In May 2016 I started recording my long awaited album.  It had been eight years since I last released a recording of new material though I'd been writing and performing new songs during that time.

As a member of the Writers' Patch which is a collective of songwriters living in and around the Dandenong Ranges, I'd learned a great deal about writing better songs.  This is most definitely reflected in the thirteen tracks, two of which are instrumentals that make up 'Unravelling'. To be able to run song ideas through the group filters and particularly its co-founder, Kevin O'Neill at the time was invaluable.

I am so proud of the work we've done and am ever grateful to Brian Baker for assisting me to recreate not only the instrumentation I imagined but also to realise my vision for these songs. I had far more input than perhaps any previous album, singing lead vocals obviously, providing a number of acoustic guitar parts other than the standard rhythm tracks and singing many of the harmony parts, but particularly and perhaps more importantly in making production, arrangement and mixing decisions.

To the wonderful musicians who added their magic and colours to my songs, I humbly thank you. They are: Zoltan Almady - drums & djembe, Howard Cairns - Upright Bass, Brian Baker - Acoustic & Electric Guitar, Electric Slide, Fretless & Electric Bass, Keys, Congas, Percussion & Backing Vocals, Stewart Kohinga - Piano, Sue Carr Amico - Piano Accordion, Max Lees - Slide Guitar, Eric Budd - Trumpet, Trombone, Flugelhorn & Saxophone, Phoebe Elsworth - Keys, Neesy Smith - Backing Vocals & Ukulele, Tracey Roberts - Backing Vocals. Special thanks to Stax and Brian Norris for their contributions during the early stages of recording.

The album is of course available for purchase and downloading and was officially launched complete with 9-piece band on Saturday April 1 2017 at The Skylark Room, Burrinja Cultural Centre to a packed house.

'Unravelling' is still getting some steady radio airplay through Community Radio and ABC Radio National. A number of it's songs have been featured in Season 1 of LGBTQi+ Web Series, 'Back to Goode', currently streaming on US LGBTQi+ equivalent to Netflix, Revry TV https://revry.tv/channel/back-to-goode/ .Season 2 is gearing up for production and will feature several more of my songs.


Cheers,
Michelle

Recording the album at The Bakery Recording & Production Studios

Brian Baker in Producer mode

Stax playing some guide slide tracks for Two of Us

Michelle Chandler with Zoltan Almady & Brian Norris recording drum tracks & guide guitar, vocals & upright bass

Max Lees adding some seriously good slide to much of the album

Brian Baker adding some electric dobro to Cradle Song (Instrumental)

Howard Cairns playing some fabulous upright bass for the majority of the album

Neesy Smith providing her beautiful backing vocals to most of the album

Michelle Chandler adding the Uke track for Cradle Song (Instrumental)