From our long winter of lockdown comes a summer EP release, an uplifting collection of seven songs celebrating family, hope and home.
Helensburgh singer-songwriter Darren Coggan recorded the EP, called Dear August, with his 17-year-old daughter Olivia.
Darren has had a stellar career in country music, deliver sell-out Peace Train – The Cat Stevens Story shows around the world and is now presenting lifestyle TV show Sydney Weekender.
Olivia is a promising young singer-songwriter, writing songs for her debut release scheduled for 2022.
Darren kindly took time to tell us more.
How did the father/daughter collaboration start?
This EP, Dear August, was a result of us tying to stay positive and productive during the endless months of lockdown. I am actually very grateful for all of the quality time we had together to make this EP. It was just something to look forward to each day, singing songs and playing music – I guess it was my version of ‘Home Schooling’.
The recording started out just as a way of archiving the songs that we have sung together over the years at our family gatherings and sing-a-longs. As we began recording the songs in my home studio, it all started feeling quite special, so I sent what we had captured to my great friend and incredible musician/producer, Ben Edgar, who has worked with artists like Missy Higgins, Passenger, Angus and Julia Stone, Vika and Linda Bull. Ben loved what we were doing and offered to contribute some further instrumentation.
When we heard the finished mixes we were blown away with the results and I remember saying to Olivia, “I think we should release this for real, not just for our family, but for everyone to enjoy.”
It all came from such a beautiful place and had a real warmth and sense of positivity to it. It is undoubtedly the recording I am most proud of in my career.
The songs on the EP were songs that Olivia and I have naturally gravitated towards over the years, some of them we have been singing since Olivia was in kindy. In fact, there is a bonus track on the EP of a recording of Olivia and I singing the Kasey and Bill Chambers song Dad Do You Remember?, when Olivia was eight years old; it’s pretty cute.
Kasey Chambers and all of the Chambers clan have been very dear friends of mine for almost 30 years. They were instrumental in kick-starting my career and their support continues on this release.
Our favourite Kasey Chambers song is This Flower from her massive debut album, The Captain. This was the first song that we recorded for this EP and I sent our version to Kasey to have a listen. Next thing I know she sends me back the track with her entire band playing along and herself singing a harmony to Olivia’s vocal.
It was incredible and so typical of the person she is, always so giving and encouraging of her friends. I’ll never forget the look on Olivia’s face when she heard it, the joy that radiated was palpable and I will be eternally grateful to Kasey, Bill Chambers and Brandon Dodd for their involvement.
Best part about working with your daughter?
I just absolutely love singing with Olivia, there is something magical when you hear ‘blood’ harmonies singing together.
Both of our kids, Olivia and her older brother Gabe, have grown up being backstage in the theatres at my concerts since they were babies and I have often welcomed Olivia on stage to sing a song with me during my shows.
Since the release of our first single, Dear August, Olivia has received some high praise from our industry’s most respected performers including Adam Harvey, Felicity Urquhart, Lyn Bowtell, Beccy Cole, Ashleigh Dallas, Emma Pask and Imogen Clark.
It’s a very exciting time for her and for me to witness her excitement and be able to share the ride with her, is incredible.
The seven songs featured on the EP are all very uplifting and full of positive, universal themes and I think, in the world we live in today, being reminded that life is beautiful and to love one another is not such a bad thing.
The songs all celebrate universal themes of home, family, hope and love. These past two years have been a time to reflect on things that are important to us and a timely reminder not to take anyone or anything for granted, to tell the ones we love that we love them, because one day we will all look up from our phones and life will have passed us by.
Olivia found the title track song, ‘Dear August’, and when I heard her sing it, I was completely moved by the lyrics and the vulnerability in Olivia’s voice. It’s like a prayer for hope for a better world, that there will be sunshine after the rain and a reassurance that things will get better. It seemed so timely and appropriate… the hope that next month, things will be better: ‘Dear August, tell me that there’s light at the end of all these starless nights.’
How do you feel about your children following in your footsteps?
My wife and I are incredibly proud of both Olivia and Gabe, they are both extremely creative.
Gabe is in his second year at AFTRS (Australian Film & Television Radio School) studying cinematography. Gabe is going to be shooting our first film clip for the single Dear August very soon which is exciting.
Olivia has really embraced her talent and worked hard on her craft this past year. She is currently a student in the prestigious Talent Development Project, an institution that has nurtured artists including The McClymonts, Felicity Urquhart, Arlo Sim, Brad Cox, Morgan Evans and indeed myself, who graduated in the very first class in 1992.
Olivia was also recently a participant in Kasey Chambers’ first ‘Creative Music & Songwriting day camp’ and it was truly overwhelming for me to witness her perform her own songs to one of our industry’s most successful artists and have Kasey applaud and sing Olivia’s praise, as a parent, it was a day I’ll never forget.
I am very happy for both our kids to be exploring careers in the entertainment industry. The music industry has been so incredibly rewarding for me and if I can help steer Gabe and Olivia in the right direction and give them some guidance… then hopefully they can also find great fulfillment within the arts.
The ‘Dear August’ EP is available via digital platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music, and the CD can be bought at www.darrencoggan.com