We Make the Music
Written by: Leadfinger
In a world where people would rather vote for their pop-stars than their politicians, Stewart ‘Leadfinger’ Cunningham takes us back to a simpler time when music told us a story: our story.
Drawing from the inspirational well of adolescence, We Make the Music – Leadfinger’s third and most accomplished album to date – explores the stories within the pinball parlours and pool halls of our youth.
Starting his career in the mid-80’s as a founding member of Wollongong’s pre-grunge punks Proton Energy Pills, before going on to form the furious Brother Brick, the rockin’ Asteroid B612, the melodic Challenger-7 and the powerful Yes-Men, Cunningham has long courted the type of rock n’ roll that has dangerously veered towards the edge. Leadfinger though, is a more controlled vehicle, acutely aware of the past whilst kicking into the future.
The current 4 piece line up had been gigging solidly for almost 2 years when they entered Big Jesus Burger Studios with JP Fung at the controls. We Make the Music relies heavily on the warmth that comes from using vintage recording techniques, giving it a sound reminiscent of classic seventies recordings by Big Star and the Rolling Stones.
The vinyl version of the album was released on July 1st 2011, through Bang! Records internationally. The digital
version and CD were released in April through Australia’s Impedance Records on April 8 2011. We Make the Music is a celebration of the artist and highlights the good and bad that every band goes through (‘We Make the Music’), the pursuit of dreams (‘The Price You Pay’) and teenage rebellion (Anthem for the Unimpressed).
The timelessness of Leadfinger’s songwriting invites comparisons to Paul Westerberg, Steve Earle, Bruce Springsteen, Rory Gallagher, and Mick Thomas while the rough edges are a tribute to Cunningham’s punk days listening to Radio Birdman, The Saints and MC5.
We Make the Music is a great collection of songs about the ins and outs of playing in an Australian rock’n’roll band, it tells it like it is and will have you turning up the volume and punching your fist in celebration.
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Reviews
“The portents were there that it was going to be a very good album but Leadfinger’s “We Make The Music” makes a convincing claim for greatness in the space of 49 minutes. From the Who-like title track that opens it to the Hendrix-tinged finale, “Beside Me, Against Me” (with its shades of “Castles in the Air”) this is a bona fide Australian classic.”
– The Barman, i-94Bar, April 2011.
“There are any number of tropes you might expect to hear on a classic rock album… The important thing is what you do with them – are you going to go by the numbers or are you going to really go for it ? Is it just going to be all present and correct or is it going to be all the energy you have, the sound of total commitment – heart and soul and rough times and rocking till you can’t rock anymore and then still dragging one more encore out? Leadfinger fall into the latter category – they rock and they rock hard.”
– Jonathan Aird, Americana UK, May 8th 2011.
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Credits
Personnel
Stewart Cunningham: Vocals, Electric Guitar, Hummingbird, Dobro, Mandolin, 12 String,Slide, Harmonica, Percussion
Michael Boyle: Electric Guitar, Backing Vocals, 12 String
Dillon Hicks: Drums, Percussion
Adam ‘Reggie’ Screen: Electric Bass Guitar
Guests
Brent Williams: piano, hammond organ, backing vocals
JP Fung: percussion
Bulahdelah Boomerangs RLFC: shouting, footstomping and clapping
Recording
Recorded at Big Jesus Burger Studios, Sydney in Winter 2010
Recorded by JP Fung, Brent Williams & Stewart Cunningham
Assisted by Matt Clifton
Mixed by JP Fung
Mastered by William Bowden
Produced by Stewart Cunningham
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^ CD only track
* LP only track