BRENDAN Welch always wanted his record The Gleaner to be released in vinyl.
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But it wasn’t until he was contacted by Ballarat record label Heart of the Rat that his vision became reality.
With Welch having just been returned the rights to his record, he was able to reissue it in limited edition 180g vinyl and digital format six years after it was originally released.
“It hadn’t been back in any form for several years and I just wanted it to be heard,” Welch said.
“I didn’t do much of a release initially. Just made it available on Bandcamp. So to have it come out physically is a bit of a dream and it’s good to have an actual product again.”
The vinyl reissue of The Gleaner has already been gaining lots of attention, receiving an exclusive stream on Tone Deaf as well as praise from the likes of Jordie Lane and Josh Pyke.
Welch said there was something nostalgic and romantic about having the album in vinyl, something which couldn’t be duplicated through a digital release.
“I think it’s like an antedote to the way modern culture is consumed right now. It’s so rapid and there’s always some new hot thing and we’re almost overwhelmed with the amount of material out there which we can download or stream,” he said.
“People still want that physical thing. For me it’s a little bit of nostalgia for a simpler time.”
Produced by Something For Kate’s Paul Dempsey, The Gleaner is a darkly witty Australiana and was named one of 2009’s best releases by The Age’s EG magazine.
To date, the album has seen Welch share stages with Tim Rogers, Paul Kelly, and Megan Washington and have his music featured in television shows Love My Way and The Slap.
Welch said he never expected the record to do so well, especially considering the problems he faced with his record label.
“I didn’t expect anything to happen with it. I thought it was over the month after it first came out,” he said.
“At that point I was breaking up with the label and everything was finishing up but I always thought the record was good and deserved to be available.”
Welch said he hoped to eventually release the record on Spotify and iTunes.
“I’m happy with whatever comes out of it. I’m just glad that it’s available again.”
The reissue was launched with a full band in Melbourne last month and Welch will now be making his way to Ballarat in promotion of the relaunch.
Brendan Welch will perform at Suttons House of Music on November 28. Details, www.suttonshouseofmusic.com.au