Penny and the Mystics

BIO:

Penny and the Mystics Government grant for nine-week tour South Coast sensations Penny and the Mystics are taking their surf-infused blend of roots, reggae and rock on tour, with a nine-week swing through regional NSW and Queensland. The band has just been named as one of the recipients of the federal government’s Contemporary Music Touring Program, and will receive $15,000 to help cover the costs of the tour. Announcing the grants this week, Arts Minister Simon Crean highlighted four acts, headed by Penny and the Mystics, for special mention. “This funding will ensure that audiences in our regional communities don’t miss out on seeing great performances by some of Australia’s top emerging artists,” Mr Crean said. The tour kicks off in mid-July with a show at Notes Live Newtown before heading into regional NSW and Queensland. It follows the release of the band’s critically acclaimed self-titled debut album late last year. Penny and the Mystics’ tour will take them as far north as Hervey Bay in Queensland and south to Cooma. The band’s name comes from one of their favourite surf spots, Mystics Beach near their home town of Kiama, but there won’t be much opportunity for surfing on the tour, which will take them inland for much of the nine weeks. The tour is the next logical step for Penny and the Mystics, made up of Penny Hartgerink (guitar and vocals), Joe Winkler (drums and vocals), Sam Hathaway (lead guitar) and Joe Winkler (bass guitar). Since forming in late 2008 they have become one of the busiest bands on the NSW South Coast – regularly playing two or three gigs a week, with occasional forays to Sydney for sell-out shows at the Old Manly Boatshed. “We are really excited to be going on the road and taking our music to new audiences,” said Penny. “We all grew up really enjoying watching visiting musicians come through the South Coast, and now we’ve got the chance to do that ourselves in different areas. “It’s great that the federal government is prepared to support young performers. We should learn so much on this tour.” As a young solo performer, Penny supported visiting acts like John Butler, Clare Bowditch, Xavier Rudd and Mark Seymour at venues around Wollongong, and Penny and the Mystics is hoping to give similar opportunities to local acts while on tour. “It’s great for young performers to get the chance to play in front of an audience, and in consultation with the venues we’ll be calling for submissions from young people in the towns we visit to open our shows wherever possible,” she said. Penny and the Mystics launched their debut CD at Michael Chugg’s Great Southern Blues Festival at Batemans Bay last October. The album captures the energy and excitement of their live performances, and has received widespread critical acclaim. In his review in the Sydney Morning Herald’s Metro liftout on 26 November, Jeff Apter wrote: “At their best Penny and the Mystics wash up somewhere between Clouds and the Waifs. Head for such standouts as Hiding The Light and Hoop of Fire. These zero in on Penny Hartgerink’s heartfelt wail and the band’s sharp rock-pop dynamics.” Respected rock writer Anthony O’Grady, writing in The Weekend Australian on 4 December, said: “Penny and the Mystics are four young surfers (who) belt out roots, rock and reggae... Penny Hartgerink has a remarkable voice, clarion clear and expressive … best demonstrated on Welcome Here, Hiding the Light and Directions (while) drummer Joe Winkler’s two reggae outings, Red Van and Bushfire, (are) delivered in a similarly relaxed drawl to that of surfing music giant Jack Johnson. Welcome to the new wave.” DRUM MEDIA’s Brendan Crabb wrote: “Their musical foundations and core summertime vibe (the band named derived from a beloved surfing spot) could conceivably have sprung from impromptu jam sessions around a beach campfire. Boasting a sound rich with a thick but not overbearing pop veneer, the quartet’s self-titled debut also integrates folk, roots, reggae, country and straight-up rock’n’roll, yet flows more coherently than such a fusion perhaps suggests.” Illawarra Mercury music writer Glen Humphries compared the band favourably to Angus and Julia Stone and The Beautiful Girls, writing: “There’s a lot going on – and a lot of interesting stuff too. There are smatterings of folk, country, blues, reggae and rock all nicely coated with a very appealing pop sound. Standouts on what is a really impressive debut are Red Van, Wake Up and If You Ever Come Back.” The Goulburn Post’s Gerard Walsh has seen them play live and wrote: “Their 11-track self-titled debut album is an extension of how they successfully combine their on-stage flair and cheek with matters serious such as refugees, animal liberation and road safety. It’s not oversampled or overproduced – young Aussie bands and organic sound are a rare mix these days. It’s a tribute to Penny and The Mystics that you can’t definitively categorise them.” Visit www.pennyandthemystics.com.au to listen to the band and watch film clips of their live performances. For more information, or more high-resolution images, call Penny on 0422 640110, email penny@hartgerink.com.au or Courtney Beaton of kaokreative 0466 420669 email, courtney@kaokreatibve.com.au