brave Ones’ and ‘Thanks!’
‘Wonder’ (of it all) has that definite ukulele influence.
In ‘Heart Connection’, drums and bass are prominent and you begin to wonder if the songwriter is a psychologist!
‘Blue Skies’ has an interesting chorus that varies in speed.
The arrangement is among the best on the album and allows a fine break for plucked instruments.
It has a ‘metro’ sound and establishes that the harmonies, whether by arrangement or by natural affinity, are always easy listening.
‘The Rocks Are Dancing’ features a querying voice and takes on the serious issue of environmental destruction.
This is such an excellent song that you would be able to hear a penny drop as the audience sits absorbed.
No wonder Jo chose to reprise this song in a later album.
The first half of the song establishes that we, like plants and animals, are one with nature: ‘look beneath their skin, you’ll find the earth within’.
The second half then asks: ‘What have you done?’ and lists the ways mankind has destroyed that earth within us, our very soul, by deforestation and making species extinct, directly by shooting, or indirectly by poisoning habitat.
It then goes on to urge us to remember the stars in our hearts when we hear the mountains roaring, and to stand tall and be brave like the environment, which is patient and forgiving.
It is a warning that the Anthropocene will not last forever if we carry on behaving as we have been.
That later album’s title song is also here.
‘Now Is the Time’ for action.
Do not delay.
‘Walk Along’ has a simple catchy chorus and so provides nice variety to the delivery styles.
‘Husk of Corn’ is an infectious toe tapper and a compulsive dance tune.
‘Nobody’ is suggestive of the cabaret, a waltz, almost tango feeling, with damped chords and a powerful assertive ending to contradict the title – ‘I am’.
‘Thanks!’ is another upbeat toe tapper and would be a good ending, while ‘Last Words’ by contrast is a deceptively quiet lullaby.
On the production side were Lake City Recording and the ANU School of Music, and Sophie Edwards and Kojo Kay Ansah.
The band’s publicity photograph shows them gazing around them as if wondering what can be happening.
Well, for this listener, very enjoyable music is happening.
Thanks to Jo Evans’ excellent songwriting and vocals and all the musicians and singers of Daisy Chain combining in perfect harmony, it is difficult to imagine these songs receiving better treatment.
For a debut album, Playin with the Band sets a very high standard indeed.
