With their earthy, blues-drenched sound, The Teskey Brothers could be from anywhere, any time.
The siblings, Josh and Sam Teskey, actually hail from Warrandyte, Victoria, a short drive from Melbourne. And right now, their third and latest studio album, The Winding Way, is having an effect on fans everywhere.
The Teskeys’ sound is untouched by modern life, and unlike anything else pumping on radio — guitars, drums, sometimes keys, and Josh’s distinctive vocals.
Produced by Grammy Award-winner Eric J Dubowsky, known for his work with artists such as Flume, Kylie Minogue, and Tones and I, The Winding Way was shaped by lockdowns, growing families, and attention to detail.
That style, as though the tracks were unearthed from a time capsule, was no accident.
The Winding Way, a nod to the group’s old recording studio, on a street called Winding Way in Melbourne, was recorded on tape at Sydney’s Hercules Street Studios.
That old-school approach was something the brothers had tested on earlier, live recordings.
“By simplifying” the process, says Sam Teskey, himself a Grammy-nominated engineer (best engineered album, non-classical) for Run Home Slow, “I think it has actually brought a lot of authenticity and character to the sound. And I think people resonate with that.”
Returning to analog has brought in fans, he tells Billboard, folks who “really dig that sort of music and just enjoy the chillness of it. It’s more relaxed to listen to.”
Those fans in the U.K. and Europe are getting a taste of it right now. The Teskeys have been on the road throughout the warmer northern months, and includes support slots for Bruce Springsteen and Hozier. They’ll tick off another bucket-list item this Sunday (June 25) with a performance on the Other Stage at Glastonbury Festival.
North American concerts follow from early August, with a 13-date national headline tour of Australia and New Zealand kicking off in November.
The Winding Way is the followup to 2019’s Run Home Slow, which peaked at No. 2 on the national chart and won three ARIA Awards, including best group, and their debut from 2017, Half Mile Harvest, both of which were recorded at the now-shuttered Half Mile Harvest Studios in Warrandyte.
As the pandemic forced bands off the road, the Teskeys enjoyed a rare moment to savor when Live at the Forum went to No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart — their first leader. And with that feat, a circle completed. The last homegrown live album to climb the summit on the national chart was AC/DC Live back in 1992, a group that cut many seminal records in that audio laboratory on Hercules Street.
Released through Ivy League in ANZ and Glassnote in North America, The Winding Way features the previously-released cuts “Remember The Time,” “London Bridge,” “Take My Heart,” and “Oceans of Emotions”.
It was “unintentional,” notes Josh, ”but the album slowly became all about those ‘growing up’ themes of nostalgia, connection, displacement, and finding a path through the winding way of life. I think we discovered that we’re not kids anymore.”
The Winding Way is out now and can be streamed in full below below. And click here for the Teskey Brothers cover story in the June edition of Rolling Stone AU/NZ.
