Colin Hay’s voice and visage are familiar to millions as front-man,
songwriter, and vocalist
of pop sensation Men at Work (“Down Under,” “Overkill,” “Who Can it Be
Now?”). But
over the past 15 years he has reinvented himself as a solo artist, regularly
selling out
theaters and listening rooms across the US and around the world and introducing
himself
to a new generation of fans in the process. The frequent use of his music in TV
and film—
including hit shows such as Scrubs (on which he has made several cameo
appearances)
Army Wives and Modern Family, the hit soundtrack to the film Garden State and
the
recently released Words and Pictures—has proven the timeless appeal of
his songs.
NEXT YEAR PEOPLE is the work of an artist who is a true
master of his craft. The
album is full of quizzical, curious, cynical yet open hearted songs with catchy
melodic
hooks that underscore deeply insightful lyrics. Some of the songs are based on
Colin’s
personal experiences such as “Waiting in the Rain” written about his parents
and the
almost mystical experience he had growing up in a music shop in Scotland,
surrounded
by instruments and a constant stream of 50’s and 60’s radio hits. Others,
according
to Colin, “just appear from somewhere” such as “Mr. Grogan”, a dark
study of a
fictional character whom he has been developing over the years. The
album’s title track,
“Next Year People,” is a stand out composition—a stark but beautiful
homage to the
depression-era farmers who kept going by holding on to hope that next year would
be
better. “They kept doing the same thing and expecting a different result,”
explains
Colin. “I can relate, although their situation was so much more bleak.” The
album was
produced by Hay and mixed by Chad Fischer (Chasing Mavericks, Ice Age 3, Lisa
Loeb)
and includes contributions from two young Cuban musicians, San Miguel Perez
and
Yosmel Montejo, both of whom recently emigrated from Havana, as well Larry
Goldings
on piano, Jeff Babko (Jimmy Kimmel) on B3, and as Colin’s wife, vocalist
Cecilia Noël.