Heidi Gass and Mark Halliwell release Dice Man as first in a series of singles

Warrnambool Standard 8th Dec. 2016 - ©Copyright Warrnambool Standard  2004.  All rights reserved
WARRNAMBOOL musicians Heidi Gass and Mark Halliwell have eschewed the usual EP or album approach with their new recording project. Instead the duo plan to release a single every three months or so, with the first being the freshly launched eight-minute-long three-part prog-rock epic Dice Man. Halliwell said the song-at-a-time approach had its advantages. “The songs will be quite eclectic from one to the next, so that’s one reason,” he said. “Another is we want to have more concentration on one song at a time. It means there are little rewards along the way, instead of the much longer process of trying to do a whole album.” Mixing is almost complete on the second song already, which is a more folky-poppy acoustic track”, Halliwell said. “The next two songs are in the early stages and they’re going to be totally different again,” he explained. “I’m happy to explore any road musically. We’re both into heavy music, I’m into jazz and pretty much everything, and Heidi’s into tons of different stuff – she loves singer-songwriter stuff and more alt-pop type stuff.” Gass and Halliwell have collaborated regularly over the past 12 years but it has usually been as guests on each other’s projects. Halliwell recently worked on Gass’ forthcoming solo EP, but this new recording project was about being equal partners on each song, he said.