Local music legend Steve Balbi is gearing up to unveil the reworked version of his stunning and acclaimed debut solo album Black Rainbow, this Friday May 13.
Titled Rainbow Black [the surreal edition], this new release sees Balbi take the songs from the original 2012 release and turned them completely on their head.
With his recent signing to the killer Australian Label Golden Robot Records and the announcement of a Sydney Opera House show, it’s fair to say Balbi has some pretty exciting things on the horizon.
To celebrate this recent singing and the release of Rainbow Black, Steve has kindly penned a track by track run down of the LP which you can check out below along with the stream of the record. Check it all out below and if you like what you’re hearing pop by Steve’s Facebook page for more info.
Protection
This song is about wanting to really live, feel, risk, before I die; and learn to love like I never did, and appreciate the simple things. I had always lived such a self-centred life, in my early rock n roll days.
I pretty much didn’t care about anyone or anything and of course I paid the price, and it nearly cost me my life. I have come a long way since those days and my path is now true. However, I will always need protection from my thinking and my default settings, and I found my protection in you.
Not like you as in you literally, if you know what I mean? So then you may ask “who is you”? Or, “what is you”? Well I believe we all have a “you”, it’s just up to you to work out who for you is. WTF.
What Do You Do
Ok, this song is ultimately about friendship. I guess there is a bit of a theme to this album as it really was a purging and cleaning up of the mess after my war. BLACK RAINBOW is about survival and the fact that I know – for a fact – if you never give up there is a pot of gold at the end of even a Black Rainbow.
This song was written after seeing a friend that suffers from depression and on the brink of suicide. [It’s OK, I will write a happy ending]. It’s so hard for me to understand, as I have never felt depressed – even on the bones of my ass I’ve never wanted to end it all. I gave her situation some thought and it really moved me. I felt compelled to offer a song, I wish it was a solution, but I’m not that naive. All I could give was this song and my friendship, I’m not sure either really helped. My friend is still alive.
I Found You
This song was the first I’d ever written clean and sober, kind of an awakening, the beginning of my real life at 36 years of age. I felt this song – even though it was quite an old song – needed to be on the album for symbolic reasons.
The surreal version of this song is very warped, you would swear I was on drugs ha! But I’ve been abstinent for 17 years now.
From Love To Dust
This is one of my favourite songs on the album. I wrote this song after the break-up of a band I had formed with a good mate Scott Aplin, called Move Trees. We had put so much love, time, effort and money into this project and all of a sudden a few of the boys thought – being in a band touring for no money, rehearsing, spending time away from your loved ones – for no return, it’s not what was needed in their lives.
I couldn’t believe it, what? I am terminally optimistic when it comes to music and I really thought we could break this band. Maybe I was naive in this case. I eventually learnt that if you play the music you love, with the people you love, there can be no mistakes.
This song helped me to process, let go and understand the other guys’ positions, and move on with gratitude for the time we had and the music we made. If you’re interested to hear Move Trees, there is an EP you can pick up from Golden Robot Records. Enjoy.
Apple Tree
This is my pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Upcoming Shows
Thursday May 12
Lizotte’s Newcastle
Tickets: available here
Friday May 13
The Sydney Opera House
Tickets: available here
