Heath Cullen
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Heath Cullen

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Heath Cullen

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Media enquiries for Europe/UK:
Contact Peter Holmstedt at peter.holmstedt@telia.com
www.hemifran.com

Media enquiries for Australia, NZ and North America:
info(at)heathcullen(dot)com

Download Press Release

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Photo by Brian Rapsey

Downloadable Print Quality Photos by Robbie Jeffers

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Heath side
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Heath tunnel 5 by Robbie Jeffers
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Heath candelabra side
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Heath candelabra

Older Downloadable Print Quality Photos

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 photo by Heath Cullen
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photo by Eryca Green
photo by Eryca Green
photo by Eryca Green
photo by Eryca Green

PRAISE FOR “SPRINGTIME IN THE HEART” (2020)

“Somewhere between a prayer and a creed… a reminder of the power of music and song to carry truths and inspiration” - FOLKRADIO.CO.UK

“Among the best works of 2020” - MESCALINA.IT

“Super righteous… Cullen’s songs have the heft of the past pushing the wind at the sails, invoking a period when most things were still unknown and the future was a question waiting to be answered. His songs thrive on timelessness, and the possibility of love. This is music meant to be heard away from the noise of everything else, in a place far from the glare and closer to grace.” -BILL BENTLEY, BENTLEY’S BANDSTAND

“The album was recorded in a number of first and second takes to keep the spontaneity that occurs when the recording is not overthought or multi-layered… That energy flows through the album and the pairing of the producer artist and player are a perfect match for all concerned… including the listener, who can’t fail to take in the artistry and humanity involved. Kudos to all involved in an album we can all take to heart.” - LONESOME HIGHWAY

 

praise for "OUTSIDERS" (2015)

"One of the finest Australian rock albums I've had the pleasure to encounter in quite some time.. Outsiders.. is the work of a man well on top of his game. With the self assured thrust of Elvis Costello's Imposters, Pete Thomas, Davey Faragher and Steve Nieve to hold the whole thing aloft, a set of tunes worthy of the union and his captivating presence holding his own with these versatile veterans, (Cullen) manages to pull off what is one of the most inspired rock albums to hit my ears for quite some time. Great songs every one, full of imaginative lyrical turns, tunes that stick in your head for days, ensemble playing to die for (including his own imaginative guitar work) and a distinctive voice and delivery to stitch it all together." - KIM CHESHIRE, RHYTHMS MAGAZINE

 

"Heath Cullen has it right. If you're going to hire the Imposters, Elvis Costello's longest running backing crew, give them meat on which to feast and give them room. Cullen's songs allow him, on guitar, and the "borrowed" band to work up earthy atmospheres that feel wholly relaxed... Cullen's voice sounding lived in, with more than a touch of Tom Waits. There's typically no fuss about the rhythm section.. they land everything perfectly and Nieve is given his head on occasion and his flourishes sparkle." - BERNARD ZUEL, THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

 

"In his new book Elvis Costello extols the virtues of his band The Attractions. As you would, since they squeezed out the sparks in some of the most memorable shows/records of the late 1970s and '80s. Drummer Pete Thomas and keys man Steve Nieve, now with bassist Davey Faragher, are still Costello's go-to guys, which makes securing them as the band for his latest album quite a coup for Australian songwriter Cullen. Nieve's unmistakeable Farfisa organ bubbles away merrily on Another Blue World; Two Left Feet is a Jerry Lee Lewis rocker with Nieve hammering the ivories in the style of the master. Who'll Ring The Bell is a Tom Waits-esque tale that feels like it is drifting from the doorway of a bar, circa 3am. In black and white. This band of pros always plays the song rather than the singer, adding gravitas to songs like Bob Dylan-esque The Stranger, gently caressing the country-rock heartbreak of One for The Road and the cover of Robyn Hitchcock's Flanagan's Song. FOUR STARS" - NOEL MENGEL, THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

 

"(Cullen) remains one of the country’s criminally underrated songwriters and performers; for this record, he linked up with Elvis Costello‘s band, The Imposters, to record Outsiders in two days out of Sing Sing Studios in Melbourne. The ambition and confidence behind a creative move such as this comes through on the album, easily one of the best releases from Cullen we’ve heard thus far. The music is demonstrative of a writer in a creatively thriving period of his career and the band (Steve Nieve, Davey Faragher and Pete Thomas) comes in not as any type of ‘guest feature’, but the perfect piece to complete the puzzle. The final result? A stunning and raw presentation of songs that give fans another look at Cullen’s engaging and vivid songwriting skills." THE AU REVIEW
 

 

"This is surely the disc which will finally break Heath Cullen in Australia, and the hearts of women everywhere. Hugely talented (Cullen produced the disc, and it sounds just lush and fine and crisp), the man has a knack of gathering like-minded musicians who just happen to share his dark and mystical streak.

Outsiders is Cullen’s third LP, and this time he’s working with - get this - Elvis Costello’s band, The Imposters. Pete Thomas, Steve Nieve and Davey Faragher have all pitched in (and the result is mighty); significantly, this is the first time The Imposters have worked with any other singer.

Cullen, in fact, could give ol’ Declan a run for his money. "Outsiders" is very much an album which has part of its soul here in Australia, but because it is essentially a road album, a finger-snapping, feet-twisting dancin’ dark blues album. "Outsiders" belongs to the world and it’s hard to conceive, in the light of repeated listens (I couldn’t help it) of a radio station squawking against constant airplay. Once more I reiterate, we live in a golden age of music, and the majors are running scared of the talent, clinging to the old stuff like moss clings to a rock that’s long stopped rolling.

We all know that tedious hip community radio station which plays that angry yelly stuff. We also know that we’re not always in the mood for that. And in twenty years time we won’t want to hear all that yelly stuff unless we were in the crowd or part of that scene for its entire life of two years … we’ll be wanting to hear albums like "Outsiders", so we can listen, dance, moan, recall lost possibilities and fuck until our heart gives out.

Pester the man and get him to tour your town. FIVE STARS" i94bar.com

 

"A great songwriter and storyteller... one of Australia’s most talented guitarists... his vocals are rugged, his approach to playing peppered with grit and drenched in soul. Seeing Heath and his band perform is such a fulfilling experience for any fan of the non-distilled blues, rock n roll." CITYMAG

 

"Roaming a breadth of emotional territory, Cullen has some fun.. this album really hums. I advise outsiders to Cullen to open the door and let him romance you. He'll give you new things to think about. FOUR STARS" - ARNE SJOSTEDT, THE CANBERRA TIMES

 

"Gorgeously raw" PHILIP WHITE, DRINKSTER

 

"Authentic... Engaging... Heartfelt... Cullen mines a well where names such as Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen float to the surface. Guitar chops are front and centre on his third solo outing... and his voice shifts from a seductive whisper (the Cohen-esque Who’ll Ring the Bell?, One For the Road) to a more urgent Americana twang (Another Blue World)." - IAIN SHEDDEN, WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN

 

"He's an incredible songwriter & lyricist. OUTSIDERS is high up on our 'Album of the Year' list here at Basement Discs. The album is a cracker." THE BASEMENT DISCS, MELBOURNE AUS

 

"The sessions in Australia were very pleasurable, and the songs Heath asked us to collaborate on were cool too. What can I tell you about him? He is a wonderful songwriter, a genuine and thoughtful soul, musician with a real love for old guitars and amps, not a lot of technology on his musical landscapes, sings with real passion in his voice. I love his previous record with Marc Ribot, Silver Wings is often on in my car when I’m racing down the German Autobahn." STEVE NIEVE, TRUST THE WIZARDS

 

Live Reviews

"There’s something about Cullen. Something absorbing. That whole tall, dark and handsome stranger get-up and princely stage presence he exudes leaves punters’ eyes following him about the raised Northcote platform wherever he moves. And the show is suave and captivating .. that proves once more the integrity and musical bones that reverberate throughout Cullen. The gent is a genuine troubadour" RHYTHMS

 

"The strength of Cullen’s songwriting is the vividness of his lyrics, his turns-of-phrase that sit somewhere between Paul Kelly and Neil Finn. With references to dusty-town Australia – blackened cornfields, magpies, trucks dropping to 80 before speeding off again – he imbues slight and casual observations with sad profundity. The title track from his last album, The Still And The Steep, was his set’s ominous highlight, played like a lovely, broken tango." - The BRAG

 

praise for "the still and the steep" (2013)

 "The Still and the Steep, Cullen's second album, features a superstar band comprising Jim Keltner (the "drummer's drummer" who has worked with just about anyone who matters, including in one of the modern era's great superbands, the Traveling Wilburys), guitarist Marc Ribot (Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, John Zorn) and bassist Larry Taylor (perhaps most notably from legendary blues outfit Canned Heat, but also an important part of the Waits story).

Put this four-piece up against a collection of exquisite songs that range from understated blues-rock ballads to old-fashioned tremolo-tinged country tunes, and lyrics of love and loss, and you've got a winner. The album opener, From Father to Son, sets the tone like a road trip heading out of town at daybreak, nothing ahead but empty plains and cloudless skies.

Cullen hails from the southeast NSW town of Candelo.. It must be something in the water, or else there's some pretty vivid dreams being had in that placid valley of theirs.

Either way, this sparkles. 4 STARS" THE WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN

 

"A remarkable talent nourished from a singular stance.. He plows fertile terrain, areas mined by lingering memories and venerable circumstance. The Still and the Steep is nothing less than remarkable, a recording that ought to bring Cullen the extensive audience he deserves." NO DEPRESSION 

 

"EXCEPTIONAL" 4 STARS - STACK / JB HIFI MAGAZINE

 

"Rich in metaphor and narrative – as its own instrument, the vocal sometimes hangs over the music, at others slots deep in the spacious and detailed groove. Feels like the musings of a part dandy, love-lorn traveller taking a moment in the midst of some under-populated, rocky landscape to think – "what more does a man need? 4.5 STARS" THE CANBERRA TIMES

 

".. Nothing short of astonishing. The recording showcases Cullen’s talents as a writer, guitarist and singer, one whose work projects an eclectic musical sensibility, but one that still has the cohesion necessary to firmly stamp the name “Cullen” on his songbook." UNPAVED

 

 "The Still and the Steep is a mesmerising album, one of hushed eloquence and world weary wisdom. It’s an album that’s tinged with melancholy, but not excessively so. The album has grabbed me from the first listen, whether it be due to Cullen’s half whispered vocal, or the beautiful poetic poignancy of his lyricism. 8.6/10 STARS" THE AU REVIEW

 

"The album sounds incredible, inhaling and exhaling with all the space and texture of a T-Bone (Burnett) production. (Tom) Waits also emerges as a palpable influence on tracks like ‘The Prettiest Horses’ (though perhaps that’s just Ribot’s influence?). Elsewhere, Cullen sounds like he’s been listening to my favourite Texan, Sam Baker, in the half-spoken, half-sung eloquent cogency of ‘Silver Wings’, a powerful album highlight.

Cullen has managed to secure a strikingly cohesive tone to the album, both in sound and content. The Still And The Steep very much unfolds like a genuine album, each song a new chapter to a whole. The unhurried, spacious musical landscape and Cullen’s knack for conjuring intrigue with words makes for mesmerising listening from beginning to end." RHYTHMS MAGAZINE

 

 "The best thing from down under since Nick Cave" REVERB MUSIC BLOG, SWITZERLAND

 

"This is a place of spacious myth, cursed missives and slippery experience. Heath Cullen transmits the yearning strength of a casual observer who's been yanked into this world by magnetic, if shadowy figures. It's a diverse LP. In places, you may detect a sense of reserve in Heath Cullen's approach and delivery. Elsewhere, the commitment is full-throated. He rises to the occasion and hammers this album home. Buy it today. Listen to it, and listen again. Rewards come early and continue to flow."  ABC 720, WA

 

"Everyone knows stars often have humble beginnings. The Beatles were at the Cavern, Nick Cave was at the Tiger Room, INXS were at a mining camp and Richard Branson was a git. But you don't always expect to walk in and see the process in motion.. How can you write a song called "Fullerton's Bridge" and make it beautiful? This man can. He sings about promises and makes it sound unique, his stories are segments of a film you saw last week. He has a gloriously controlled voice and a restrained sense of mischief. His guitar is gloriously articulate and carefully structured, yet liquid, rich and flowing. He shows off just the once - in the last song, and even then he involves the band so much it's beautiful. How many damn good guitarists have the restraint and intelligence to do that? Heath Cullen is a star." i94bar.com

 

"A whole conversation in every line of song.. words delivered like whispered asides at a public bar. " BMA MAGAZINE

 

 

PRAISE FOR "A STORM WAS COMING BUT I DIDN'T FEEL NOTHING" (2010)

“Heath Cullen and The 45’s debut A Storm Was Coming But I Didn’t Feel Nothing (2010) unsurprisingly echoes its recording environment. Tender guitars and waltzing accordion form sombre melodies that garland Heath’s lingering baritone while he whispers intimate, imagery-rich laments. The songs are sparse and often disquieting, stirring up small-town yearning and regret, and sit on the same shelf as Gareth Liddiard’s and Glenn Richards’ in their brutally aching beauty. Australian balladeers have a long history of being influenced by isolation and Heath Cullen is no different.“ - BMA Magazine, July 2012

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“Featuring 10 atmospheric songs of love and loss, the album is a study in space, texture and melodic beauty..” - The Canberra Times, April 2010

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“..an homage of sorts, with subtle references to several songs, artfully propagated and twisted into one new and original creation, in a manner that'd make latter day Dylan proud..” - Soulshine.com.au

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“You’d be hard pushed to find six such talented folk in a city the size of Melbourne, let alone such a tiny village. And it might just be my romantic imagination, but i fancy i can hear the slow-paced isolation breathing through Cullen’s music - the recordings always seem intimate, whether they’re barely whispered acoustic songs or sweeping rock odes.” - Martin Jones, Rhythms Magazine, June 2010

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“Heath Cullen and The 45 sound like the country sound (has been) passed along and expanded, with roaring organs and louder-than-hell drums.. dark blues that took me right back to the days of Bonnie Prince Billy’s “I See A Darkness”... there was no doubt they were veterans of the local scene, if ever there was one..” - Nathan Roche, The AU Review

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“When you’re used to the deep moving chronicles that partner indie-folk, the raw attention of psychedelic rock or the purely stiff vibrations of the electro-nightmare we now live in, it’s difficult to become invested in the lo-fi sounds that stream from this album, let alone begin to understand the sheer genius and amount of labour it takes to make songs sound (this) simple, clean and settled... there is a somewhat haunting feeling that comes from this album, and maybe even Cullen’s baritone...the clever musicality of Cullen’s songs somehow playfully mock(ing) the lyrics in his love-torn ballads..” - Brittany Waller, Musicfeeds.com.au

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“This album has a very apt title – and that’s not to say that one’s expectations are not lived up to, more that the songs on Heath Cullen’s latest album have a storm brewing underneath, but the emotional effects are never over-explored ... not devoid of its direct country song references, broken hearts, lots of imagery of water and drowning... And the band Cullen has assembled do his songs terrific justice – particularly the hauntingly spare Woke With The Birds and the very Gold-era Ryan Adams Break My Heart. He’s not bad with a heart-breaker actually, Kathleen is a snowy and wistful traveller, pitter-patter piano and subtly shimmering guitars dictating Cullen’s lonesome journey.. (And) the sound of everything is fantastic – a tapey saturation compliments the band’s performance and Cullen’s spoony, Fred Neil-esq baritone...” - Aidan Roberts, Alternative Media Group

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“A storm was coming but i didn’t feel nothing is a remarkably assured debut, distinguished by Cullen’s feeling for space, texture and melody.  The music, with its roots in blues, folk, country and late Sixties rock’n’roll, is played with an all-too-rare warmth and sensitivity.  These are songs in no hurry to unfold, seemingly suspending time in their best moments.  Gently fingerpicked, broken-hearted laments such as Kathleen and Woke With the Birds are standouts, effortlessly conjuring small-town claustrophobia and regret.  Cullen’s voice, sounding somehow young and old at the same time, is a wonderfully effective instrument, especially his falsetto for the simmering tension of Bad Weather.  The beautiful Here Above the Dirt, about a man about to face his final moment, unfolds with the grace and depth of a performer twice Cullen’s age...” - David Curry, Times2 Magazine, April 2010

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Heath Cullen is a name that's certainly not new to the scene. His guitar work has been around for the past decade, and appeared on numerous independent records, including on Jackie Marshall's latest outing "Ladies' Luck". With the aide of his own band The 45, Heath Cullen branches out and carves his own unique territory with a strong debut album in "A Storm Was Coming But I Didn't Feel Nothing".

Though rooted to some extent in alt-country, folk and rock, the album is adventurous, not afraid to dabble in whatever style evokes the required mood. A seasoned career as a backing musician has allowed Cullen to achieve this sort of mishmash of sounds with the confidence and restraint it requires.  There are easy comparisons to the approach of an Andrew Bird or the vocals of Beck (Sea Change era) in the album, and Cullen has tied this sort of low-key approach together with a strong instrumental backing. Musically, "A Storm Was Coming..." is a rich affair. The arrangements are given room to breath and settle into the stunning tapestry in a way that means the flourishes of several guitars -- and often several leads -- are interwoven without clashing. The duelling lead guitars on the short and sharp Break My Heart is a defining moment in the album's instrumentation, and with this southern rock flair laid over the top of a 60s-era rock rhythm complete with liberal use of the Hammond organ is a recurring theme throughout the album.

The album paces itself, taking its time in a way that allows seemingly incongruous songs to slide in perfectly alongside one another. From Your Love Is The Sea to Tryin' To Stay Afloat, nautical theme aside, these two tracks couldn't share less in common. One a distant love song, the other a lurching shanty from a dilapidated seaside carnival. Yet allowed to each settle in for a sojourner that means when one ends and the other begins, they speak for themselves, not each other. It's with this approach that a the pure ragtime instrumental Shepherd's Pie finds a home on the album and even acts as a surprisingly fitting segue into the upbeat pop rock of Kitchen Song.

The imagery in the lyrics completes "A Storm Was Coming...", ranging from love-torn ballads ("Go on, break my heart, but don't take your time" - Break My Heart) to the wistful and nostalgic (Fullerton's Bridge) to pleasant minutia ("I love to sit together in the dark, singin' them ol' John Prine songs, singin' Guy Clark" - Kitchen Song).

There are moments throughout that appear to evoke the songwriting of Tom Waits; such lines as "Never ask the barber if you need a haircut / Never grab a snake by the tail" (Tryin' To Stay Afloat) flow like snippets of Waitsian wisdom, and the closing track Here Above The Dirt feels like an homage of sorts, with subtle references to several songs, artfully propagated and twisted into one new and original creation, in a manner that'd make latter day Dylan proud.

"A Storm Was Coming But I Didn't Feel Nothing" is a truly solid debut from a talented songwriter with an equally talented group of musicians backing him. Heath Cullen and The 45 have set the bar very high with a debut release that perfectly balances the fine line between cohesive and eclectic. 4/5 stars- Richard Wilson, Soulshine.com.au, April 2010

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LISTEN HERE:

SPRINGTIME IN THE HEART (2020)

OUTSIDERS (2015)

THE STILL AND THE STEEP (2013)

A STORM WAS COMING BUT I DIDN'T FEEL NOTHING (2010)

HEATH ON INSTAGRAM:

Three very special shows with @kevinwelchmusic this weekend, we hope to see you there! Tickets in bio 
@qirkz_hunter 
@heritagehotelbulli 
@rhqbn 
@code_one_music
Wallaga / Gulaga 🖤
Some December shows coming up in NSW, in duo song-swap mode with my good brother @kevinwelchmusic. We’ll be hitting the Hunter Valley, Bulli and Queanbeyan on this run, and we would dearly love to see you there. 

For ticket bookings follow the
#theroadtowork
Looking forward to one of my favourite festivals this February, swapping songs in duo mode with my brother @kevinwelchmusic. See you there?

#Repost @cobargofolkfestival 
・・・
FIRST ROUND ANNOUNCEMENT

Small Festivals are where it all happens with a b
recollections, reflections.
heavy Levon vibes happening over here.
old growth, old friends. 

#1925martin0018 #1902blüthner
tuning my 1950s Hammond F100 with a hammer & screwdriver.
/ the work.

just wrapped up a very inspiring week in the studio producing a new album for the incredible @isabel.rumble… stay tuned.

v. grateful to @robynmartinmusic @benji_fowler @fourwindsau @southeastarts @regionalartsnsw
the road to work /

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