They say you often to need to go back to where you started to find out how far you’ve come. And in the case of Sydney band Falls – now based in Los Angeles – they spent much of this week doing just that. The folk duo, then known as The Falls, got their start performing weekly at the Hollywood Hotel in Surry Hills, growing their name as well as their Folk Club brand before moving onto the Oxford Art Factory and the Soda Factory in its later years. And with the imminent release of their debut LP, it seemed only appropriate that they would return to its walls and receive would be best described as a heroes welcoming.
Selling out three straight nights at the venue, the duo teased tracks off their forthcoming debut LP Omaha, alongside old favourites like “Home”. The new music was recorded about as far from home as they could get – in Omaha, Nebraska of all places – at a studio run by Bright Eyes’ Mike Mogis and Conor Oberst. The new music features strings and harmonica throughout, and though the strings were absent in these performances, the harmonica did make an appearance courtesy of the very man who recorded on the album.
Their third and final show wrapped up last night, appropriately, with an encore of the song inspired by the venue itself, “Hollywood”, the title track off their debut EP. Which, as they pointed out, was released after they finished up their run of shows at the intimate venue. So as much as this place inspired so much of their earliest music, it was the first time they’d returned since they had recorded it. As they left the stage, Melinda Kirwin commented on how much it meant to them to be returning to the venue, remarking “I never want to play another venue again”.
Given they’ll be flying to Washington DC tomorrow, ahead of more shows across the USA – including a night at the iconic Wiltern in Los Angeles – unfortunately that wish is unlikely to come true. Still, I imagine the Hollywood would have them back anytime.
Omaha will be released on October 2nd.
Follow the band on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/FALLSofficial
