Album Notes

'SHORT SUMMER' is the latest and 5th CD from The Johnny Possum Band. It features 8 new original songs and 3 covers reflecting the bands maturing musical style. Drawing heavily on roots founded in country, americana and folk sensibilities it features the uplifting singalong songs 'If You Try' and 'Going Out'. It also reflects a more moody and sombre tone with the haunting 'Face of a Stranger', and the reflective 'Short Summer' and 'Hole in my Shoe'. The band also show off their bluegrass background with the Hank Williams influenced 'Cheating Heart' and the foot stomping 'Brother O Brother'. Working for the first time with producer Rob Mayes, the band bought in extra instruments such as cello and keyboards to add depth to the sound. The result is an album showcasing mature songwriting and a band at the peak of their craft.

Since 2005, The Johnny Possum Band (formerly Johnny Possum’s Good Time Hootin’ Band) has been delivering their own brand of string band music featuring guitar, fiddle, mandolin, banjo and upright bass. From performances throughout New Zealand, to appearances at festivals and venues in the USA the band has developed a solid fan base and following.

Taking the role of vocalist and mandolin player, Bryan Peters, lays a solid vocal and instrumental foundation for the band. Margaret Pickering, on fiddle and vocals demonstrates and shows off her incredibly rich and diverse musical background. On 5 string banjo, Sean Whitaker, adds the 3 fingered rolls typical of bluegrass, string band and old time musical styles. Keith Taylor on guitar and vocals lays down the driving rhythms so typical of this particular style of American roots music; he also adds a voice full of character and completes the 3 part harmony work. Jonathan Rosanowski shows off just one facet of his diverse multi-instrumentalist talents behind a solid upright bass providing the rhythmic bedrock for the band.

The band’s debut CD, ‘TICKETS’ released in 2006 featured the band performing mainly traditional bluegrass tunes in their own style and was a finalist for a 2007 New Zealand Music Award for best Country Music Album, and their first original single, ‘Bluegrass Saved the Earth’ was a finalist for Country Music Single of the year. The band delivered its 2nd CD, ‘TWISTER’, in February 2008. Building on strong Americana roots this recording branches out and incorporates the band’s own strong original musical offerings and sees the sound of the band begin to reflect influences from bluegrass, folk, Irish, old time and even a hint of rockabilly. In June of 2009 the band released their 3rd CD, ‘LIVE AT THE HARBOURLIGHT’ this time with a DVD recording of the entire performance. They recorded a live performance at their favourite theatre of old favourites and also plenty of previously unrecorded material. The CD has 15 of the tracks while the DVD has all 27 tracks on it (all videos are available to view on YouTube). The recording truly captures the Possums at their best playing live to an enthusiastic audience. The band also realised a best of CD, 'HIGH LIGHTS 2005-2009', in late 2009 taking the best tracks off their first three CD’s and putting them all together.