What is the Black Stump Project?
About Us
Beginnings -The Black Stump Project formed in 2016 to showcase original music by Richard Linden.
What’s behind the name? - In our Australian culture a place that is so far away that people seldom go there is referred to as "beyond the black stump". The words and music of Black Stump Project can take you to places in your heart not often visited.
Who are we? - The Project is made up of Richard Linden (Songwriter, Singer and Guitarist) , Laurie Forbes (Lead Guitarist) and guest singers and musicians.
What style of music do we play? - Our Music crosses a number of musical styles. . Folk and Acoustic Rock tempered with some Jazz influences help to shape the songs we sing. We play original material and an extensive selection of covers including guitar based instrumentals.
Where can you hear us play? - Check our our Gig Diary, or our Recordings
Richard Linden
I have been playing music since my late teens and performed in a duo called Riff Raff in my twenties. After the birth of my son in my early thirties music took a back seat in my life. When he was in his late primary years, I dabbled in digital orchestration producing two home recordings, "Autumn Leaves" and "Changes". They are a collection of original compositions where the digital orchestration was mixed with some live guitar playing. However, it wasn’t till my fifties and the formation of the covers duo/trio TOFS in Nannup, that my writing started to take off.
The tragic death of my son in 2012 transformed my relationship to music as it became a vehicle for me to express the powerful feelings of grief and loss. The songs born out of this time found a new vehicle in the Solo/duo, The Black Stump Project.
In 2014/15 I built a small home studio on our property and recorded The Black Stump Project’s first album, "Impact" . Making Private CD sales and digital releases on line through major outlets , my acceptance into the Nannup Music Festival in 2017 saw the first broad public exposure of songs from the album, as well as some new songs through live stage and radio performances. Performances in the Nannup Music Festival in 2018 helped consolidate the new material and a second album, ‘Changing Tracks’, was recorded, once again at my home studio.
Laurie Forbes
I started learning guitar when I was 11 with a guitar borrowed from my next door neighbour. This guitar was made in the 1930s and to the best of my knowledge my then neighbour still has it. I got my own guitar about 18 months later, continued to learn
and practise and in my early to mid teens joined a local band called "The Silhouettes". We practiced in bedrooms and garages in and around Tuart Hill and Leederville, and played in and around Perth at surf clubs, nightclubs and anywhere
we could until I got married at 21. I then had a family and took the "responsible" path.
Music became part of my life again in the early 2000s, but really became a driving factor when my wife and I moved to Nannup. We were lucky enough to meet some very talented local musicians who encouraged and challenged me to play more and more. I joined
the TOFS duo to make it a trio, and currently The Black Stump Project.
