AUSTRALIAN band EVA TROUT turned its back on an American release of its latest album OBERON because the band's label thought some of the lead singer's lyrics were 'too female oriented'.
Singer BEK-JEAN STEWART 'singing about situations and relationships involving other women' was apparently too much for the band's label and middle America to deal with.
Consequently Eva Trout, playing tomorrow night at Fanny's with THE TENANTS and DIANA AH NAID, has dumped its label and opted for an Australia-only release of their gorgeous debut through Shock Records.
The album's opening track RUBY'S GONE is a sweet-as-pie sounding tale of love gone wrong which is snappy perfect pop in the mould of THE SMITHEREENS or THE REMBRANDTS. LIKE I DO introduces a semi-country twang to a backdrop of swirling Hammond organ. In other places the band is reminiscent of FRENTE. Highlights of Stewart's lyrics include 'with the words ingrained like a sigh that you feel when you're okay' (LAST LITTLE PIECE). Or 'I would recognise your fuse smell. . . seven years behind your door, is maybe what I'm looking for'. (LITTLE THINGS). The group seemingly came out of nowhere with its personal brand of country-tinged acoustic pop, but in fact had a breakthrough in 1996 when it scored air play in Atlanta.
An independently financed song BEAUTIFUL SOUTH picked up air play on the influential radio station WNNX, resulting in a world-wide deal with TRAUMA RECORDS, then home of NO DOUBT. The following two years were frustrating for Eva Trout, with Trauma embroiled in legal hassles with its distributor after No Doubt left the label.
Eva Trout toured the US for most of those two years, neglecting Australia while the deal was in limbo.
Trauma's eventual attitude to Eva Trout's material ironically delivered the band to the open arms of Australia.TE
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