Ella and Jesse Hooper return as The Verses

9 July 2010 by Soulshine News

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Ella and Jesse Hooper return as The Verses

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Seasons

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Formerly of multi-platinum recording act Killing Heidi, singer/songwriter duo and siblings Ella and Jesse Hooper have spent the past four years crafting the album, which is a mature, adventurous and personal record of warm roots rock and alt-country balladry that is inspired by the music they grew up with.

Hailing from Voilet Town in regional Victoria, the brother and sister recorded the album in the US earlier this year with producer Mitchell Froom (Crowded House, Paul McCartney, Latin Playboys) and world class musicians including Elvis Costello's rhythm section of Pete Thomas (drums) and Davey Farragher (bass) and Jackson Browne's guitarist Val McCallum.

The hard graft resulted in the duo’s debut album Seasons, whose songs are equally steeped in vulnerability and resilience. Of Seasons many highlights – the radio ready Want Everything – an ode to longing that sounds like a Rumors-era Fleetwood Mac outtake – to the vocal acrobatics and slide guitar of album highlight Never Knew, it’s clear the Hooper siblings haven’t lost their knack for a killer melody. In addition, the tender regret of Let You (w)in , the sexual aggression of Teeth – the penultimate moment may be The Winter, a heartfelt ode to the duo’s hometown and family that puts on full display the duo’s impressive growth as songwriters. As Ella sings of leaving “the city for the homeland” and implores someone to “Tell my family not to miss me / if I go chasing another season”, it’s obvious Ella and Jesse have gone full circle and found the heart of their formidable song writing talent back where it all began: home.

"To me, the album is about journey," says Ella. "In my mind, there's this character, a girl who's breaking away from her past, going from the country to the city, falling in love, getting into scrapes . . . Seasons is a metaphor for that cycle. You have good times, hard times, then you're reborn."

The Verses will release their debut studio album ‘Seasons’ on August 13.