Art Colours by Nina Gotsis Band
Nina Gotsis is a Sydney songwriter and musician influenced by country, pop and the beauty of the natural world.
In 2021 she released her debut solo EP, ‘Music Colours’, launched with an unforgettable performance opening for Darren Hanlon at St Stephens in Newtown.
The follow-up is ‘Art Colours’, a mini-album recorded with The Nina Gotsis Band featuring Toby Martin (Youth Group) and Sam Worrad.
The first taste of the new collection was the haunting and lovely ‘Treefall In The Middle Of The Road’ and the song was added to rotation on 2SER last year.
Aria-nominated producer Chris Hamer-Smith is at the helm, expertly capturing the first-take spontaneity of the NGB in all their ragged beauty.
Much of ‘Art Colours’ was recorded into one microphone in Nina’s sitting room in a single afternoon in between sandwiches and games of UNO.
Nina’s strumming hand leads the band, creating an unhurried atmosphere, mixing airy Laurel Canyon folk with her beloved country sounds.
Toby and Sam harmonise over the subtly inventive chord progressions, with Nina occasionally contributing her own vocals into the mix for emphasis.
‘Native Rainforest’ is both soothing and mournful, with the haunting hook of “the parrots are very colourful, they can sing 350 words/They talk about the wonderful world”.
The country ballad ‘The Blackbird Sitting On The Tree’ is interrupted by a jaunty Velvet Underground-style instrumental run, and Nina’s frenetic beatnik hand percussion on ‘Welcome To The World’ is genuinely exciting.
“I don’t know how I did that,” Nina laughs.
The Nina Gotsis Band will be launching ‘Art Colours’ with a performance at the World Down Syndrome Congress in Brisbane on July 10.
“I have been writing songs since my late 20s,” Nina said.
“Since I started, a lot of the things I see have been very special to me and I love to share them.”
Nina was a member of the Junction House Band with Lindy Morrison (Go-Betweens), and after the dissolution of the band ceased she continued to write prolifically.
In recent years Nina has worked at the Club Weld studio for neurodivergent musicians (based at ACE in Parramatta), and has collaborated with the River City Voices symphonic choir.
Her song ‘Listen To The Bird’ was featured in the Stan series ‘Bump’.
Tracklist
| 1. | Ocean Life | 2:00 |
| 2. | Native Rainforest | 1:45 |
| 3. | Treefall In The Middle Of The Road | 1:24 |
| 4. | The Blackbird Sitting On The Tree | 2:02 |
| 5. | Bronte Ocean (vocal version) | 0:58 |
| 6. | Lord Howe Island | 2:14 |
| 7. | Island Bird Part 1 | 1:09 |
| 8. | Australian Inland | 1:24 |
| 9. | Welcome To The World | 1:22 |
| 10. | Island Bird Part 2 | 1:28 |
Credits
Nina Gotsis - guitar, vocals, drums
Toby Martin - guitar, vocals
Sam Worrad - guitar, vocals
Produced by Chris Hamer-Smith for Nakama Arts
Cover by Nina Gotsis, layout by Thomas Kelly
