Malcolm Raedel – Wild Wisteria
My association with Fat Trax dates back 18 years, with the first of three albums released in 2008. Like so many singer-songwriters, I’d long had a dream to have my material played on “radioâ€. I’d spent years writing songs, driven by the need for “self – expression†and the creation of something that I thought was “originalâ€. I’d made a couple of forays into recording studios and had some self-recorded copies of songs dating back 20 years but the question was … where to from here?
The answer was presented by Fat Trax Studio and Matt Williams.
As a veteran songwriter, accomplished performer, guitarist and all-round musician, Matt brings a unique set of attributes to the recording process. He can arrange, produce, engineer and mix the recording.
Arrangement is so important, and in my own case, Matt was equally at home across a range of genre from Folk, Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Country Blues, and Jazz, to Pop-Electrical Dance.
He can be a collaborative co-writer or a backing vocalist, as required , who also plays guitar, electric bass and banjo, and has a network of top line session musos on drums, keyboards, sax, harmonica etc.
As a “singer-songwriterâ€, there’s the natural focus on delivery of vocals, but to get distribution on streaming platforms like Spotify, Google Play, and Deezer, and sales in digital stores like iTunes and eMusic, the song has to be of consistently high quality on a range of criteria: Vocals; Lyrics; Instrumental Performance/Execution; Melody/Rhythm; Arrangement/Flow; and Recording Quality/Overall Mix.
In a rare combination of skills, Matt combines the creative side of writing and performing, with technical expertise and finely-honed skills as a sound engineer and producer, who can mix and master the finished product.
Matt’s a “good guy†who is congenial and instantly puts the artist at ease. He’s incredibly patient, but also sets extremely high expectations – always with the goal of getting the best possible outcome.
As testimony of the success of Fat Trax, from the last album, “On the Outsideâ€, has been selected as part of a compilation album of “#1 Best Folk Singer Songwritersâ€. “Wild Wisteria†(the title track for the third album and band name) is included on “#1 Best Rock Singer Songwritersâ€. The recognition is more than I could have hoped for. All made possible by Fat Trax.
Julie-Anne Marshall
Julie-Anne Marshall is an Australian independent singer-songwriter. Originally from Adelaide, now based in Melbourne. She is a multi-genre artist encompassing pop, rock, blues, soul, folk, alternative, ballads and smooth jazz – all sitting under the umbrella of Easy Listening. Her vocal style is earthy yet ethereal. Her songs melodic and lyric driven.
As a singer-songwriter Julie-Anne’s chosen instrument is the piano and it features in most of her songs released. Her first single ‘Bluebird’ was released in 2015, this was followed by a full album titled ‘Bluebird’ in 2016. To date, Julie-Anne has recorded and released 21 songs, her latest being ‘Beautiful Life’.
Whilst recording has been the focus for her over the last few years, Julie-Anne has previously performed live with bands around Adelaide and is now venturing back into live performing in Melbourne.
The Irresponsibles
After 5 years in hibernation, The Irresponsibles are back!
Having graced the stages of Adelaide’s iconic rock venues since mid 2007, The Irresponsibles deliver a show of energised hard rock dashed with multi-genre influence. Don (bass) and Matt (drums) lay down a solid foundation as a strong rhythm section with a perfect groove, while Tash (guitar) adds texture with guitar hooks that are instantly memorable.
Over it all, Miranda’s vocals draw you in, from a quiet whisper to a hard edged scream, she will have you hanging on her every word.
The Irresponsibles are well known for delivering energy packed live shows around Australia, for high quality studio recordings that bring out the best in their songwriting, for being the first local Adelaide band to have two songs featured on the Rock Band Network for XBox and PS3, for staying true to their fan base, and for always being professional in their work.
Des Wade
I was born in Ireland for something I didn’t do and have lived in Australia for over 40 years.
My Australian odyssey started in Sydney and I spent some years travelling (often hitch-hiking) usually accompanied by my dog named Boo. I worked professionally in Hobart, Tasmania under the stage name Dez Perrado, The Human Jukebox for some years before settling in South Australia.
I have won many awards as a member of SCALA (South Australia’s internationally recognised Songwriters, Composers & Lyricists Association) with positivity and optimism frequent themes in my work.
When the American folk group Locklin Road recorded my song Wings of Angels it spent some weeks high in the cdBaby folk charts and the link to it is on my Bandcamp page here – https://deswade.bandcamp.com/track/wings-of-angels-locklin-road
With songs frequently played on Irish and Australian radio folk shows they have attracted favourable attention and reviews. One is a mainly true story about my time working on the wheat harvest in North Western NSW – The Cop , the Dog, the Chickens and Me. The link is below.
My song Hymns of Our Time has won awards or been commended in SCALA competitions while it was recently Highly Commended in the UKSsong competition – coming in the top ten of over 6,000 entrants.
As a very basic guitarist who has been unable to find time from writing – I have written over a hundred and this is where my decades-long involvement with FATTRAX has played a pivotal and essential role in the development and production of my work. FATTRAX offers a fully equipped, modern studio with producer/engineer/guitarist Matt Williams on the desk.
Over the years his contribution to the realisation of my dreams in songwriting has been inestimable. A sympathetic and involved producer, the many years of experience he brings to his craft shows no matter what the genre or musical line up, from full-on rock bands to solo performers. He has the most modern, up-to-date access to a vast range of digital instruments and effects and his attention to detail and post-production is meticulous and painstaking,
The set up in FATTRAX is ideal for someone like me with limited musical capability and, if you are a songwriter who does not have access to accompanists to take into the studio I highly recommend you to visit and I am sure you not be disappointed with the results. For me it has always been a stress-free environment and the best studio I have been in Australia.
The songs mentioined above are on my page in Bandcamp. Only one was recorded with a full-on band in FATTRAX last year and that was Hymns of Our Time.
The others – also recorded at FATTRAX – are Deloraine, So Softly In the Twilight and The Cop, the Dog, the Chickens and Me.
All have Matt’s production and musical skills on guitar etc to the fore – and from flat out rock like Hymns to the gentle, sympathetic guitar on So Softly … they show the range of skill and professional understanding he brings to his craft.
Here are the links to them –
Hymns of Our Time
https://deswade.bandcamp.com/track/hymns-of-our-time-3
© Des Wade 2021 – AU-C2C-21-00018 ISWC T-060802757-1
Deloraine
https://deswade.bandcamp.com/track/deloraine
© Des Wade 2021 AU-C2C-21-00011 ISWC T-060761553-1
So Softly In the Twilight
https://deswade.bandcamp.com/track/so-softly-in-the-twilight
© Des Wade 2021 AU-C2C-21-00049 ISWC T-061479590-2
The Cop, the Chickens, the Dog and Me
https://deswade.bandcamp.com/track/the-cop-the-chickens-the-dog-and-me-2
© Des Wade 2021 AU-C2C-21-00057 ISWC T-061712318-8
Finally, I am mainly a songwriter with the ulitmate aim of interesting performers in recording or performing his songs and lately I have has some success in internationl competitions. I describe himself as a bit of a dreamer – but with both feet planted firmly in the clouds – who started out with nothing and still has most of it.
Music is the divine way to tell beautiful, poetic things to the heart.