On United We Stand, Gardner is melodic, energetic and a whole lot of fun to listen to.
Texture, craftsmanship and copious amounts of energy are prominent elements throughout Mark Gardner’s newest studio release album.
Hailing from Melbourne, Gardner is a seasoned performer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his work with his band, The Great Divide, which was also the name of his debut EP. Armed with a knack for unapologetic and raw songwriting with high energy and charisma, Gardner has quite the resume, gaining much support as well as performing alongside Neil Murray, Keith Potger (The Seekers), Swannee, the late Chris Wilson and Alan Barnes, just to name a few, as well as being Top 10 on Reverbnation for several years.
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Released earlier this year, United We Standfollows the release of 2021’s Reflections and Moments, and sees Gardner nearly boundless, presenting a variety of atmospheres across 12 tracks.
Presenting an infectious melting pot of rock, blues, funk and country, United We Stand is a spirited record replete with driving drums, organic acoustics, searing and cinematic guitars, powerful and rich saxophones and trumpets, and melodic harmonicas.
Atop this well-tempered assortment of instruments shines Gardner’s voice full of emotion, passion, love, and sincerity as he sings songs of standing up and placing happiness, life, surf, values and hard-earned power into perspective.
With well over a decade of experience made clear, Gardner often goes straight for high-octane rock, while other tracks are more funk-inspired but are similarly fast-paced and energetic. Seemingly forever in his prime, all of the positive qualities that have characterized Gardner’s music over the years are included to the fullest extent on this release, while lyrically Gardner provides a thought-provoking summation of a few years we never anticipated and takes aim at the actions of the Australian government.
“The album was a response to what we had been treated like as musicians, creatives, artists and performers before, during and after [Covid],” Gardner says.
“If you listen to Start Making Sense it says it all. I think we can all relate to it in some way or another and it raises many questions in the song as well as a great brass hook in it it seems quite an anthem for these crazy times here in Victoria.
“The second track Walk On By was about all care responsibility and Little White Lies speaks for itself…”
With the title a sign of the country standing together as one, the swirls of emotion and passion can be felt in each note of the 12 tracks, providing a see-saw of songs that reflect the joy of music to the heaviness of lost time and separation experienced throughout the pandemic.
From the bright, buoyant and overwhelmingly positive opening track Happy Song and the rocking blues party track Trouser Party, to the warm and country-tinged Walk On By, to the rocking Round and Round and the jazz-fuelled, incredibly raw, visceral track of No Ordinary Girl, a song about a special neuro diverse girl, Gardner sets a consistently high bar for himself while keeping his music fresh and exciting.
“Happy Song stands out because we all need to smile more and the brass and the message it portrays gives it a lift every day,” Gardner shares, “Sail To You or AKA Sail was a song written in the late 90s but finished off recently and has the 6/8 feel in it which is different to many other songs but speak highly of freedom and dedication to the refugees. It still amazes me that we don’t help others in need regardless of country of origin, wealth and health.”
Charismatic, dynamic and unfiltered, United We Stand reflects the musician’s knack for making feel-good, top-tapping music, capturing the essence of a big, soulful, rock n roll band.
The album’s title (and title track) is also a nod to the recording process.
Written back in 2019 and recorded before lockdown, Gardner’s album was initially the output of a trio, with Gardner on vocals and acoustic, local Gordon Gunn on bass and Alan Murphy on drums. With time on his side, Gardner decided to add more substance to the record, reaching out to a handful of local musicians to come into the studio and record additional sections.
“I added saxophone and the brass section bits on several songs as well as female vocals on Walk On By and No Ordinary Girl from Justine Jones; we added her juicy Tenor saxophone lines alongside Darren Hotton’s Alto Sax,” Gardner explains.
“We also added the wizardry on keyboards – Craig Fraser, Stephen RG on some electric guitar lead bits, Brendan Forward also joined us on Trouser Party and Enough.”
Bolstered with talent, United We Stand became a collaborative album, featuring several local independent artists, including the aforementioned artists, plus Alan Murphy, Gordon Gunn and more.
“It was great to include over 12 local artists on this album to help us stand up during this time as creatives and artists as we were not able to perform live or support our craft to larger audiences during these times in some way the stigma still exists as we never know if we will ever be locked down ever again.”
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Produced and recorded at Highway 9 Productions by Sean O’Sullivan and mastered by Tony Jack The Bear at Deluxe Mastering in 2021, United We Stand is brimming with character, composition, and its own unique and ever-changing colours.
With free-spiritedness and veteran rock expertise, Gardner will be celebrating the launch of his album with live performances with his band The Great Divide, performing songs from the first album and new album tracks. You can catch him at Boronia RSL on Friday, November 18, as well as live solo performances at Bunnings Vermont South on Sunday, November 27 and Mooroolbark Bowls Club on Saturday, December 17, with more tour dates to be announced in the not-too-distant future.
“The live show has taken a few added choices of bold brass including sax and trumpet, or two brass players, lots of vocals, acoustic guitar and electric guitar as well as a tight rhythm section but with some visuals and lighting to gain more of a visual entertaining approach and we all enjoy our singalongs.”
Stream United We Stand on your preferred streaming platform here. Find out more from Mark Gardner here.
This article was made in partnership with Mark Gardner.
