Dirt Poems is the debut solo album from Wellington artist Tessa Rain, produced by longtime collaborator Age Pryor (Woolshed Sessions, Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra) & engineered by the famed Lee Prebble.

Dirt Poems is a spacious, solitary beauty; dedicated to the roads of the South Island, which Rain walked alone with just her guitar for 6 weeks. Although that walk gave her the determination to finally record this album, Rain wrote these songs over a period of 12 years – making Dirt Poems a genuinely long awaited release.

In contrast to Rain’s lonesome walk, recording was a warm, family-type affair, with Rain’s brother Rob Hinkley (Good Laika), along with friends Pryor, Lee Prebble, Jen Lyons, Ricky Boyd, Jason Murphy & Jess Rivest.

The production team focused on capturing the essence of the lyrics, which are presented in the liner notes as poems, accompanied by gorgeous original water-colour paintings by Nick Duval-Smith.

Dirt Poems is inherently both poetry & music, & which invites an audience to discover both at once, as well as experience the emotional environment in which the work is set.

Tessa Rain has been performing solo for 18yrs, but she is probably best known for her collaboration with Fly My Pretties, penning the songs Carrier Pigeon & Smoke Me from the gold-selling The Return of Fly My Pretties; & Mauri, from the Fly My Pretties – A Story album, which reached #1 in the NZ album charts.

Rain’s song Funny Shadow (performed with Age Pryor) features on the hit film Eagle vs Shark; & she has appeared on albums by Jess Chambers, Ryan Prebble, Spartacus R & Age Pryor.

For Fans Of: Age Pryor, Jess Chambers, Fly My Pretties, Woolshed Sessions, Don McGlashan, Arch Hill Records…