“The Boundary Riders” Old Arts School @ Raglan
Saturday 4th October 7.30pm $15 (Doors open 7pm, cash bar)
“Rachel Dawick isn’t a historian but her new album The Boundary Riders is an invaluable body of work that traverses genres and captures the untold stories of Kiwi pioneer women.” NZ Herald 21 September 2014
This Spring on 19th September 2014 celebrating the 121 year anniversary of NZ Women gaining the right to vote Rachel Dawick released her double album and accompanying book “The Boundary Riders” (Musical Tales of NZ Pioneer Women).
‘The Boundary Riders’ follows the journey of a range of infamous female characters whose names largely unknown in our history pages reveal stories that would slip easily into any Wild West Adventure Book. From prostitutes to missionary wives, goldminers to magicians these beguiling tales are of conquests, survival, persistence, and the merging of peoples and cultures from far distant lands into the birth of New Zealand as we know her today.
The historic trail began over three years ago when armed with a grant from Creative NZ Rachel embarked on 40 date solo tour across the country performing, collecting and digging up stories of women in 1800s NZ. A second further collection tested her own boundaries as she cycled the length of NZ from Cape Reinga to Bluff with only a ukulele and a one person tent to her name and 2000km to travel. With many stories shared on the road, and a final concert in Christchurch held for Women’s Refuge she settled down and began the long process of putting the information together and writing the songs. The completed double album features international musicians Jon Sanders, Dave Khan, Andy Laking, Chris Koole and Rachel Dawick with special guest narrator Steve Bretel and includes the full show album as well as a separate album of the musical tracks. In addition a 52 page fully illustrated colour book including the full script of the show (lyrics), historic images, research behind the stories, and tales from the road will all be on sale at the following events including some special Victorian merchandise.
“These are more than just songs these are gateways into our past and to the lives of ‘ordinary’ but extraordinary women – these are our stories to discover and to own”
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Rachel Dawick At the end of 2010 Rachel returned to New Zealand after 8 years in the UK developing her songwriting skills including the completion of a Masters in Songwriting at Bath Spa University providing a strong background to help her develop a project researching women’s lives in the 1800′s now entitled “The Boundary Riders”. Having just completed a three week NZ tour with Irish Piper Eoin Duignan and Jon Sanders as guest singer, Rachel hit the road with international musician Jon Sanders in April – June 2013 touring the songs of the stories of our pioneer women before recording the album with full band – Jon Sanders (Uke/Bouzuki/Guitar), Andy Laking (Double Bass), Dave Khan (Fiddle/Mandolin/Accordian), Chris Koole (Percussion) and Rachel Dawick (Vocals/Guitar). From her launch of country blues album “Ed’s Bar and Grill” at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Rachel has enjoyed international success with two collaborative songs released in Greece with EMI (“Peeling Apples” Athena Andreadis – release 2011 in the UK) and the UK (“Somewhere to Jump” Aberfeldy). Originally from New Zealand Rachel has spent the last twelve years playing at festivals and clubs across NZ and the UK working with Susan Grant and Marise Clark as ‘Ruby Blue’, and Uk musicians Nick Lewis , Roy Dodds, Kevin McGuire, Andy May, Pat McGarvey and Wil Molleson and most recently Dave Khan and Jon Sanders.