ZAC DENTON SHARES NEW SINGLE 'CIGGIE WHINGE'
Today sees the release of 'Ciggie Whinge' the first track off of beloved prolific songwriter Zac Denton's posthumous album Love, Lust, Lost to be released on August 26.
~ LISTEN TO 'CIGGIE WHINGE' HERE ~
Ciggie Whinge in many ways exemplifies the songwriting of Zac Denton; an ear-worm melody, an almost train of thought vocal and a perfectly fitting chord progression. This demo, propelled by a keyboard drum machine and recorded for what would have become Ciggie Witch’s 4th album, sees Zac appreciating where he finds himself. He’s not just thankful for his place in the world he’s made for himself, he’s hopeful for an impending summer in a new house with a new love. What makes this song heartbreakingly bittersweet is that it was a summer that was to be marred by the pain and sadness for the friends and family of Zac, after his passing in October 2018.
Love, Lust, Lost is a 15 track compilation of previously unreleased recordings by Australian musician Zac Denton. Released posthumously, this collection of; demos, album outtakes, and live recordings, show the breadth and depth of Zac’s song writing. The album will be released as a limited edition gatefold double LP with Zac's first album Hobby Farm Braeside on Zac's birthday August 26th.
Zac didn’t just release a lot of albums, he played and recorded much more music, some of which will never see release. Love, Lust, Lost sees the release of songs and fragments left behind by Zac at his passing. ‘Ciggie Whinge’, ‘Six Weeks’, and ‘Pay You Back with Love’ are demos for what would have been the next Ciggie Witch album. Early demos of what became Ciggie Witch songs ‘Walking the Tracks’ and ‘Look of Pain’ let us sit with a younger Zac, while he adjusts to adulthood. Many more of these songs are harder to place. There is a guitar line from a future The Ocean Party song here and a demo for what may have been a future Pregnancy song there. Other fragments in the form of instrumental demos show just how much emotion he could put into a simple guitar line.
Most people will never release an album, let alone multiple. Zac Denton - as a member of The Ocean Party, Ciggie Witch, Hobby Farm, Pregnancy, No Local, and Cool Sounds - released nearly twenty, all before the age of 24, when he tragically and unexpectedly passed away.
At the age of 18, Zac moved to Melbourne from the regional New South Wales town of Wagga Wagga to join his brother as the drummer, and later guitarist, for The Ocean Party. Zac began writing for the band straight away, but with such a large output was quick to start another band - Ciggie Witch - to write, record and play with, in-between The Ocean Party’s recording and touring schedule.
A couple of years after moving to Melbourne, Zac befriended the members of a new band: Cool Sounds. After moving in with the band’s lead singer, Dainis Lacey, he was asked to join Cool Sounds, recording on their album Dance Moves.
Around this time Dainis and other members of Cool Sounds were involved in the recording of what could be considered Zac’s first solo album: Hobby Farm’s Braeside. Zac’s love of the songwriting of David McComb and The Triffids shines through on Braeside, with Robert McComb even playing violin on many of the album’s country-tinged tracks.
It was not only the softer side of 70’s and 80’s Australian underground music that had an influence on Zac’s songwriting. His next project - the post-punk-infused Pregnancy - saw Zac out front on the mic sharing vocals with his good friend Ashley Bundang.
If someone was to scan the record sleeves of Zac’s releases they would see a small list of names come up again and again. Liam ‘Snowy’ Halliwell would be on every one of them in one form or another. No Local, featuring Zac on Drums and Snowy out front, was to be one of Zac’s final projects.
So many unanswered questions arise when listening to the songs compiled for Love, Lust, Lost, but what it gives friends and fans is a chance to reflect on just how lucky we were to ever have Zac Denton in this world.
Love, Lust, Lost and Zac's first solo album, Hobby Farm Braeside, will be available as a limited edition Gatefold double LP through Spunk Records/Osborne Again (AUS/NZ), Emotional Respose (US) and Lost and Lonesome (EU) from the 26th of August (Zac's Birthday).
You can listen to 'Ciggie Whinge' and pre-save the album HERE.