FRIENDSHIP has always been at the heart of Australian indie-folk supergroup Seeker Lover Keeper. From the moment that Sarah Blasko, Holly Throsby and Sally Seltmann decided to work together over drinks at a Newtown pub in 2007, their love and respect for each other has flourished.
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It's created amazing music too. The trio's self-titled debut album in 2011 was ARIA Award nominated and produced the Triple J Hottest 100 entries Light All My Lights (No.86) and Even Though I'm a Woman (No.17).
Eight years on the members of Seeker Lover Keeper have all turned 40 and undergone life-changing experiences. Blasko and Throsby joined Seltmann in motherhood, Throsby and Seltmann published novels, and all three have released solo albums.
Through it all they maintained a tight circle of friendship. It inevitably led to Seeker Lover Keeper's second album Wild Seeds.
While their first album was largely written separately, Wild Seeds was a wholly collaborative effort. Many of the songs germinated out of catch-ups in Blasko's lounge room or weekly meetings in Throsby's rented studio.
"A lot of how we work together is doing a lot of talking," Blasko laughs. "A strong component of our sessions together is actually talking together about whatever we were going through or whatever.
"Stories we might have heard. It was just general catch-up kind of stuff. Often from what we were talking about in our friendship was where the lyrical or song content sprang from quite naturally."
REVIEW: Seeker Lover Keeper - Wild Seeds
From there the trio decided to focus the album on friendship. The result was an uplifting experience for Seeker Lover Keeper that also translates to the listener.
The harmonic Superstar is the musical equivalent of a warm embrace, Let It Go reaches out with understanding and Time To Myself speaks to any overworked parent.
"There were a couple of times when some of the themes could have been a little darker, but we made a conscious effort for the album to be a positive record," Blasko says.
"I don't know why, but we wanted it to uplift ourselves. It felt kind of right. We're all at pretty great points in all our lives and we feel like we have a lot to be really thankful for and have a lot to celebrate and be positive about."
Writing positively about friendship was new territory for Blasko, in particular. Much of her early work on the albums The Overture & The Underscore (2004), What The Sea Wants, The Sea Will Have (2006) and As Day Follows Night (2009) focused on melancholic themes.
Blasko says the camaraderie of Seeker Lover Keeper brings out a different side of her songwriting.
"It's refreshing to step away from being the centre of a project," she says. "Even though it's really satisfying, it can sometimes be a bit lonelier or introspective. So anything that shakes you out of that is nice."
Seeker Lover Keeper perform at 48 Watt Street on September 7.
Josh Leeson
Josh Leeson is an entertainment and features journalist, specialising in music, at the Newcastle Herald. He first joined the masthead in 2008 after stints at the Namoi Valley Independent and Port Stephens Examiner and has previously covered sport including the Asian Cup, A-League, Surfest, cricket and rugby league.
Josh Leeson is an entertainment and features journalist, specialising in music, at the Newcastle Herald. He first joined the masthead in 2008 after stints at the Namoi Valley Independent and Port Stephens Examiner and has previously covered sport including the Asian Cup, A-League, Surfest, cricket and rugby league.
