Blog

09.06.08 - Tour Dates - Children Traveling Alone

18 Jun 2008 - The Phoenix - Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
19 Jun 2008 - The Afterdark - Melbourne, Victoria
25 Jun 2008 - The Troubadour - Brisbane, Queensland
27 Jun 2008 - The Lass O’Gowrie - Newcastle, New South Wales

02.06.08

http://www.radicalface.com/radicalface.html

Welcome Home is perfect to me right now.

01.06.08

Second last day of recording the album, Ithaca 07. Nate - keys, me, John - bass

Album Launch, Holly Throsby support.

Dearests,

News is afoot: the album is ready; and, I'm playing a show with one of my favourite songwriters from this fine land.

First, the album. It has taken some time, but pressed and shiny versions of my record 'What Not To Think While In Love' finally exist. Because such things are a good excuse for celebration, I'm planning a party. This Friday at the Croatian Club (Wickham, NSW) I'll be launching the record with a family of musicians, somewhat resembling a band in tow. Jamieson Shaw and Alexander Knight (Book of Ships, A Disappointing Fireworks Display), and Pegs Adams and Ed Montgomery will all be joining me on stage to play songs from 'What Not To Think...'. Also, Alps & A Disappointing Fireworks Display will be opening the show. The doors for that one open at 8pm. $5 or FREE when you buy a copy of the latest album.

Second, recently Holly Throsby asked me to open for her at the Northern Star this June when she tours the first single from her upcoming record, A Loud Call. The single, is called 'A Heart Divided'. You can listen to it on MySpace. Tickets for that show are $15 at the door. We are all very excited.

Shows, and shows and DJ sets

Hullo all! It's with great pleasure that I announce a series of shows to the world beyond MySpace, Facebook et al. Starting March 8th, I'll be playing Brisbane, Newcastle, Canberra and Melbourne. The dates and venues are listed below. My good friend Nick from Let's Not (but say we did) will be joining me for all the shows.

In other The Understudy news I'm DJ-ing at SPRING BREAK!! (Thurs Nights, 8pm, Croatian Club). Also on the night: ALPS and Carl Dixon. It's $2 entry, the beers are cheap and you can dance to guitars, and weird bleeps. Try Caribou, Animal Collective, The Cure, TV On The Radio, Deltron, Radiohead, Aesop Rock, The Smiths...and about a THOUSand more.

Shows:

20.01.08 - Mixtape

Recently at shows I've been handing out a mixtape of songs by some of my friends and new stuff of mine. I didn't include a tracklisting, only a web address, so here 'tis now.

07.01.08 - January Shows, Jplay, Ho Ho New Year etc...

The new year is here. We call it 2008. So far it has brought some nice things. For one, I played my first show in nearly six months last night. It was well fun, and will be repeated at the same venue every Sunday this month at the Hamilton Station Hotel. I'll be on at around 8:30pm each night. For those who don't like Sundays, there is a show at The Lass this Wednesday with Pegs Adams and Justin Grounds. Methinks it'll kick off around 9ish, buuut you know the Lass.

Another nice thing the New Year brought was Fine Young Folk hitting the Triple J airwaves. Yes! If you'd like to hear it there more, you can request it by calling 1300 0555 36 or txting 1975 7555.

And finally, the New Year will bring a tour. I've talked about it before, but now the dates are all but locked in and you can expect me and Nick (from Let's Not (but say we did)) in Brisbane, Newcastle, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne starting March 7.

Soon, ya'll.

Lu xo

21.12.07 - Many Happy Returns of the Day, Santa (almost)

A few little things my pretties, first, Triple J Unearthed, I have two of my new songs live there. It would be wonderful if you would go, vote, fight, win. It's relatively simple, and well I think it works like this: the more attention I receive from you, the more attention I receive from them. Gosh! It would just mean the world to me.

Secondly, I'm also being featured on the Sixty Sox website. This website is particularly cool. Digital content sharing, yay!

Thirdly, Merry Christmas! I hope your various Xmas celebrations are above tolerable.

10.12.07 - East Coast Planning & Panic

Well, there is not so much panic just yet, but being a fan of alliteration and having organised a tour or three before I know that that such emotions will rise, unbidden or not. Hence, I put it in though at the moment it is far from true.

If you look at the shows schedule thinga on the MySpace page you will see I have added a bunch of loose and vague dates to late Feb/early March that resemble something of an East Coast tour. None of these dates have been confirmed yet, and in half the cases venues haven't even been chosen. What is known though is that around this time Nick (from Let's Not), probably Nick's band and I will hop on the road together and tour down the Pacific Highway.

It's going to be tremendous.

!!!
-Lu

06.12.07 - More New Songs, Updates, Diaspora

Hullo. Just in case this is your first port of call for all business Understudy, I would like to bring to your attention the fact that I have recently uploaded three new songs to MySpace, a couple to Last.FM and one to a nice, new little website for artistes and such called SixtySox. I've also thrown my hat in the Unearthed ring again, this time with the new stuff. Go there and vote if you're so inclined, but not yet cause they're still *pending*.

Further, there are shows, shows and shows coming up. First, a collection in Newcastle and then a little East coast tour. Eeek! Check leSpace for dates. The Newcastle dates kick off with a show at the Hamilton Station this Sunday, Dec 9th. 7pm. FREE!

Also, I'd like to say thanks for listening, and keep listening and keep sharing the love and you know... I'll see you soon.

-Lu

02.11.07 - New Song on MySpace

It's been a while. I've been here and there. You've been waiting. Happy news is that the album is finished, mastered and all and waiting to be released. Other news is that I'm in the process of putting together a band, and until that happens you might not hear too much from me. Of course, there WILL be the occasional solo show and even better, there IS a new song on MySpace. Check it out and, maybe, say hello?

12.08.07 - Ithaca, NY

Hello friends,

For those of you who didn't know, The Understudy has been in upstate New York for the last three or so weeks recording her debut album. Helping her out have been the beautiful and brilliant IY (Chris Frank, Dana Billings, John Zinder & Nate Terepka) and upright bass prodigy Walter Stinson.

So far part of the record has been recorded Chris's house near Cornell University in Ithaca, and a small but delightful lake house on Cayuga Lake, just out of town. Today the project is moving to Nate's house to finish up tracking. There is a pond with an island and a big red American barn there.

Check the pictures section for some photos of the adventure so far.

25.06.07 - EP Wake

Help me, and numerous others who've born the brunt of my first attempt at recording music, bid farewell to a relic of mid-noughties Novopop. That's right, I never had no EP Launch so I'm having an EP Wake. Other bands will be playing (as detailed on the poster) and EPs will be available for sale. Cheap. It's kind of the same as when B*Witched albums got put in a $1 bin... except I can't dance that well. Oh do come! - xx Lu

28.05.07 - Raindrops on...

I am fantastically excited by the cream of the Newcastle scene at the moment. It's like fricken Noah's Ark here - except bands don't need two to reproduce. When I'm moody I go to a Glass Army show, when I need to be soothed I go to a Lander Configurations show, and when I'm drunk I go to a Like... Alaska show. Of course this ignores my other favourites who tend to change your mood: the hessian joy that is Mojo Juju, and, of course, the incendiary Big City Exile. There are approximately dozens of grand singing songwriters too - perhaps for another post?

Also this Monday: Every Old Hymn is now #1 on the Unearthed Pop charts, and #6 overall. Things That Get Dark trails closely with #6 on the Pop charts and #18 overall. I've never been so excited by actual numbers before. Thanks, so much, for helping out to all who have.

- L

24.05.07 - Home & Hosed

Exciting things are afoot. Monday night my song 'Every Old Hymn' was played on Triple J's Home & Hosed. It would be really nice for that to happen some more.

If it pleases you, you can support my efforts to make this occur by leaving a friendly and intelligent comment on the Home & Hosed guestbook about how much you love me and how wonderful I truly am ;-)

Here's a link I prepared earlier (which hopefully, unlike the last one, will work):

http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/homeandhosed/

Love, Lu xo

14.05.07

It has just come to my attention that Every Old Hymn is a featured song this week on the Unearthed website.

I will probably have a cupcake, or a whiskey sour, or both (?) to celebrate.

When it comes down to it, I'll be content in the knowledge that you've joined me for this vexing combination from where ever you're spending this evening but if you really wanna make a girl's night you could jump on the Unearthed website and share the love a little more.

Who knows what could happen if I'm featured AND people are liking what they hear...

www.triplejunearthed.com/TheUnderstudy

Love, and love... Lucy

13.05.07

Sunday brings assortment of news. Number one is that The Understudy is finally live on Unearthed. No one knows how long this fraternisation will last so I recommend making the most of it. The Unearthed website is far less annoying than the MySpace website. Listen and rate some tunes: www.triplejunearthed.com/TheUnderstudy

Number two is the news that Like... Alaska has been added to the Cambridge gig bill, which means I'm playing a show with some of my favourite Novocastrian bands. Do come along this Friday!

30.04.07

Thanks to everyone who came to The Lucky on Friday night. Radical. Let's do it again sometime. Also, thank you Belle Curve for letting me bash on your keyboard.

In a similar vein, The Belle Curve have asked me to open for them at their EP launch on May 18 at the Cambridge Hotel. Lander Configurations will also be playing.

29.04.07

Getting pretty... with beads

23.04.07

This Friday night I am playing a show at The Lucky Country Hotel. Also playing will be The Belle Curve and Glass Army. It'll kick off around 9pm. I'd say there'll be a cover also like $5 or $6, or a green snail in a glass jar, you know, small price to pay. See you there, huh?

08.01.07

I think it is safe to assume that there will always be a long time between updates on this page. Or, maybe I will turn over a new leaf in accordance with what is required given the new year. If you're friends with me on MySpace you will know that a lot has happened regarding all things Understudy. I can condense it into five points though.

1. The replication company fucked up. Twice.
2. The CDs took until the end of November to end up at my door.
3. In between this post and the last I have decided to play Understudy shows solo until further notice.
4. I'm recording new songs on Thursday (11/01/07).
5. I'm playing a show next Wednesday at The Lucky Country, 9pm. (17/01/07).

See you soon I hope,
Lu xo

03.09.06

yesterday lauren and jen came over. lauren is a drummer. she played in the drifting over brooklyn before they existed no longer, and now she plays in like...alaska with jen. we drank beer and played my song about being seventeen a few times. we smoked malboro reds.

today laid in place measures so that when it comes time to send the master to the replicating man i will have enough money, and i will have disc art.

tomorrow i will go to the post office. in my hand will be two discs. one a master of my music, the other the artwork for the disc. i will put them in an express post bag and send them to the replicating man.

20.09.06 : hello... again

two weeks ago tomorrow i went to dB Mastering in sydney and mastered the tracks for my EP. today i got the master ready for manufacturing sent up in the mail. all i'm saying is... i smell the end of many a delay.

also, i have exactly five weeks until i finish university. for good. or... see, someone is already in my ear telling me to do a creative honours project or a research masters. that's an extra year or two in an institution to put MA in my name. and maybe i like that idea?

and finally, i am playing a show this sunday evening at the hamilton station. its a low-key affair. i'm pretty sure it's free, or close to free. be nice to see you there. xo lu.

29.08.06 : a new song on myspace

back from tour just over a week. it's old news but HT had a throat infection and had to pull out of the SOOB show. bummer. brisbane was beautiful and hot, and, had i not been fighting a battle royale with a wee flu of my own, i might have enjoyed it a little more.

newcastle brings several stacks of readings for me to catch up on. this glamorous life of mine includes bourdieu and de certeau ya know...

thanks to everyone who made my little tour so much fun for me. i feel like a real folk rocker now. xo lu.

ps there is a new tune up on myspace. love it. it loves you.

16.07.06 : EP + Tour + Holly Throsby support

The Understudy EP is all but ready for the gramaphone kids. In August two hundred, numbered copies of the soon to be renamed EP will be available for sale through this website and at shows. The sleeve will be cardboard with handcut lino print artwork. Once the 200 copies are gone there will be no more made so, as THEY say, get in early.

Also in August, Novi Split hits the east coast and I'm touring with him starting in Newcastle heading to Melbourne then up to Brisbane for a final show to be headlined by Holly Throsby. Laura Jean also of JJJ fame will be playing that show too.

02.06.06 : Fixed Website

So I made this website and then I found out it looked like butt on PCs and IE for Macs. Then I got really really sick and then uni started to wind up. I still haven't fixed the IE Mac issue but now the PC scenario is great improved. Apologies for the length of time this all has taken.

In other news I'm going to keep the updates in this section short and use the myspace blog to post a semi-regular ezine. That's my plan for the moment. We'll see how it flows. Love, Lu.

02.05.06 : New website. Woo-ooo!

If you're here it means you've reached my first attempt at designing a website for The Understudy. How fricken exciting.

Also making the news today is the fact that the postie delivered my masters and I sent them to Nick. I wrote the address incorrectly three times and used the wrong type of envelope but the lady at the post-office is really nice and helped me cheat. Love to you post-office lady.

26.04.04 : If you were me

It is the day after anzac day. yesterday i sat on a veranda with friends watched the rain and drank. later, i ran through the mall with camille and had ginger beer at the brewery.

things for the understudy at the moment are slow but rewarding. i'm organising a mini tour for early july with dates in newcastle, sydney and melbourne. this is an overwhelming thing for one person to do on their own. but its also a learning process. i'm not really complaining.

i'm halfway through the writing of two new songs. one is called figure eight. its pulsating and slow, almost a march (something new and different for me) and i've arranged it with organ, cello and drums. the second song is a proper waltz - as opposed to those pretend ones in 6/8. it doesn't have a name yet its and partly inspired by john steinbeck novels.

on the weekend i went to see the dawn collective. they are truly phenomenal musicians. just off the top of my head they are like what would happen if you combined augie march, youth group and muse. the dawn collective . check it out.

thats all from me. yesterday christopher sent the EOH masters to australia (here) and soon they'll be in the capable mixing hands of nick.

love,
lu xox