My hard copy is on its way but I couldn’t wait. As most of you know, I have a big country music family and I love all my children, grandchildren, brothers and sisters equally but not the same. Riley has always given me an extra soft spot. I know, it is wrong, but it is true. He’s my Simon and Garfunkel combined. Guided by my dare I say it, equal favourite producer, Damian Cafarella (the other one is a bloke called Michael, and a third is a bloke called Shane, so you know where I am heading).
‘These songs are deeply personal to me and have been a real exercise in allowing my songwriting to rule itself. I feared forever comparing my writing to my last record, realising that as I evolved, so should my stories and my sound.” And evolve he did, still working with producer Damian Cafarella (Henry Wagons, The Pleasures), Riley set out to prioritise capturing the right take, and in doing so, ensuring that the soul of each song was clear and as cutting as the moment he wrote them.’
Riley has evolved. I loved him from his first words on and off the record. He just does something to this old girl’s heart and soul. What is wrong with this country and this world that they haven’t cottoned on?
If Donovan was the 60’s Mellow Yellow then Riley is the mellow fellow of 2024. There’s some 60’s in him and as a 60’s Aquarian, I am the best judge of that. However, as country music evolves in Australia as an internationally determined 94 types of Country music is formed, Riley fits there too.
Back to the quote, he is all heart and all soul. Like his Wildes’ band member and supremo, Lachlan Bryan, the aforementioned Shane Nicholson, Michael Carpenter and Damian Cafarella, it is all about the ticker. That is evident in every song. He pours his heart out and it makes him one of the most authentic and genuine musicians in Australian country Music.
Like the above, sometimes his songs need a few listens to understand every word, every meaning, and I like that. I want to get it right and I prefer complicated over simple. If you think about my fave songwriters like Paul Kelly, Mike Carr, Michael Waugh, James Taylor, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Bob Dylan and Kris Kristofferson, Allan Caswell, Carole King, Darren Colston, you will understand.
Riley is special. on one hand, he is easy to listen to, on the other hand, he is much more substantial.
I am not going to single out separate songs, as I love them all and I really do believe that everything that this fella does is special.
From Riley:
RILEY: I had a little bit of help writing a few of the songs.
There’s a song on there I wrote with Camille Trail, one with Jess De Luca, another with Dana Hassall and then Gabrielle Parker helped me finish Coming Down, Coming Over.
I felt it was super important to get most things down live, so we live-tracked my band for most of the songs. There were lots of hands involved with the engineering, but most of the credit goes to Damian Cafarella who I co-produced it with and who mixed the record.”
He is a humble dude. Riley is an extra special fella. I knew that from the start. Go forth and conquer, my lad. It’s like a river, like a river, going home.
Cowgirlup 