Kendall Munns reviews The Hello Morning at the Northcote Social Club in Melbourne for the launch of their single Stone Cold Lover and chats to Steven Clifford about their upcoming debut album.
Moving closer and closer to the stage as the Northcote Social Club filled to the brim, it was clear six piece The Hello Morning already have a heady following. With eager sets of eyes and ears on the Melbourne band for the release of their single Stone Cold Lover, these guys had their audience at hello.
Melbourne singer songwriter Juan Alban and folk duo Sweet Jean warmed the stage, expressing an obvious appreciation for the imminent group with Alban announcing The Hello Morning as one of his favourite bands.
Performing songs from their upcoming self-titled debut album the group open with Poolside Lover, showing plenty of vigor and captivating the crowd with their charming mix of rock and roll and country, soulful melodies and a level of talent and showmanship that assume The Hello Morning are anything but greenhorns.
Starting off as an acoustic pair songwriters Steven Clifford and Matthew John Smith gradually brought the band together over two years, joined by Melbourne musicians Dave Manton, Joe Cope on the keys, David Oxley on bass and Matt Vance on drums.
Led by the husky croon of front man Clifford, teamed with the transcendent harmonies of Smith and Manton, The Hello Morning offer a taste of their new album progressing through tracks with a consistent energy and showcasing perfectly crafted and well-timed solos – a highlight from Manton with his climactic finish to a song titled Edge of Town.
Signed to the same label as songstresses Bertie Blackman and New Zealand born Kimbra, who both feature on the group’s new album, The Hello Morning are set to release their LP recorded by Jimi Maroudas at the helm of Tim Rogers, The Living End and Eskimo Joe recordings.
Almost 18 months in the making, the band recorded their debut album in different Melbourne studios then moved an entire studio rig to Daylesford for two months, which Clifford says was a key decision for the band and making of their debut release.
“Escaping from the city was one of the best things we’ve ever done; we could work at our own pace, we were in the middle of nowhere, we didn’t have any neighbours, so we just became vampires who recorded to 4 or 5 in the morning and then slept during the day.
“It’s a good feeling when you can just take as much time as you want and it meant for the album that it just kept getting bigger.
“We added things like strings and a choir and just kept pushing until we could make it sound the way we wanted to,” Clifford said.
As the show draws to a close Cope and Clifford stay on stage, and unaccompanied, Clifford begins a haunting acoustic cover of Wilson Pickett’s Don’t Let the Green Grass Fool You. Cope waits intently on the Hammond organ to bring in the keys while the rest of the band slowly file on stage with hands behind backs to provide harmonies, with no accompanying instruments, for the remainder of the song.
Clifford humbly thanks the crowd for coming out before finishing with their single Stone Cold Lover, which had the audience mouthing along its lyrics and leaving punters reeling with a convincing appreciation that affirm The Hello Morning are already a sure thing.
The Hello Morning’s debut album is released on February 13. Watch the band’s live recording of Stone Cold Lover, performed at David Bromley’s A Day On Earth gallery:
