On the Road - all about touring with Shaunagh Furlong, Jen Sholakis and Bree Hartley.
By Nat Grant. First published in Drumscene Magazine in 2017
Shaunagh Furlong, photo by Tony Proudfoot.
On the Road
Is going on tour the epitome of a musical dream life or is it really not all we imagine it to be? Long days, long nights, endless time spent in cramped vans and buses - is it worth it? Melbourne drummers Shaunagh Furlong, Jen Sholakis and Bree Hartley share some thoughts and experiences from their time travelling around Australia and the world playing music.
Shaunagh Furlong, drummer for Rootrat and previously drummer for Dead River, says she cut her teeth playing along to the Stooges, AC/DC and Probot in her St Kilda apartment. “I definitely have a preference for volume and guitars when I’m drumming,” she says. “I'm pretty straight ahead rock n roll – I like it loud, loose and low. So I guess I bring that; volume, trash and intensity.”
Shaunagh toured the US west coast in 2013 with the band Dead River. “We were lucky enough to secure a touring grant from Arts Australia”, she says, “which paid for our flights and van hire, as well as a run of CDs and t-shirts that we had made in America for the tour. It all happened very quickly and was one of the most exciting days of my band life, receiving the letter of acceptance and finding out we were going on tour!”
“Playing in America has obvious benefits” she says, “and I was lucky to have the opportunity to meet and play with some great drummers while on tour, including Patty Schemel from Hole, Murph from Dinosaur Jnr, and Adrienne Davies from Earth, who is utterly mind-blowing to watch. One of the other highlights was finding a super rare Ludwig kit (26, 18, 14) and buying it from the Breeders drummer, Jose Medeles at his Revival Drum Shop, Portland. I took the kit home with me on the plane for just $86, a steal compared to shipping costs.”
Shaunagh recalls “the coolest place music has taken me has to be Tower Bar in San Diego - a tiny little punk rock venue on the outskirts of town. My old band Dead River played there as part of an American tour we did in 2013 and we had the BEST night - it was amazing. It was so tough in there we actually feared for our lives when we first we arrived … the drums were delivered to the venue in the back of a 1973 El Camino … a bunch of local bikers who had seen us play in Australia came and bought all of our t-shirts and EP’s … it was perfect.”
Speaking about her decision to take up the drums in the first place, Shaunagh says “it’s the most fun instrument! Until you have to take them somewhere,” and sourcing the right gear when travelling can mean making compromises. “Little things, like missing a cymbal stand (or 3) and using a kick pedal that was sloppy or busted had a real impact on my playing.” She’s also had some great experiences though, “like having a fellow drummer lend me gear and drum tech for me at our Seattle and Olympia shows … she totally looked after me.”
Is going on tour the epitome of a musical dream life or is it really not all we imagine it to be? Long days, long nights, endless time spent in cramped vans and buses - is it worth it? Melbourne drummers Shaunagh Furlong, Jen Sholakis and Bree Hartley share some thoughts and experiences from their time travelling around Australia and the world playing music.
Shaunagh Furlong, drummer for Rootrat and previously drummer for Dead River, says she cut her teeth playing along to the Stooges, AC/DC and Probot in her St Kilda apartment. “I definitely have a preference for volume and guitars when I’m drumming,” she says. “I'm pretty straight ahead rock n roll – I like it loud, loose and low. So I guess I bring that; volume, trash and intensity.”
Shaunagh toured the US west coast in 2013 with the band Dead River. “We were lucky enough to secure a touring grant from Arts Australia”, she says, “which paid for our flights and van hire, as well as a run of CDs and t-shirts that we had made in America for the tour. It all happened very quickly and was one of the most exciting days of my band life, receiving the letter of acceptance and finding out we were going on tour!”
“Playing in America has obvious benefits” she says, “and I was lucky to have the opportunity to meet and play with some great drummers while on tour, including Patty Schemel from Hole, Murph from Dinosaur Jnr, and Adrienne Davies from Earth, who is utterly mind-blowing to watch. One of the other highlights was finding a super rare Ludwig kit (26, 18, 14) and buying it from the Breeders drummer, Jose Medeles at his Revival Drum Shop, Portland. I took the kit home with me on the plane for just $86, a steal compared to shipping costs.”
Shaunagh recalls “the coolest place music has taken me has to be Tower Bar in San Diego - a tiny little punk rock venue on the outskirts of town. My old band Dead River played there as part of an American tour we did in 2013 and we had the BEST night - it was amazing. It was so tough in there we actually feared for our lives when we first we arrived … the drums were delivered to the venue in the back of a 1973 El Camino … a bunch of local bikers who had seen us play in Australia came and bought all of our t-shirts and EP’s … it was perfect.”
Speaking about her decision to take up the drums in the first place, Shaunagh says “it’s the most fun instrument! Until you have to take them somewhere,” and sourcing the right gear when travelling can mean making compromises. “Little things, like missing a cymbal stand (or 3) and using a kick pedal that was sloppy or busted had a real impact on my playing.” She’s also had some great experiences though, “like having a fellow drummer lend me gear and drum tech for me at our Seattle and Olympia shows … she totally looked after me.”
Jen Sholakis photo by Daniel Oh
Indie Rock drummer Jen Sholakis has played for Jen Cloher since 2003, and is currently working on a new album with her as well as with the East Brunswick All Girls Choir, a project they've been involved with since 2011. In 2015 Jen was the drummer for the Melbourne Festival tribute to Patti Smith's Horses record for it's 40th anniversary, with feature artists including Courtney Barnett, Jen Cloher, Adalita and Gareth Liddiard.
Jen has been touring on and off since 2003 - mostly across Australia, but in 2009 toured Europe with singer/songwriter Laura Jean. “We organised it all ourselves and booked all the shows and carried our gear on trains with backpacks and high hopes and dreams,” they said. “And we didn't have any Internet on our phones then, because you couldn't get international sim cards with data included. So we kept getting lost and had to walk heaps with all this heavy gear.”
Touring in the digital age has definitely made it much easier to book venues, support acts, publicise gigs and organize hire gear and transport. “Social media has been a huge help for me.” Says Jen. “Mostly it's helped me get in touch/stay in touch with other bands and musicians I've toured and played with. And so they might think of me when they're looking for a drummer, because I'm kinda in their face every day.”
Jen's favourite tour so far “would have to be the Milk Records one we did in March this year. Every band on the label went along in a big school bus. It was like 3 weeks of school camp with your best buddies but there were no adults there to tell us what to do. Also we got three days off in the middle and spent it at a caravan park/resort. It was like a retirement village and all your friends were there. We played tennis, swam at the beach and in the heated pool for 3 days straight. That was the most time off I've had in years.”
Being on the road can have its low points too, but “in terms of lows,” they said, “even the lows you get when touring are pretty high.” The thing they find most difficult is balancing being away on tour and maintaining a day job for the in between times. “It's been really hard juggling touring and surviving over the past 13 years, since I started playing as a ‘professional’" they said. “I've constantly had casual jobs that have allowed me to be flexible, work-wise. I've taught drums in the past. I've been one of those koalas who walk around with a bucket to try and raise money for the environment. I worked at Maton Guitars for a while. I've worked in radio. I was a dog groomer for about a year. I was a cabinetmaker for a year. I've slaved in call centres. Currently I work at Milk Records one day a week (managing the online store), I also walk dogs and work in an office.”
Years of gigging and touring have taught Jen to bring their own stool whenever drums are supplied for a gig. “I wish I'd thought of it sooner,” they said. “So many times I've been (supplied with) a stool that doesn't change height, or has one of those tractor seats, or worse - a backrest! Best thing I've done in years is start bringing my own stool. The devil you know… That sort of thing.” The only major gripe Jen has with sharing backlines for festivals is “over complicated hardware … with thousands of locking nuts and all this extra stuff you don't need. Who needs that when it's for backline? It just makes it heavy and clunky and takes longer to re-adjust. When you're sharing backline, there should be a rule of no locking nuts.”
Indie Rock drummer Jen Sholakis has played for Jen Cloher since 2003, and is currently working on a new album with her as well as with the East Brunswick All Girls Choir, a project they've been involved with since 2011. In 2015 Jen was the drummer for the Melbourne Festival tribute to Patti Smith's Horses record for it's 40th anniversary, with feature artists including Courtney Barnett, Jen Cloher, Adalita and Gareth Liddiard.
Jen has been touring on and off since 2003 - mostly across Australia, but in 2009 toured Europe with singer/songwriter Laura Jean. “We organised it all ourselves and booked all the shows and carried our gear on trains with backpacks and high hopes and dreams,” they said. “And we didn't have any Internet on our phones then, because you couldn't get international sim cards with data included. So we kept getting lost and had to walk heaps with all this heavy gear.”
Touring in the digital age has definitely made it much easier to book venues, support acts, publicise gigs and organize hire gear and transport. “Social media has been a huge help for me.” Says Jen. “Mostly it's helped me get in touch/stay in touch with other bands and musicians I've toured and played with. And so they might think of me when they're looking for a drummer, because I'm kinda in their face every day.”
Jen's favourite tour so far “would have to be the Milk Records one we did in March this year. Every band on the label went along in a big school bus. It was like 3 weeks of school camp with your best buddies but there were no adults there to tell us what to do. Also we got three days off in the middle and spent it at a caravan park/resort. It was like a retirement village and all your friends were there. We played tennis, swam at the beach and in the heated pool for 3 days straight. That was the most time off I've had in years.”
Being on the road can have its low points too, but “in terms of lows,” they said, “even the lows you get when touring are pretty high.” The thing they find most difficult is balancing being away on tour and maintaining a day job for the in between times. “It's been really hard juggling touring and surviving over the past 13 years, since I started playing as a ‘professional’" they said. “I've constantly had casual jobs that have allowed me to be flexible, work-wise. I've taught drums in the past. I've been one of those koalas who walk around with a bucket to try and raise money for the environment. I worked at Maton Guitars for a while. I've worked in radio. I was a dog groomer for about a year. I was a cabinetmaker for a year. I've slaved in call centres. Currently I work at Milk Records one day a week (managing the online store), I also walk dogs and work in an office.”
Years of gigging and touring have taught Jen to bring their own stool whenever drums are supplied for a gig. “I wish I'd thought of it sooner,” they said. “So many times I've been (supplied with) a stool that doesn't change height, or has one of those tractor seats, or worse - a backrest! Best thing I've done in years is start bringing my own stool. The devil you know… That sort of thing.” The only major gripe Jen has with sharing backlines for festivals is “over complicated hardware … with thousands of locking nuts and all this extra stuff you don't need. Who needs that when it's for backline? It just makes it heavy and clunky and takes longer to re-adjust. When you're sharing backline, there should be a rule of no locking nuts.”
Bree Hartley
Bree Hartley is mostly involved in the Americana/alt.country scene. “I probably feel the most comfortable there in term of my playing style,” she says. “I’m not a flashy player – I’m most interested in the feel and serving the song the best I can.” Bree plays with Tracy McNeil & The GoodLife as well as Dan Parsons. “They’re my two main gigs,” she says, “then I just pick up fill-in gigs, one-off shows or session work as they pop up.”
Bree is currently on tour with Tracy McNeil, and also performed on Tracy’s album tours in 2012 and 2014. For her, the perks of life on the road include “the shows, the feedback, the people you meet along the way, the late night conversations, the laughter, the in-jokes, the op-shop scores…” Playing in Nashville at the Americana Festival in 2015 was a particular highlight. “Such an iconic city”, she says. “I also love all the small towns that touring and festivals take you to. You meet great people along the way and I always have to pinch myself that we get to do that.”
Touring does come with its pitfalls, she says: “missing your partner, snorers, getting changed in public toilets, running out of panadols and sleeping in all your clothes to keep warm … I've done that way too many times.” Then there’s the issues with borrowed or hired kits: “It's always quite nerve-wracking the first time you set-up borrowed gear,” she says: “you hold your breath that all the parts will be there and in any kind of working condition. On a few occasions I've borrowed kits that looked and sounded like they hadn't seen the light of day in a long while, with months of dust accumulating in every nook and cranny. That's when gaffa, moon gel, and a drum is key is your best friend. But I've also had great gig-ready kits very kindly lent to me which have been great. Same goes for backline and venue house kits. You just never know what you're gonna get. Being a lefty too, always adds an added layer of complication, as I often have to dismantle microphones to do the quick swap over. But I've become pretty fast at doing that under pressure.”
It’s lucky that Bree loves touring and that her and the other members of Tracy McNiel’s band have a good sense of humor. She has this story to tell about a recent tour: “we were up in NSW … our publicist booked us to be on ABC Newcastle at a pretty early hour and we were playing Sydney the night before. So we all diligently woke up at the hostel we were staying at to pack the van and hit the road. Unfortunately, our gear which had been safely locked up in the hostel storeroom was locked in so we had to call the manager and get her out of bed to open up. We made the drive up to Newcastle with moments to spare before we were due in the studio. We got set up, tuned and ready to go just as the show's intro music started up and the on-air light started flashing red.”
“The host opened by asking Tracy to talk about how the album came about and as soon as she spoke, we heard this horrible, distorted sound coming back at us. The host and technician freaked out and start frantically pointing at another microphone so (Tracy) almost threw her 1968 Gibson at me to hold while she moved to another mic, but it sounded exactly the same. So they played a track from the CD and faffed around with the gremlins that had got into the machines. They thought they solved it, so we went back on air and the question was put to her again. She started to respond and again a loud, distorted, death-metal-like mess came back over the speakers … and that's when the host practically yelled "WE'RE HAEMORRHAGING" into his mic like he was performing some kind of medical procedure and threw the switch to another studio, cutting off the broadcast instantly … We ended up recording a few songs which got played during their Drive hour, which probably ended up better, coverage wise, so it wasn't a wasted trip … these crazy situations that only happen on tour...”
Nat Grant
Bree is currently on tour with Tracy McNeil, and also performed on Tracy’s album tours in 2012 and 2014. For her, the perks of life on the road include “the shows, the feedback, the people you meet along the way, the late night conversations, the laughter, the in-jokes, the op-shop scores…” Playing in Nashville at the Americana Festival in 2015 was a particular highlight. “Such an iconic city”, she says. “I also love all the small towns that touring and festivals take you to. You meet great people along the way and I always have to pinch myself that we get to do that.”
Touring does come with its pitfalls, she says: “missing your partner, snorers, getting changed in public toilets, running out of panadols and sleeping in all your clothes to keep warm … I've done that way too many times.” Then there’s the issues with borrowed or hired kits: “It's always quite nerve-wracking the first time you set-up borrowed gear,” she says: “you hold your breath that all the parts will be there and in any kind of working condition. On a few occasions I've borrowed kits that looked and sounded like they hadn't seen the light of day in a long while, with months of dust accumulating in every nook and cranny. That's when gaffa, moon gel, and a drum is key is your best friend. But I've also had great gig-ready kits very kindly lent to me which have been great. Same goes for backline and venue house kits. You just never know what you're gonna get. Being a lefty too, always adds an added layer of complication, as I often have to dismantle microphones to do the quick swap over. But I've become pretty fast at doing that under pressure.”
It’s lucky that Bree loves touring and that her and the other members of Tracy McNiel’s band have a good sense of humor. She has this story to tell about a recent tour: “we were up in NSW … our publicist booked us to be on ABC Newcastle at a pretty early hour and we were playing Sydney the night before. So we all diligently woke up at the hostel we were staying at to pack the van and hit the road. Unfortunately, our gear which had been safely locked up in the hostel storeroom was locked in so we had to call the manager and get her out of bed to open up. We made the drive up to Newcastle with moments to spare before we were due in the studio. We got set up, tuned and ready to go just as the show's intro music started up and the on-air light started flashing red.”
“The host opened by asking Tracy to talk about how the album came about and as soon as she spoke, we heard this horrible, distorted sound coming back at us. The host and technician freaked out and start frantically pointing at another microphone so (Tracy) almost threw her 1968 Gibson at me to hold while she moved to another mic, but it sounded exactly the same. So they played a track from the CD and faffed around with the gremlins that had got into the machines. They thought they solved it, so we went back on air and the question was put to her again. She started to respond and again a loud, distorted, death-metal-like mess came back over the speakers … and that's when the host practically yelled "WE'RE HAEMORRHAGING" into his mic like he was performing some kind of medical procedure and threw the switch to another studio, cutting off the broadcast instantly … We ended up recording a few songs which got played during their Drive hour, which probably ended up better, coverage wise, so it wasn't a wasted trip … these crazy situations that only happen on tour...”
Nat Grant
