Leigh Sloggett – Sliding to Your Destiny

Sliding to Your Destiny is Leigh Sloggett’s debut CD and introduces us to an insightful and contemplative lyricist and an accomplished musician. The album is built solidly around his tasteful guitar playing. It moves between songs performed solo, with vocals backed by acoustic lap-slide guitar, to more layered tracks where steel-string guitar is overlaid with emotive electric lap-steel as well as sensitively improvised acoustic guitar lines. The opening track ‘Stay in Tune’ is a plea for people to open their hearts. It was written after returning to Australia from several years abroad to find a country gripped by an ‘I’m alright Jack’ attitude. The album traverses many subjects, from a positive slant on the monotony of riding trains to the city each day in ‘Train Ride’, to a song about the dying Japanese town of Muroran. The title track ‘Sliding to Your Destiny’ and ‘Heart Attack’ both reflect on the transience of life. The concluding song on the album, ‘I Want to Go Home’, was written after being stranded in the U.S.A. for six days following the events of September 11, 2001. ‘Sliding to Your Destiny’ was released in April 2006 and contains twelve original tracks featuring Leigh on vocals, and playing a range of guitars including acoustic lap-slide and electric steel guitar. Chris Ralf guests on drums for five of the tracks. The album was mixed and mastered by Ray Luckhurst at Sweetwater studio, Victoria, Australia.

“Some people have to work hard to pursue their destiny, Leigh Sloggett’s aptly titled independent release, ‘Sliding To Your Destiny’, reminds us that others are lucky enough to just slide to theirs. This collection of mainly lap steel focussed arrangements presents a selection of accomplished original songs with an easy edge that JJ Cale might be proud of. Leigh’s husk-tinged vocals slip apparently effortlessly in with the instrumental groove and if, like me, you like your notes to bend, you’ll want to cruise those bends with Leigh once you get a taste”. Phil Young Folk On The Fringe 3MDR 97.1 FM

1. Stay In Tune 5.37 2. Toxic Waste 5.04 3. Cupid’s Arrow 4.01 4. Black Dog Bark 6.37 5. Sliding To Your Destiny 4.02 6. Pushing On 3.29 7. Heart Attack 6.33 8. Train Ride 5.46 9. Muroran 4.28 10. Never Overlap 4.45 . 11. Bad News 8.11 12. I Want To Go Home 4.06

About the artist: Growing up in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, Leigh took up guitar at the age of twelve. His first guitar teacher introduced him to the blues, which had immediate appeal and has remained a strong influence on his music until today. Music, especially guitar, guided him through his adolescence. However he put his guitar down in his early twenties to pursue his interest in art, only to return to it in his early thirties. It was at this time he started playing lap slide guitar and once again began writing songs, which gave him a musical focus. This led him to performing and on to recording his debut album titled ‘Sliding to your Destiny’ which he released in April 2006. On the 30th of November 2008 Leigh launched his second album titled ‘Looking for the Clues’ with a concert at the Guild Theatre in Melbourne. Leigh performs regularly around Melbourne and did his first tour overseas in 2008.

Sliding To Your Destiny Review

“Some people have to work hard to pursue their destiny, Leigh Sloggett’s aptly titled independent release, ‘Sliding To Your Destiny’, reminds us that others are lucky enough to just slide to theirs. This collection of mainly lap steel focussed arrangements presents a selection of accomplished original songs with an easy edge that JJ Cale might be proud of. Leigh’s husk-tinged vocals slip apparently effortlessly in with the instrumental groove and if, like me, you like your notes to bend, you’ll want to cruise those bends with Leigh once you get a taste”.