Alt-country duo Fallow Fields (Danna and Rachel Simmons) hail from the Dandenong Ranges in Victoria and I’m very pleased to be able to premiere the video clip for the title-track single (out March 18th – pre-save) from their forthcoming debut album Rocky Head Road.

“My first taste of violence was in the womb”… Some opening lines can set the scene, tell a story, and stand up and tell the listener ‘Listen up, I’ve got something to say’.  The first line from ‘Rocky Head Road’, does just that. 

On the back of an acoustic guitar, Rachel’s vocal immediately draws you into the song and its hard-hitting and emotional subject matter. The group add a snaking western/desert sound with Shane Reilly’s pedal steel a vital component of the atmosphere of the track. Most effectively, the drama is underplayed, adding to the optimism of survival and steely determination to rise above one’s situation.

The triumphant mariachi trumpet line towards the end of the song provides hope, showing that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and that the cycle of generational trauma can be broken.

Recommended for fans of Calexico, The Weeping Willows, Eilen Jewell.

As the duo explain, “‘Rocky Head Road’ explores how a family history of domestic violence can shape future generations. How do you learn to love and trust when your experiences have made you so wary? There is no shame in being a victim of domestic violence. We hope this songs’ message can help others move past the trauma that is holding them back from opening up to the people who love them.”

Fallow Fields have assembled a great team around them to bring their songs to life and spread the word about their new music. The album was mixed by Paul McKercher and mastered by William Bowden and they have respected author, journalist and publicist Stuart Coupe in their corner.

Fallow Fields play the Union Hotel in Brunswick VIC on April 7th with Cold Irons Bound and Glorious North.