Darren Hanlon is a folk singer widely known for his lyrical poetry and engagement with diverse audiences, from the far-flung reaches of this country to many other pockets of the greater world, and with the imminent release of his fifth album proper is fast becoming ingrained Australian songwriting royalty. Releasing a steady stream of recorded music since 2000’s Early Days, each garnering critical acclaim, the last being 2010’s ‘I Will Love You At All’ (which featured the Triple J radio favourite ‘All These Things.’) Hanlon’s next move has been widely anticipated.

He is now on the verge of releasing (March 2015) his new album ‘Where Did You Come From?’ after an epic adventure in the American south, recording songs in New Orleans, Memphis, Muscle Shoals, Nashville and Clarksdale, with an array of musicians he met along the way. From legend instrumentalists of popular music Spooner Oldham (Neil Young, Bob Dylan etc), David Hood (Aretha Franklin etc), Howard Grimes (Al Green) to talented unknown buskers and street musicians he just stumbled upon, Hanlon has woven a richly conceived collection of songs steeped in southern Americana though still written in his inimitable idiosyncratic and unabashedly Australian style.

Darren has put his bank on notice, and tells us:

It’s important to me to put a lot of thought and conscience behind everything I do. To learn that the money I invest could in any way go towards threatening our fragile environment is unacceptable. Any small gesture we make as consumers can add up to real positive change.