Breckin

Blackwood....

beauty, nature, community, murder...this town has it all. 

I wrote the song Blackwood in one sitting, under a large tree as a summer afternoon drew to a close and finished the song as dusk settled its bruised and rose colours over the sky. 

Blackwood is a place that gets under your skin. I lived there and loved being enveloped by the forest and close-knit community. Now, I'm just a short drive away but whenever I go back it feels significant - the memories fold around me.

In the midst of dense forest, peppered with old mine shafts and wound about by the clear, running waters of the Lerdederg River is Blackwood, Victoria. Within Wurundjeri Country, Blackwood was a First Nations homeland for thousands of years, then briefly a fourth circle of Hell as gold fever drew over 13,000 diggers to cut and plunder the land. Now it is a vibrant community of creatives, families, practical folk, eccentrics and the odd (and I mean odd) recluse. 

To bring the collection of songs for this EP to life, I will record in locations around the town, working with local Blackwood sound engineer and producer, Bobby Bravington. We'll be singing and playing in some incredible sites, such as the old morgue under the pub, a renovated church hall that has become the town's main music venue, alongside Little Doaty's grave - an iconic stone in the Blackwood cemetary that keeps a sad and mysterious story and which is a few short metres from the grave of music legend and Blackwood boy, Paul Hester.

The songs themselves range from the titular folk, murder ballad, 'Blackwood', to a warm piano and choir song 'Sorry' written in solidarity with First Nations Peoples,  there is the folk-country tune 'Redlands' calling up memories of growing up on a farm in Quandamooka Country, 'While I Was Sleeping' - a traditional folk singalong protest song,  and 'The Catalyst', a rhythmic song, similar to songs by Nick Drake, which I co-wrote with Tom McGowan, another Central Highlands musician. 

When the EP is finished, I intend to launch it in Blackwood, in the beautiful church hall and release it digitally as well as making a CD keepsake. 

I'm so deeply invested in and excited about making this work on Wurundjeri Country and in such a special little community. 

I can't wait to share the stories, people and songs of Blackwood with you as the journey begins... 

Love, 

Heather (Breckin) 

Project Costs

Musician Fees:                                                                                             1,500                          

Studio Hire / Engineering / Mixing / Mastering:                                       3,500

Album Art Design                                                                                       800

Live Launch (Hall Hire/PA/Promo/Musicians)                                          1,000

Music Video and Photography                                                                 1,500

Physical Album Manufacture (CD)                                                              700

Marketing & Publicity:                                                                                 1,200

Pozible fee (5%)                                                                                           250

TOTAL COST OF EP                                                                                  10, 450

Pozible Campaign                                                                                       5,000  Thank You!

Self-Funded and Grants                                                                             5,450