According to Suitcase Records’ Neil Wilson, Abbey Road “really captured the magic of this album”.
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From the moment Bernard Fanning and Paul Dempsey unveiled their latest project, Fanning Dempsey National Park, it was enshrined in the annals of Australia’s all-time greatest musical pairings. And how could it not be? It’s the synth-tinged, groove-laden passion project of two modern-day Aussie rock icons: the deified frontman of Powderfinger (Fanning) and the inimitable voice of Something For Kate (Dempsey).
Behind the star power is an album that truly befits its creators’ reverence. The Deluge isn’t just special because it’s a new full-length record from Bernard Fanning and Paul Dempsey – it mines from the best parts of their own unique, kaleidoscopic artistries and evolves it into something much greater than the sum of its parts; Fanning alone couldn’t make an album like this, nor could Dempsey – only with their powers combined could they manifest such a bewitching palette of sounds.
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Once they’d minted The Deluge, Fanning and Dempsey knew they had a masterpiece on their hands – and as die-hard audiophiles, they knew its release needed to be treated with the utmost respect. To make it sound as close to perfect as humanly possible, the pair worked with acclaimed producer Craig Silvey (who also handled mixing duties) and utilised two of the best engineers in the game – San Francisco stalwart Danielle Bennet Spragg and local legend Nick DiDia – then sent the record off to be mastered for pressing at the one and only Suitcase Records.
A family-run business in the heart of Brisbane (Meanjin), Suitcase Records was a perfect fit for The Deluge. On their website, the team behind the pressing plant say they’re “passionate about supporting artists to keep making music”. They explain: “We believe in music and musicians and are far more interested in how things could be, rather than how they’ve always been done.”
Listening to The Deluge on vinyl, Suitcase Records’ mission statement is immediately proven: the way the synth twinkles and the drums pop with vigour, Fanning and Dempsey soaring over the top with their soulful, gripping tenors – this is, without a doubt, the definitive way to experience Fanning Dempsey National Park. But as co-founder Neil Wilson tells The Music, it wasn’t just his team at Suitcase Records that brought it to life. To make it a truly one-of-a-kind release, Wilson and co. turned to Abbey Road Studios (yes, that Abbey Road Studios).
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Wilson explains: “We are committed to making the best records possible, but we are only a part of the process. To get a great record you need a great master, lacquer cut and stampers. Without these we are limited in how good the outcome is. The moment we heard the audio for The Deluge we knew we had an excellent master, and decided this was the project to start our relationship with Abbey Road Studios with.
“Most people know Abbey Road as a recording studio, but they also cut some of the best lacquers in the world. We used one of their mastering engineers, Alex Gordon, to cut The Deluge. Alex has been cutting lacquers for years and has worked with artists such as the Cocteau Twins and Florence And The Machine. Alex knew what was needed to make sure the cut reflected the dynamic range and strong bassline of Fanning Dempsey National Park’s album, and we think he really captured the magic of this album.”
At every step of the way, Wilson knew he was working on an album unlike any he’d seen roll through the doors at Suitcase. He describes it as “a real creeper of an album” for his team, noting that when they’d heard it for the first time, they were “surprised by how different it was to what you think a record from Bernard Fanning and Paul Dempsey would be”.
Wilson continues: “Having spent out teenage years in the ‘80s, we were hearing bits of artists such as Split Enz and A-Ha, and wondering where the album was going. We listened to this album a lot during the pressing process, when we were running the test pressings, and then when we pressed the album. With each listen it grew on us, and this is what great albums do. They sneak up on you, and before you know it you love it. By the time we sent this album out the door, we were hooked.”
Upon its release this Friday (August 2), The Deluge will be sold on vinyl in three colourways: a translucent blue pressing available from the Fanning Dempsey National Park webstore (here), a translucent yellow pressing available at JB Hi-Fi (here), and a translucent green pressing that will be exclusive to independent retailers (see below for a list of stockists).
Notable is that all the colourways reflect elements of the album’s cover art, designed by Jonathan Keys at Studio 3AM. Striking and minimalistic, the waveform structure was envision to represent the album’s musical character. As Dempsey explained in a video, “The project is called [Fanning Dempsey] National Park, so you immediately think of this lush, green, organic sort of imagery – but we wanted to actually keep it kind of cold and synthetic... This record sort of has that kind of vibe to it at times.
“But he’s taken these kind of sound waveforms, and when you look at it, you can sort of see, like, mountains and water – but at the same time, it’s got this almost electric, synthetic feel about it.”
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Fans will be able to hear The Deluge on vinyl for the very first time this Thursday (August 1), with the album being spun at the very first edition of The Music Sessions. Hosted by Aussie music icon Richard Kingsmill, the unique listening event will allow fans to get up close and personal with Fanning and Dempsey, who will unpack the album in a live discussion and Q&A. Head here for more info on this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Following the album’s release, Fanning Dempsey National Park will head off on a national tour, hitting stages in Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth across October and November. See below for the full list of dates, and head here to grab tickets (before they inevitably sell out).
FANNING DEMPSEY NATIONAL PARK
‘THE DELUGE’ AUSTRALIAN TOUR
Friday October
Tickets: fanningdempseynationalpark.com
INDIE-EXCLUSIVE VINYL STOCKISTS
Round Reptile Records – Brisbane Mr V Music – Adelaide Avenue Records – Launceston Red Eye Records Pty Ltd – Sydney Plus One Records – Brisbane Tommy Gun Records – Hobart Rocking Horse Records – Brisbane Stash Records – Brisbane Greville Records – Melbourne Record Shed – Redland Bay (QLD) Discrepancy Records Australia – Melbourne Howl & Moan Records – Byron Bay Happy Valley – Melbourne Popcultcha Pty Ltd – Geelong Mills Record – Perth Landspeed Records – Canberra Music Farmers – Wollongong
The indie-exclusive green variant of The Deluge will be available at many other record stores across Australia – if your local shop isn’t on the list above, reach out to them directly!
