Few could have envisioned that Radnor & Lee – a “weird little experiment” formed by How I Met Your Mother’s Josh Radnor and ARIA Award winning Sydney singer-songwriter Ben Lee – would become the acoustic folk duo it is now. Frontier Touring is thrilled to announce that the pair will perform three shows along the east coast, backed by a year of consistent songwriting.
Despite having his hands full with starring in, writing and directing films, Radnor felt that creating music was the natural next step in his career. While lacking traditional musical experience, long-time friend Lee proved to be the ideal match.
As the chief songwriter in ‘90s alt-rock group Noise Addict, Ben Lee caught the attention of Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) and The Beastie Boys’ Mike D with timeless tunes – most notably ‘I Want To Be Him’. Launching his solo career with one of his most celebrated tunes, ‘Cigarettes Will Kill You’, Ben Lee’s enduring solo career spans more than two decades, boasting tracks like ‘We’re All In This Together’ and ‘Catch My Disease’.
The duo’s self-titled debut record, released in November 2017 (via Footstomp Music), deftly balances introspection with an external viewpoint. This particularly rings true on the bass-heavy ‘One Foot In Front Of The Other’ and ‘Get Back To Nature’ with its evocative imagery, the pair also enlisted the vocals of actress and singer Sam Shelton for ‘Still Though We Should Dance’.
‘The musical melding of Josh Radnor and our very own Ben Lee, Radnor & Lee’s music is unexpectedly earnest considering both Lee and Radnor’s history with comedy. Largely acoustic and with a keen focus on melody and lyrics, their album has a timeless honesty and directness, somewhat obscuring the depth and complexity of the lyrics that each listen reveals.’ – The Music
‘’Still Though We Should Dance’ finds both singers working to cast aside their own regrets and embrace the present, the future, and the possibility that maybe all of us imperfect beings are allowed to be happy after all. The song’s rollicking percussion, soaring fiddle, and rowdy chorus wouldn’t sound out of place against the clinks of a crowded, candlelit pub.’ – Consequence Of Sound
The record found surprising resonance in Brazil, where Radnor & Lee performed a completely sold-out tour in January across five cities, including Rio de Janeiro. The duo’s forthcoming mini-documentary of the run depicts the pair high-fiving packed crowds at the shows, as well as being inspired by the country’s incredible natural beauty.
Radnor & Lee haven’t been around for long, but already they’re hard at work writing the follow-up to their debut album. You won’t want to miss out when the pair bring to Australia’s east coast their simultaneously witty, meditative, hopeful and triumphant tunes.
In celebration of the tour’s announcement, Ben and Josh will be hosting a Facebook live stream this Friday especially for Australian fans where they will answer questions and play some tunes! Tune into the Radnor & Lee Facebook page from 2pm AEST this Friday 6 April to take part.
VIDEO: A Message from Radnor & Lee!
RADNOR & LEE
AUSTRALIAN TOUR
MAY 2018
Presented by Frontier Touring, Scenestr (NSW/QLD) and Beat (VIC)
FRONTIER MEMBERS PRE-SALE
via frontiertouring.com/radnorandlee
Begins: Monday 9 April (12noon AEST)
Ends: Tuesday 10 April (12noon AEST)
(or ends earlier if pre-sale allocation exhausted)
GENERAL PUBLIC ON SALE
Begins: Wednesday 11 April (10am AU local time)
Thursday 17 May
The Triffid | Brisbane, QLD
18+
oztix.com.au | Ph: 1300 762 545
Saturday 19 May
Athenaeum Theatre | Melbourne, VIC
All Ages
ticketek.com.au | Ph: 132 849
Sunday 20 May
Metro Theatre | Sydney, NSW
18+
ticketek.com.au | Ph: 132 849
