Since the release of their debut album, Rusty Fords and Weatherboards in 2018, Copperline have been lying in wait. Their extensive tour plans were put on hold due to the arrival of the dreaded C word, which forced the Alt-Country 4-piece back into the songwriting cocoon. The result: Borrowed Broken and Blue their heartworn and gritty sophomore album.
Borrowed Broken and Blue is full blooded Alt-Country – yearning, raw, defiant and introspective – with strong storytelling running deep through its veins. The sonic palette developed by the Sydney/Blue Mountains 4-piece, alongside producer Shane Nicholson (Alex Lloyd, Beccy Cole, Catherine Britt), is stunning, but it was no easy feat.
“This album took sheer determination to make,” confesses the bands frontman, Bradley Christmas. “Much of it was written over Zoom calls during the first COVID lockdown. It was then recorded over three sessions, one at the Shelter Studios in the Blue Mountains and two at Soundhole studios on the Central Coast.”
The album’s opener Cold Green Steps introduces us to a fresh iteration of Copperline’s distinctively Australian, Alt-Country songwriting. The shiny, new model with all the fancy upgrades, but at its heart, the same design we know and love. But this is just the springboard for further exploration of Copperline’s innovative sound. “More than two years in the making, this is a record that builds on our reputation for heart-felt narrative songwriting while pushing our sound in bold and unexpected new directions.”
Snarling mammoths like Gabriel and Walls speak to the more headbanging-inclined, while tracks like If You Knew Me At All and Pleasure and Pain tip their hat to Country Music’s storied roots. The startlingly vulnerable Lucinda sits in the eye of the storm at track 4, offering a welcome escape into oceans of guitar and intimate storytelling. Diversity is celebrated on this album, while still pulling a decisive picture firmly into focus.
While writing and recording the album the boys wrestled with constant interruptions. “In 2021, COVID reared its ugly head again, further delaying the chance to add the finishing touches,” recalls Christmas. Yet the forced stoppages allowed them to meditate on their creation. “While frustrating at the time, the delays did allow time for reflection and new ideas, which we believe were instrumental in the album this has become. It was definitely worth the wait.”
Borrowed, Broken and Blue is a force to be reckoned with – a snapshot of a band at the top of their game. It builds on the success of their debut record, while reminding us that these four have a lot more to offer. “It’s a record with a cinematic vision that rocks as hard as it twangs and takes the listener on an emotional and immersive journey. It is testament to the creative evolution of a band on the rise.”
Copperline will hit the road through NSW in September, performing at Country Rocks Festival in Bungendore, followed by a string of album launch shows in Sydney, Berry and Woy Woy:
3 September Country Rocks Festival, Bungendore
18 September Album Launch, Great Southern Hotel Berry
22 September Album Launch, Lazy Bones Sydney
25 September Album Launch, Link and Pin Woy Woy
