Rob Hirst and daughter Jay O’Shea have released their new album, The Lost and The Found, through Sony Music Entertainment.
The 11-track long player represents Rob and Jay’s first album together, and their first collaboration since 2016’s The Truth Walks Slowly, a Golden Guitar-winning song dedicated to the late Queensland farmer George Bender.
Both outstanding musicians in their own right, together they’ve combined to deliver an album that perfectly unites their vocals, songwriting and music sensibilities.
Rob Hirst resides in Sydney, Jay O’Shea in Franklin, Tennessee. Rob and Jay got together whenever they could, in Australia and the US, to work up new songs. Over a year and a half they sent music files to each other, swapping lyrics and melodies. Jay would add lead vocals, harmonies and melodies to Rob’s guitar, guide vocals and beats, with Rob working up Jay’s original material. They built this suite of songs from rough demos and the pieces of the puzzle all came together during a week of album recording in Nashville.
The Lost and The Found is a broad church. A songwriters album. “Some of the songs are bluesy, others are ‘atmos-pop’” explains Rob. “Plus there’s some rock and country thrown in”. The common thread is strong storytelling, as well as the use of real instruments: piano, cello, violin, harmonica, trumpet, acoustic and electric guitars, bass and drums.
“Unsurprisingly, Jay and I have a natural chemistry” says Rob. “We both like songs with melodies that stay in your head, and lyrics that tell little stories. We’re suckers for a strong chorus. And of course, Jay’s voice is a remarkable instrument: It lifts every lyric, magnifies every melody. This album was a joy to make”.
Jay concurs, “‘To be able to collaborate has been one of the biggest highlights of my life. I loved that we got to work on a project without any kind of pressure or parameters of what a father and daughter should sound like together. We just got to make some music. I’m not even sure it has a genre, but I guess that’s just fine. To get to know my birth father more through this collaboration has been the most beautiful, epic adventure.”
Listen to ‘The Lost and The Found’ Here
Watch the video to first single ‘Pearl Shell Buttons’ here
‘The Lost and The Found’ Tracklisting:
Battleflowers
Shouting at The Sky
Wild
Life On A Human Scale
Pearl Shell Buttons
Fight Fire With Fire
The Hungry Sea
Old Bones
Fierce Green Trees
Supertrawlers
There You Are
Instagram: @robhirstofficial @therealoshea
Facebook: @therealoshea
