Album Notes

Wives might not like old girlfriends, but people sure do love the musical combination that is Camille Te Nahu and Stuie French. Camille and Stuie took out the Independent Group/Duo of the Year at the Telstra CountryWide Southern Stars 10th Annual Australian Independent Country Music Awards, with their hit single, Wives Don’t Like Old Girlfriends.

The announcement was made in Mildura last Saturday night at the Mildura Arts Centre Theatre – and Camille and Stuie are over the moon. Being named Australia’s leading independent duo is no load to carry either, when you have a wonderful new album of songs to share with your audience.

With the title of Recovered, the new disc is 14 great songs Camille and Stuie have always wanted to perform live – and have often been asked to do by their audience – so they’re giving the public just what they asked for!

You’ll find classics by Tennessee Ernie Ford and Merle Haggard, along with some absolute gems by leading Australian and international writers, made famous by country greats Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash and Vince Gill.

It wouldn’t be a Stuie French album without a couple of classy instrumentals so just close your eyes, sit back and soak in Stuie’s masterful playing on Mister Sandman and Carnival of Venice.

Most people came to know Stuie French through his co-founding of Golden Guitar winning band, The Feral Swing Katz, with the man of steel, Michel Rose, and through his years spent touring with Gina Jeffreys and Troy Cassar-Daley.

The highlight of Stuie’s career to date was getting the opportunity to jam with his all-time hero, Merle Haggard, in 1995 in the US, and during Merle’s Australian tour in 1996.

When Camille Te Nahu made the move across the Pacific from New Zealand in 1999 she quickly established quite a reputation for her vocal abilities in a very short time. She secured a spot on Kasey Chambers’ The Captain tour as back-up vocalist and things really started happening for Camille in the land of Oz.

Since then she’s won more than a few hearts with those silky smooth vocals and become an in-demand session singer and backing vocalist for many a major star.

Now an artist in her own right, Camille secured the Female Vocalist award at the 2006 TIARAs, presented in Tamworth. At that same awards ceremony, Stuie won Instrumental of the Year and together they were named Duo of the Year.

Now having that title reinforced at Australia’s leading independent awards ceremony in Mildura, Camille and Stuie are ready to take on all comers.

The first single from their new album has just been released to radio, so listen out for the track titled Let’s Make A Family. If you listen closely, you’ll hear Camille and Stuie’s two-year-old son Chet, playing harmonica on that song.