Red Raku
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Biography
One Good Friday…
Red Raku began after a chance meeting between guitarist John Hedigan and
vocalist Clare Bowditch at a festival on the banks of the Murray River.
The story goes that shortly before midnight on Good Friday
1998, Clare became aware of a certain someone plucking his guitar beside her.
He said his name was John, she started singing along, and the rest (including
the part where a toothless, half-naked stranger serenaded them with his very
special version of "Cluckold Hen") is history.
And so it happened…
Back in Melbourne the next week,
John and Clare hooked up for their first true jam. John happened to live with
Marty Brown, and Marty happened to be one of the finest drummers who ever
lived (with John), and so, Red Raku quickly became a trio. Marty also
happened to have a bedroom recording studio, and as Clare and John happened
to have a few songs up their sleeves, their first album Sweetly Sedated was recorded and released in under a year, along with the help of their fine friends
Rachel, Andy, Warren and Mathew.
And kept on happening…
With the support of local community stations such as RRR and PBS, and
stores such as Melbourrn'e Ishka, Red Raku were able to move enough copies of
Sweetly Sedated to allow them to
quickly record their second album, Roda
Leisis May, again produced by Marty Brown under his label Watershed Records. Guests on this record also included Defah
Dattner, Pete Cohen (Soda Stream) and Myfanwe Alderson. Released to a crowd of millions at the
Corner Hotel in June 2000 (we're talking mum, we're talking dad, we're
talking aunties, cousins…), the album never really got the chance it
deserved, because Clare headed off to Canada for a year
three days after its release. To read
what it sounded like, check out the "Reviews" section, and to hear
it, have a look at the “Sounds” section.
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