GIVEN the similarities between southwest singer-songwriters Shane Howard and Neil Murray, it’s no surprise the pair teamed up for a tour together. What is surprising is how long it’s taken for it to happen. But first, those similarities. Aside from the south-west connection (Howard is based at Killarney and Murray at Lake Bolac), there are those two songs—Solid Rock and My Island Home. Both tracks are Uluru-sized landmarks on the Australian music landscape, not just for their pop-rock catchiness but for their cultural significance as two of the first mainstream songs to explore Aboriginal culture. Both menled mildly successful ‘80s rock acts and matured into acclaimed songwriters who are regularly invited to folk festivals around the country to play their songs about the Australian identity. So why has it taken so long for these seemingly kindred spirits to hook up for a major national tour? Howard explained that busy schedules for both musicians meant their musical planets hadn’t aligned until now. ‘‘We used to do shows together at Christmas time for a bit of fun every year at Lake Bolac and Killarney for about five or six years,’’ Howard said.. ‘‘We thought why don’t we do this as a tour and we’ve been talking about it for a while.’’ Murray agreed the tour, which takes in six states and territories, had been at least five years in the making. ‘‘There’s a genuine mutual respect and admiration there,’’ he said. ‘‘I think that kinship is more through the similiar journeys we’ve had and what’s happened to us in this music business.Howthe pair first met is a matter of contention. Howard remembers ducking into the Tivoli in Sydney in about 1984 to hear the Warumpi Band soundcheck. Murray said the pair kept bumping into each other until they ‘‘finally had a yarn together in Sydney in about 1986’’. Either way, it was when both had resettled in the south-west—the chats on the phone became more frequent, as did the occasional jam sessions. The product of one of those jams was Everything’s Gotta Go Back—a song written by the pair two years ago and recorded for the tour. Could it be the start of a bigger collaboration? ‘‘I wouldn’t discount it,’’ Murray said, adding the tour was a way to test the waters. ‘‘We’ve talked in the past about a recording project. We’ll see how it evolves.’’ The 2songmen Tour kicks off tonight at The Loft in Warrnambool before heading to the Mornington Peninsula, Geelong and the Corner Hotel, Richmond. Then Murray and Howard head off around the rest of the country. Doors open at 8pm and tickets are at Capricorn Records or at the door.
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