B A C K G R O U N D I N F O R M A T I O N

ORIGION

Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia

GENRES Country, Blues, Folk

YEARS ACTIVE 2013 - Present

LABELS Filthy Cute Records (Independent)

RELATED BANDS Buck & Deanne, The Amazing 3, The Spouse Girls,

Acoustic Shock

A country & blues band from Australia comprised of 3 strong female singers: Deanne Dale,

Heather Johnstone, and Meredith Osborne - and 2 male instrumentalists: Paul (Buck) Buckberry &

Nigel Lever. Their repertoire consists largely of Americana songs either written or interpreted by

their cofounders (or Faraway-duo) Buck & Deanne, on topics ranging from September 11 2001 to

covers of Crosby, Stills & Nash songs. The group performs in a cool-headed, playful manner that is

informed by the Great American Song book and the sound of Laurel Canyon.

"Authenticity comes from being true to your roots. When we were kids growing up in the suburbs

of Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne we weren't listening to Slim Dusty, Tex Morton or any Celtic

music. It was American music: The Eagles, Crosby Stills & Nash, or any Australian band playing in

an American style. That was our soundtrack. When we started making our own music it was

completely natural to gravitate towards that influence which had stirred us from such an early age.

We don't sing bush ballads out of respect for the people that do sing them. The people that can

interpret that genre do so because it moves them. And that's the point: as a performer of songs, if

you're being true to yourself you should always follow the sound that rings true in your heart."

H I S T O R Y:

Following several years building a solid reputation on the Australian folk & country scenes, duo

Buck & Deanne lassoed the extraordinary talents of blues harmonica player Nick Williams to form

The Amazing 3 in 2010.

While the trio was busy developing their steamy country-blues sound, Deanne was continuing her

collaboration with Blue Mountains a capella group The Spouse Girls, which included sweet

soprano Meredith Osbourne and terrific tenor Heather Johnstone. It was during this time the girls

discovered their own unique harmonic chemistry and mutual admiration for the country pop

harmonies of Trio (Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton & Linda Ronstadt) and The Wailin’ Jennys.

The Amazing 3 was booked to play at the 2013 Winter Magic Festival in Katoomba and this is

where The Faraway Eyes were born. Buck claims Deanne called up Heather & Meredith and

"taught them 3 songs, and asked them to show up wearing country fair clothing and interesting

hair." From this auspicious yet humble beginning The Faraway Eyes began performing in Sydney

and Blue Mountains music clubs, culminating in the band’s official launch at legendary El Rocco

jazz cellar in Kings Cross.

During 2014, the band’s momentum continued despite Buck & Deanne’s 3 month reconnaissance

and song catching tour of North America. Upon their return, The Faraway Eyes were full steam

ahead with their contribution to the fundraising event for filmmaker Jane Castle’s Lilias Project.

This involved an intense musical collaboration performing a set of songs with renowned TV and

radio journalist, Fran Kelly. Encouraged by the universal acclaim for this performance, The Faraway

Eyes invited Fran to join them in their support of Floyd Vincent’s CD launch and subsequent shows

at hip Sydney venue Lazy Bones Lounge.

In 2015, The Faraway Eyes sound was further enhanced with the addition of founding member of

Acoustic Shock, mandolin & guitar player Nigel Lever. The band continued to grow their fan base

thru regular shows on the music festival and club scene, as well as recording their debut album

with Golden Guitar winning songwriter/producer Roger Corbett. The lead single from the album

“Christine” was turned into their first major video clip by Suburban Voodoo Productions.

The Faraway Eyes are excited by future plans to tour Ireland and the UK, and their fans will get a chance to hear all about those plans when they take their new album on the road in 2016. Keep an eye on the GIG GUIDE for details.

T H E B A N D:

BUCK: An itinerant beatnik busking the windy street corners of the world for spare change. Buck

has delivered a solo acoustic take on the blues, country and folk in Australia, England and North

America for over thirty years, and with his life partner Deanne since 2007.

DEANNE: Taught herself to sing harmonies listening to The Eagles, Elton John and The Bee Gees on

her parent's EK Holden car radio. As the 21st Century loomed she moved to the Blue Mountains,

began performing in Community and Trade Union Choirs and local a capella ensembles like The

Mudlarks and The Spouse Girls (a cheeky thumbing of the nose to the boofy omnipresence of The

Spooky Men's Chorale). Deanne has performed with Buck as a duo and as "The Amazing 3" with

Nick Williams since 2007.

MEREDITH: After a solo debut at 8 performing "Bessie was a Black Cat", Meredith's love of singing

and lady harmonies evolved in school choirs, madrigal groups and small ensembles - a joy

rediscovered in adulthood when she moved to the Blue Mountains and joined Stephen Taberner's

infamous community choir Easily Swayed. With musical buddies, Lorraine Vogel and Deanne Dale,

Meredith is an original performer with the soulful and irreverent a capella group The Spouse Girls.

Her foray into band work, with instruments and a couple of blokes, brings her sweet soprano

tones to new audiences on the local music scene.

HEATHER: Heather claims she never sang a note before joining her friend's Blue Mountains choir,

Crowd Around in 2003. No-one believes her. Neither do we. Heather has contributed her warm,

reliable tenor tones to a number of community choirs including Rachel Hore's Daylight choir

where she met Lorraine Vogel who invited her to join the aforementioned Spouse Girls. Good

move Lorraine.

NIGEL: Nigel was born in England and was influenced by The Beatles and other popular bands, but

by his early 20s whilst living in Switzerland, he began playing a lot of English, Irish and American

folk music. It was during this time Nigel heard his first Bluegrass band and was hooked. He has

been rewarded for his dedication by winning two 2nd placings in the Mandolin section and a 2nd

placing in the Guitar Section of the Australian Bluegrass championships and also a 3rd placing in

the Guitar section of the Telluride (USA) Bluegrass Guitar Championship. Nigel was introduced to

The Faraway Eyes on New Year’s Eve 2014 by a couple of hippies named Joe & Harmony.

D I S C O G R A P H Y:

BUCK & DEANNE:

Demons Passed (2010)

From This Day On [Single] (2011)

The Busker & The Choirgirl (2012)

Bring You Home [Single] (2013)

THE AMAZING 3:

The Amazing 3 (2011)

The Matriarch Remix [featuring DJ Tomske] (2013)

THE FARAWAY EYES:

The Faraway Eyes (2015)

T O U R I N G:

Buck has busked all over Australia, England and North America and continues to do so from his base in Sydney New South Wales.

Since 2008, Buck & Deanne, The Amazing 3 and The Faraway Eyes have appeared at the following venues and festivals:

2 0 0 9 – 2 0 1 0

Illawarra Folk Festival The National Folk Festival with Margaret Bradford (ACT)

The Folkus Room (ACT) The Troubadour Folk Club, Woy Woy M.A.S.S (Musicians And Singer Songwriters), Balmain

The Loaded Dog Folk Club House Concert, Engadine The Cat & Fiddle Hotel

The Shack, Narrabeen Uranquinty Folk Festival The King Street Fair, Newcastle

2 0 1 1

Tamworth Country Music Festival Gulgong Folk Festival Kelly’s On King, Newtown

St. Albans Folk Festival Fairlight Folk Club, Manly M.A.S.S (Musicians And Singer Songwriters), Balmain

Songs Alive Showcase, Newtown RSL Macquarie Towns Folk Club, Richmond The Merry Muse Folk Club (ACT)

Kangaroo Valley Folk Festival Canberra Country Music Festival The King Street Fair, Newcastle

2 0 1 2

Numerella Music Festival Bird In Hand Inn, Pitt Town

Whittlesea Country Music Festival (VIC) Lawson Pub, Blue Mountains

Don Bank Poetry Club Blackheath Folk Club Belrose Country Music Club

Winter Magic Festival, Katoomba City Diggers, Wollongong

Newcastle & Hunter Valley Folk Club CWA Hall Fisherman’s Wharf, Woy Woy

Clarendon Guesthouse, Katoomba Braidwood Folk Club, Braidwood The Merry Muse Folk Club (ACT)

Canberra Country Music Festival The Old Fitzroy Hotel Sydney

2 0 1 3

Illawarra Folk Festival

Tamworth Country Music Festival Blue Mountains Ukulele Festival The Old Fitzroy Hotel, Sydney

Blue Mountains Roots Festival Lawson Pub, Blue Mountains St. Albans Folk Festival

The Old Fitzroy Hotel, Sydney Mars Hill Café

The Vanguard, Newtown The Old Fitzroy Hotel, Sydney Blue Mountains Folk Club

The Artists Shed, Queanbeyan The Turning Wave Festival, Gundagai Uranquinty Folk Festival, (near Wagga Wagga)

The Nolan Gallery, Katoomba Kiama Jazz Club, Kiama The Old Fitzroy Hotel Sydney

2 0 1 4

Canberra National Folk Festival Turning Wave Festival, Yass Winter Magic Festival, Katoomba

The Factory, Marrickville Cambodian Education Fundraiser, Linden The Artist’s Shed, Queanbeyan

Mars Hill Cafe, Parramatta Lawson Folk Club Christmas Party

2015 and Beyond...

See the GIG GUIDE at www.thefarawayeyes.com for a complete listing of the band’s upcoming shows.

L I N K S:

Paul “Buck” Buckberry

Vocalist, 6 & 12 string acoustic, ukulele

0434 392 120 – paulbuckberry@gmail.com

Deanne Dale

Vocalist, mandolin, ukulele

0411 150 497 – deannedale@gmail.com

Heather Johnstone

Vocalist

Meredith Osborne

Vocalist

Nigel Lever

Vocalist, Mandolin, Bouzouki

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