Chasing Bailey

The first single off Chasing Bailey's debut album, Long Story Short, is called Little By Little. The song itself might be about a troubled relationship, but its title neatly sums up the determination of this young band. For while each member is still only in their late teens to early-twenties, Chasing Bailey's dream of recording their first full-length album began all the way back in the year 2000. And now, with the release of Long Story Short, it's finally come true.

?At the very start we were just playing together because it was fun,? explains 19-year-old guitarist Daniel Conway. ?Then it started becoming serious and we all started having the same dream, and now we're chasing it.?

Of the three Bailey siblings in Chasing Bailey ? 20-year-old vocalist/guitarist Charlene, 21-year-old drummer Kurt and 23-year-old vocalist/mandolin player Crystal ? Charlene was the first to get bitten by the music bug at the ripe old age of 12. Her sister had aspirations of becoming a model, her brother of representing his country in hockey, but Charlene's enthusiasm for her art was so infectious that before long the three found themselves writing songs together.

Given that they grew up in Tamworth, finding like-minded musicians was as simple as a trip to local venue The Pub. It was there they discovered bassist Lindsay Dallas who, at just 14 years of age, was already playing in his father's band. But while Tamworth had plenty of willing guitarists, the band's determination to find a six-stringer of their own age took their search to the south Queensland town of Caboolture, where they found then-12-year-old guitarist Daniel Conway. They asked him to Tamworth for a jam, and Chasing Bailey was complete.

?We jammed in our loungeroom,? recalls Charlene with a smile, ?and we just knew there was something there. It just felt so good.?

United by a love of a diverse array of music ? from chart topping pop bands to rock acts such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers and, via the influence of their parents' record collections, classic country artists such as Patsy Cline ? the quintet enrolled in a local scheme known as the Talent Development Program. Between 2001 and 2002 they refined their art and moved from playing covers to writing originals; they learned about stagecraft and image; and, at the end of the course, came to the attention of a number of influential figures at the graduation concert. Gigs were offered, as was a development deal with a major record label. For the next four years, Chasing Bailey continued writing songs, all the while inching closer to the day they'd be ready to enter a proper recording studio and make their debut album.

?It was one of those funny things where we'd have liked to be out there with our record, rocking the world,? recalls Conway of this period, ?but someone would say, ?Yeah, but we'll probably be better in a month', and then six months would go by and we'd go, ?Look how much better we are now.' I'm glad we waited.?

?We were all so young,? nods Charlene. ?We didn't want to go out being 15 and little kids, we wanted people to take us seriously. And now we're at an age where people can.?

Several of the songs the band penned during this period were strong enough not only to attract a record deal with EMI, but to also end up on Long Story Short. Produced by Paul McKercher (You Am I, The Cruel Sea, Augie March), and recorded at Sydney's Electric Avenue studio, the legendary producer was able to bring out the best sonically in the band without altering the essence of their music.

?He just let us be ourselves and guided us,? smiles Conway. ?He taught us a lot about listening and respecting everyone's space while playing.?

Not surprisingly, given the width of the band's influences ? and the fact that Conway and both Bailey sisters split the songwriting ? Long Story Short sits comfortably across several genres but could never be confined to just one. Songs such as Never Met Anyone, Little By Little and 1000 Songs ride on a harmony-laden pop sensibility that, when married with the band's love of modern rock, makes Chasing Bailey a band impossible to pigeonhole. Which, it turns out, is the point.

?We can't categorise our music because of all the different influences we have, and when we write that all comes out in our songs,? nods Charlene. ?They've got a bit of country, but they've also got the rock feel, pop, blues, roots??

If there's one common thread linking all the songs on Long Story Short, it's that lyrically they reflect universal themes of love, loss, anger and joy. Be it in a tune such as Anger, which Conway started writing when he was 12 and completed four years later; the ultimate ex-boyfriend kiss-off Goodbye To You; or the closing, string-laden ballad Everytime You Go, the emotion in each is as real as it is universal. Witnessing a 12-piece orchestra put the finishing touches on Everytime You Go in the studio was an emotional experience for Conway, who wrote the song for his mother.

?That was huge,? he smiles. ?Hearing a song that I've written coming out of the speakers and watching these people playing it, it was unreal. It was one of the highlights of the recording.?

?There's a lot of personal songs but they're not so personal that people can't relate to them,? furthers Kurt. ?Some songs will get people really excited, there are some that people might cry to? They're all about experiences we've been through.?

With Long Story Short finally completed, Chasing Bailey can concentrate on bringing their live show to every corner of the country. As anyone who's witnessed the quintet live will attest, the Chasing Bailey live experience is a whirlwind of energy and excitement, and if instruments or body parts clash in the process, then so be it.

?We're so excited by playing and by each other's music we just look at each other and flip out onstage, it's like an energy ball we've tapped into,? laughs Conway. ?We have lots of stacks!?

?I think that's another reason why we're so happy with the album,? concludes Crystal. ?We were kind of worried that it was going to be hard to capture the energy of a live performance on CD, but I think everyone's been able to capture that.?

ALBUM ?LONG STORY SHORT'? AVAILABLE JULY 5

www.chasingbailey.com.au