ARIA Hall of Famer and revered multi-platinum singer songwriter Kasey Chambers has unveiled an exciting suite of forthcoming new material – kicking off with the announcement of her book Just Don’t Be A Dickhead (Hardie Grant Books), the material informing and inspiring her new album Backbone. Kasey said today, “I’ve just finished writing a book! I am beyond excited to be releasing it along with a brand-new album.
Published nationally on 1 October in hardback, ebook and audiobook Just Don’t Be a Dickhead …. And other profound things I’ve learnt is Kasey at her most heartfelt and honest. From her childhood in the Australian outback to the heights of her international success as a singer songwriter, Kasey has trusted her gut, stuck to her values and learned some hard truths, always while trying to live by the best advice she’s ever received: just don’t be a dickhead. “I am so keen (and a little bit scared) to share these two real and honest representations of my creative soul, along with the inspiration I’ve found in unexpected places throughout my unique life.”
To enhance the readers’ experience, QR codes appear throughout the book to take them to the story’s correlating song from her new album Backbone. Readers can experience the book and the album the way Kasey wrote it, together. The audio-book also delivers a unique listener experience that includes Kasey reading and performing songs.
For the self-produced Backbone, Chambers enlisted some of the usual suspects to play – her dad and guitarist Bill Chambers, her guitarist Brandon Dodd and longtime bassist Jeff McCormack. In a surprise twist, however, two first-timers also joined the fold in the studio: guitarist Sam Teskey, of The Teskey Brothers, and American drummer Brady Blade – who has drummed for Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle and the Dave Matthews to name only a few. “Good and bad, this album is who I am,” she says. “I worked with my favourite musicians, and I sang about every beautiful, joyous, embarrassing and tough thing I’ve gone through. Everything that’s gone into making me this person. Even before anyone has heard this album or read the book, I feel like I’ve achieved something special.”
The albums first single, and title track “Backbone (The Desert Child)” is available now with the music video streaming.