Alana Wilkinson Releases new video ‘With A Boob Out’ and debut album Half Time Oranges, plus Festival of Small Halls Winter Tour!
2024 has already been a big year for Wilkinson kicking off with standing ovations at Woodford Folk Festival, taking the number one spot of Illawarra Folk Festivals’ annual Top 5 festival acts, completing an extensive Festival of Small Halls tour with Scottish fiddler Ryan Young, touring theatres with Aussie rock legend Ross Wilson and showcasing in the US at Folk Alliance International.
Now adding to the extensive list Alana Wilkinson releases the cheeky and final single ‘With A Boob Out’, taken from her forthcoming debut full-length album Half Time Oranges out via Gyrostream onThursday 12 September, plus announces an extensive tour of WA as part of Festival of Small Halls Winter Tour 2024: Western Australia with Jed Parsons (NZ).
Known as the smiling assassin, Alana Wilkinson’s songs skewer ex-lovers, ridiculous social norms and the absurd challenges of a suburban upbringing in a merciless, yet strangely affectionate way, leaving audiences feeling like they’re sitting in her living room, chatting about life over a steaming cuppa. ‘With A Boob Out’ encapsulates just this, and if you’ve experienced an Alana Wilkinson live show then you know she’s not afraid to share embarrassing tales of her daily life and turn them into songs, “In the middle of a sceptical ponder about the significant neurological changes of a woman’s brain in postpartum AKA ‘Mum Brain’, I accidentally answered the door to the postman with my boob out. I started to tally some moments of wild postpartum brain fog and boobie milk chaos and created this love song for that precious chapter – so full of love and surprises.”
Working with RC Stills on the music video of the tales of ‘new mum brain fog’, Alana and Rick enlisted kids, clowns and dancers to create colourful chaos, with a wholesome feel that will have you salivating for more (cake that is)… “The old troupe of never working with animals or kids was a challenge we opportunistically ran head on into! It was great to work alongside Alana for our latest collaboration and to pull her vision into life. Lots of tiny moving parts on this one, but we managed to knock it all out in the space of 4 hours, which seemed to be our window of talent attention spans on this particular set.”
Watch ‘With A Boob Out’ video: https://youtu.be/Ngj7EeaE61A
Alongside previously released singles ‘Shine Through’, ‘Square One’ and ‘Dream Big’, ‘With A Boob Out’ now joins the collection of songs that make up Half Time Oranges, stories that come directly from Alana’s heart, “I’ve collected 10 songs from all corners of my world and compiled them into one record. Oranges became an accidental theme early on as I wrote the opening track, ‘Square One’, a love song to my resilient, neon orange tree (Sway) and while felt like I was at half time when I wrote many of these songs in the years that the world paused and I became a mother.”
Co-produced by Alana with Paul Ruske when her firstborn son was about 9 months old, “My husband would bring him to the studio so I could breastfeed him between takes. After 8 taking-it-easy months of preprod, we recorded with the band at The Music Farm in the hinterland of Byron Bay. It was wonderful to hear these songs burst to life.”
From songs inspired by friends with ‘Ultraviolet’, to ‘Sway’ for anyone who’s ever fallen in love with a tree, ‘Charlie’s Song’, a song written in NICU about a baby and family bonded with, to ‘Show You Mine’ a true story about the little dream that brought two friends together in love, this stunning debut album Half Time Oranges truly has a story everyone can relate to.
Stream Half Time Oranges https://soundcloud.com/alanawilkinson/sets/half-time-oranges-masters/s-rW3eDUYZbGT
1. Square One
2. Ultraviolet
3. With A Boob Out
4. Sway
5. Charlie’s Song
6. Carelessly
7. Show You Mine
8. Shine Through
9. The Love We Had
10. Dream Big
Since 2018 Alana has turned heads with a string of triumphant (and much talked-about) major festival appearances (Woodford, Queenscliff, Blue Mountains, Nannup, Port Fairy) showcasing her wit, humour and insightful social commentary. Backed up by successively sold out headline shows and wonderfully received support spots for the likes of Ben Lee, Daryl Braithwaite, Tim Freedman, Fanny Lumsden and Clare BowditchAlana has enchanted diverse audiences across Australia.
Don’t miss your opportunity to see Alana Wilkinson bring her stories to life through song, get ready to laugh, cry, and be inspired when she arrives at a small hall or venue near you.
Upcoming Shows
Sunday 4 August – Playing Field Series – Noisy Ritual, Brunswick Vic
Saturday 31 August – Rhino Room, Adelaide, SA
All tickets: https://bnds.us/c31yhv
Festival of Small Halls Winter Tour 2024: Western Australia
With Jed Parsons
Wednesday 7 August – Badgingarra
Thursday 8 August – Perenjori
Friday 9 August – Yorkrakine
Saturday 10 August – Southern Cross
Sunday 11 August – Kalgoorlie- Boulder
Wednesday 14 August – Newdewgate
Thursday 15 August – Borden
Friday 16 August – Narrikup
Saturday 17 August – Tambellup
Sunday 18 August – Witchcliff
Tuesday 20 August – Augusta
Wednesday 21 August – Nannup
Thursday 22 August – Brunswick
Friday 23 August – Elgin
Saturday 24 August – Waroona
Sunday 25 August – Williams
Tickets: https://smallhalls.iwannaticket.com.au/event/festival-of-small-halls-winter-tour-2024-western-australia-MzE1NDE
‘With A Boob Out’ out Tuesday 30 July
Pre-save link: https://gyro.to/WithABoobOut
Half Time Oranges out Thursday 12 September
Pre Save Link: https://gyro.to/259521HalfTimeOranges
Half Time Oranges Credits
Produced by Paul Ruske
Co produced by Alana Wilkinson
Carelessly produced by Hayden Calnin, Paul Ruske, Alana Wilkinson
Mastered by Jordan Power
Recorded at Music Farm Studios and Treehouse Studios
Dream Big mastered by George Georgiadis
Alana Wilkinson – Vocals, Guitar, Ukulele, BV’s
Paul Ruske – Piano, Keys, BV’s
Pia Nesvara – BV’s, Violin
Isaac Gunnoo – Double Bass, Bass
Kyle Lionhart – Guitar
Bed Edgar – Mandolin
Terepai Richardson – Drums, Percussion, SPOONS.
Carelessly
Drums – Terepai Richardson, Leigh Fischer, Jared Hatton
Bass – Xander Theofanis
Ultraviolet – Fife (aka Titanic ‘I’m Flying’ flute) – John Barrett
Charlies Song – Harp – Loni Fitzpatrick
Sway – Guitar Sample – Mike Bono
‘With a Boob Out’ Lyrics:
This morning I answered the door with a boob out
And when the postman’s eyes were bugging out of his head
It was me that thought he was crazy
It was me – and my nipple for the street to see.
Then I told the person at Telstra I loved them
There was a giant pause, instead of him saying it back
I was offended by Jeremy’s lack of tact
Just say it back, I’m having a day
No, I’m not staying on the line for a survey.
He’s probably a nice fellow
But my brain is operating at the speed of a marshmallow
Oh, I used to be a bright yellow
Now I fade by midday
Asleep and drooling on the couch
But I can do it all with a boob out
I was sitting at a cafe, they brought my food out
Every time I go to eat, my child needs to eat too
It’s some hilarious timing thing the boobie gods do
In the juggle of a toastie, a breat and a babe I was able
To shoot a steady stream of milk at the neighbouring table
Of seeming nice fellows
I apologise for the lunch surprise they got mid espresso
Although today I’m not my brightest yellow
I’m a million colours I’ve never even seen
And the happiest I’ve ever been
My world is glowing brighter knowing
That all this giant love keeps growing
I’m a brand new woman, nothing could’ve prepared my heart for this
I’m like a blooming flower with super powers
I can turn these mountains into milky fountains
I can bleed while I feed the tiny human that grew inside me
And I can do it all with at least one boob out.
