Discography
Elements of folk, country, rock ‘n’ roll and ambient atmospheres flow up into a 21st century music that is textured and sophisticated, blazed by Nolan’s passion for intensely charged electric guitar work and finger-picked approaches to the acoustic guitar. His vocals range in the same way… tender, tough, true.
SONGS FOR HEMINGWAY – LP – released October 2024
SONGS FOR HEMINGWAY – LP – released October 2024
There was one main brief for producer Justin Weaver – “No electric instruments!” With an emphasis on prose, and the not-so-obvious chord change that can surprise but translate with old guitars, these are songs and stories that belong to any era. Jack’s ability to combine personal and universal themes, within a musical framework that transforms the preconception of an acoustic album, takes the listener into truly fascinating and rewarding territory. It’s Australian roots music, of the finest kind – at the nexus of folk, country, ambient atmospheres and poetic rock songwriting. 21st century music that is textured and sophisticated, with vocals tender, tough and true.
Country HQ said “With its heartfelt lyrics, rich instrumentation , Songs for Hemingway will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression on listeners. It is a testament to Jack Nolan’s talent and his ability to create music that speaks to the soul.”
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JINDABYNE – LP – released 2023
JINDABYNE – LP – released 2023
JINDABYNE – released August 2023, was frustratingly delayed by that virus. This is an album that waited in the wings while lockdowns and rules meant the guitar took on a whole new meaning.
One hears JINDABYNE and thinks perhaps that urgency brought on by covid only speeds things up. Here though, the rolling memories remain, the genesis of so many of Nolan’s songs. This is another body of work that traverses themes that ignite, with songs of love and of the muse – that long term companion that appears always, and is no more apparent than in the album opener Dollar with a looping twelve string intro – a big tip of the cap to the mighty Wilburys, as Nolan sings; “And she loved me like no other / When I did not have one dollar / Not a dollar / On me”
Other themes include loss, where in Reading Minds there’s almost a calling to an old friend, where the artist rues the loss of someone close and where the distance of youth recalls what was, left behind by one but not the other, and where “For one moment we were young / Your sun it faded / Sparks light fires / Like fools and liars run”
Then there’s the album title, taken from the ever so sweet Solo Sailor that lets us in on a journey to a place where – “The road is twisted into Jindabyne / Up In the mountains there’s a place you’ll find / A place to lock it up forever / to leave it there and go / With all the other things / That I don’t know. Other highlights include, the up-tempo and popular streamer She Knew where nothing’s perfect, but she knew he loved her, and her knowing that will have to do for now, and the timeless finger picker, All The Ships In The Ocean that floats around lush LA harmonies on “One Crystal morning / Trouble I see” where “Word ‘round the world / Is following me”
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Gabriel (Jack Nolan) – LP – for release Oct ‘21
GABRIEL – LP – released 2021
Gabriel is Jack Nolan’s fifth solo album, and the first album he’s yielded to someone he trusted enough to produce: This is an album that mines its own carefully sculpted acoustic world with a profoundly atmospheric sense of place, and a depth of self-knowledge that speaks of arrival after a lifetime of sometimes hard, sometimes tender experience.
The genesis, Gabriel, came to Jack a few years ago, sat at his side on a long desert drive that he wasn’t sure he’d come back from. The title track, in its own unhurried and roundabout way, eventually found itself in Nashville, USA.
Atonement is upfront in titles like The Hopeless Son and Restitution Song. Others — Tomorrow Came, Faster Than the Speed of Change, A Fool Would Follow Me — are deeper stocktakes, songs from life’s rear view mirror. Ghosts of people and places and other, maybe darker things, receding for sure, but too close to ignore.
Produced by Justin Weaver and captured on two-inch tape in the aptly named ‘Welcome to 1979’ Studios by engineer Chris Mara, the assembled band included drummer Jimmy Paxson, bassist Chris Autry, keys player Phil Towns and pedal steel player David Spires who were joined by backup singers Terri Lynn Weaver & Siobhan Maher Kennedy. Justin himself applied the deeply textured lead and electric guitars.
Gabriel, is a record offering up evocative, ethereal stories, perhaps best signalled on the album’s title track, with Nolan singing “Endless lanes /endless cars // In the absence / of stars” reminding us of this new world, turned on its axis in 2020/21.
Album release October,2021
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Our Waverley Star (Jack Nolan) – LP – released 2019
Our Waverley Star – LP – released 2019
The creation of Our Waverley Star, Jack Nolan’s fourth solo album (and fifth overall, including The Kelly Gang’s Looking for the Sun), is a tale of two cities. The album’s foundation was laid in Sydney at Electric Avenue, featuring Nolan’s trusted band-mates, Hamish Stuart on drums and Alexander Hewetson on bass.
However, fate intervened during a session break. Jack played the in-progress recordings for a US producer friend, who, spending much of his time in LA, immediately urged Nolan to finish and mix the record in the United States. This pivotal advice set a new course for the album.
While considering various collaborators, one name consistently stood out in the liner notes of some of Nolan’s most cherished albums: Mike Poole. Poole’s impressive resume included mixing and engineering three iconic records: Robert Plant’s Grammy-nominated Band of Joy, Patty Griffin’s American Kid, and Buddy Miller’s The Majestic Silver Strings.
Jack reached out to Poole, and after hearing the work in progress, Poole was keen to lend his expertise. This connection ultimately led Jack to Nashville, Tennessee, initiating not only a new friendship but also a profound new association with the heart of American music. Our Waverley Star was produced by Jack Nolan, with Mike Poole providing additional production for the Nashville sessions.
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Lost Property – (Jack Nolan) Out Takes & Demos – EP – 2009
Lost Property – Out Takes & Demos – EP – 2009
Comprised of five tracks, this EP features songs originally conceived during the making of Jack Nolan’s “That’s The Sea” album.
This project emerged after The Kelly Gang disbanded, with Nolan once again teaming up with Martin Rotsey as co-producer. Rotsey’s signature sound permeates these recordings, with his electric guitar work complemented by mandolin, slide, and other instrumentation.
Adding to his significant involvement, Rotsey also co-wrote two of the EP’s tracks with Nolan. For enthusiasts of Australian music, this collection offers a valuable opportunity to hear Martin Rotsey’s songwriting contributions outside of his renowned work with Midnight Oil.
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That’s The Sea (Jack Nolan) – LP – 2008
That’s The Sea – LP – 2008
The true narrative behind these tracks reveals a significant pivot in Jack Nolan’s musical direction. After The Kelly Gang concluded, Nolan’s songwriting continued, gently diverging from the band’s rock energy.
This creative evolution saw him embrace more the alt Folk Americana and Darlinghurst Country aesthetic that he still inhabits.
Martin Rotsey was an enthusiastic partner in bringing these songs to life, with both artists taking on co-production roles. The project also features the consistent excellence of Hamish Stuart on drums, complemented by Alexander Hewetson on bass, and Mitch Anderson on keys and backing vocals.
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The Kelly Gang – Looking For The Sun – 2003
The Kelly Gang – LP – Looking For The Sun – 2003
This album was a significant project, particularly given the personnel involved.
It all started with legendary bassist Rick Grossman, who was on a break from Hoodoo Gurus at the time. He and Jack decided to record some songs Jack had written, with a couple of tunes of Rick’s. With Midnight Oil on hiatus as Peter Garrett pursued politics, Rick brought together some of the country’s finest musicians to perform and record the album, “Looking for the Sun.”
Jack handled lead vocals and guitars, while Rick once again teamed up with old friend Rob Hirst on drums, forming a rhythm section that truly speaks for itself. The electric guitars are a definite highlight, featuring Martin Rotsey and Brad Shepherd, with Scotty Aplin on piano and keys. This was a remarkable collective of highly respected Australian musicians coming together for a compelling new venture.
The band really wanted an Australian name, and in honour of Jack’s Irish heritage and rebellious spirit, The Kelly Gang felt like the perfect fit. They aimed to sing odes like “Snake Charmer,” where lines such as “The greatest of thieves dress well in suits / And hide behind banners of fine pursuits” clearly suggest the intentionality behind their music. It’s evident that the songs on this album tackle the same kinds of issues that the famous bushrangers faced in their battles with authority during the early years of the Australian colony.
But The Kelly Gang wasn’t solely about anger and protest. The band also sought to deliver rock music infused with country and folk elements, drawing on the myriad of great musical influences from its founders.
“Looking For the Sun” was recorded in 2003 at Megaphon & The Vault Studios. The album’s artwork features stunning and iconic paintings from the late, great artist, Sir Sidney Nolan’s Ned Kelly Series. These brilliant colours were a privilege not lost on the band, who saw these works blending beautifully with the words and music on the CD – all seamlessly connecting with their beloved country.
These are songs with substance, melody, and a raw sound, from a group of players who in many ways resembled the original gang of bushrangers: short-lived, passionate, and rollicking. Thankfully, all the members of this musical gang did and have managed to survive!
Music critic Mark Mordue may have said it best – “Love and its opposing demons. Fighting with friends. Cocaine and sex. Rejecting an American war and laying your politics down. Walking through a sunshower thinking of the beauty might be possible in life. Finding fresh beginnings in an old town you’ve returned to.
Looking for the Sun is one of those great albums that exists on a precipice. Its very breath is alternately life-weary and recklessly bright; its music possessed by the same abandoned sense of possibility, and the redemptive skills of the great musicians delivering it.
It’s hard not to be impressed by The Kelly Gang. Looking back, they seem like gold dust compacted into a mythical nugget you can’t believe was ever there at all.”
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Dreams of Flying (Jack Nolan) LP – 2000
Dreams of Flying: LP – 2000
This particular project marked his first significant foray into a “real” studio: the old and renowned Paradise Recorders in Potts Point, a space that, sadly, no longer exists.
Jack arrived with a collection of songs, and his good friend Steve Balbi (Noiseworks, Electric Hippies) stepped up to produce the record. It proved to be a transformative experience; Steve not only guided him through the recording process but also introduced him to the reality of a twenty-hour workday.
The album yielded many highlights, perhaps none more notable than the single remix of “Madeline,” which successfully captured the attention of Bob Harris at the BBC.
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