Blackhart and Strangelove
Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia | SELF
Music
Press
"Blackhart and Strangelove have this eerie bewitching quality about them . . . sometimes vaguely menacing, but with enough frills and fishnet, horns and piano to beckon you to come closer . . . "Don't Set Yourself on Fire" is a delightful hint of what should be a fascinating, and hopefully longterm artistic endeavor." - Carrie Alison, Sentamentalist Magazine New York - Carrie Alison
"The storytelling musical tales that this duo offer are gripping and fantastic . . . I full-heartedly recommend this band as one to watch and embrace." - T. Mathenia, Unsigned the Magazine - T. Mathenia
". . . there is almost a real warning alarm about the invading guitar (Kill Your Love) . . . So lounge music with attitude? Artistic expression with message? . . . could be one of this years few "something sacred out there"; Assuming of course it gets the attention it deserves." - Steven Hurst, Glasswerks UK - Steven Hurst
"(Anyone But Me). . . piano and sparse guitar punctuates a tale of dark
self-discovery. It's the sort of song that the late great Johnny Cash could have happily covered." - Three Monkeys Online - "Don't Set Yourself On Fire"
This 4-song EP is saturated in atmosphere. The lonely, dusty twang of guitars, mournful horns and the delectable flavor of other more exotic instruments combine with inventive arrangements to form a wonderfully shadowed foundation beneath Laura Wendling’s pristine vocals. . . Blackhart Strangelove’s music is oddly compelling. The band has the enviable ability to draw you in until you are fully immersed in their vibrant world filled with twilight wonders. Even though you might feel a little unease, you will not want to leave because you’ll want to absorb the entire experience. - Don't Set Yourself On Fire
Discography
Debut EP - "don't set yourself on fire"
Track 1 - kill your love
Track 2 - the meta morphosis
Track 3 - she wasn't sorry
Track 4 - anyone but me
Photos
Bio
“Blackhart Strangelove” is based around the husband and wife duo of Laura Wendling (vocals) and Mark Dixon, (multi-instrumentalist and songwriter) from Fremantle, Western Australia.
Originally started as a recording project in 2007, the result was an EP entitled “Don’t Set Yourself On Fire”.
Although most of the instruments are played by Mark (aka "the Johnny Strangelove Orchestra"), some notable musicians also lent their considerable talents to these sessions including Martyn Casey (the Bad Seeds), Ben Franz (the Waifs), and Angus Diggs (Mia Dyson, Jeff Lang).
In 2008 the song “She Wasn’t Sorry” was licensed to the “Cue Fashion Winter ‘08 Campaign” and a video featuring Vogue covergirl Megan Collinson from New York was shot for broadcast in Australia.
Although the EP received some critical aclaim, they were never entirely happy with the finished product, and this year, after remixing and remastering by Pete Grandison the CD is now ready for formal release.
Over the last two years Blackhart and Strangelove have been playing around Fremantle and the Southwest as a duo, trio and band, with Carol Henry on keys, John Wilson on bass and Dave Capper on drums.
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