AUSTIN, Texas — Water. It’s the essence of life. And when you grow up on the island-like continent of Australia, you form a special relationship with it, one that goes far beyond mere survival. Which helps explain why The Greencards’ body of work is filled with songs that reference the substance, along with the often-related concepts of motion and travel. But the band never intentionally wove those threads into a theme — until now. 

For their Aug. 20 release, Sweetheart of the Sun, Greencards co-founders Kym Warner and Carol Young focused on those aspects of their lives to craft a unified sonic document, one that catalogs their journeys while transporting listeners to a beautiful, welcoming world. 

The second release on their Darling Street Records label, Sweetheart of the Sun nestles under the Americana umbrella, though its influences are as vast as the sea. Drawing on their Aussie upbringings, their American experiences and their restless natures, The Greencards use imagery and instrumentation to evoke moods and suggest movement; the songs themselves ebb and flow like tides, linked by instrumental interludes that shine like bits of sand-smoothed glass. 

“In Australia, you’re always on the beach, or fishing or whatever,” says mandolinist Warner, explaining how they chose their theme. “And we’re always moving, and always searching for something . . .”

Adds Young, “We seemed to always have some sort of nautical component on previous records, so we really honed in on it this time.”

Young and Warner have traveled far, literally and metaphorically, since forming The Greencards in 2003 after transplanting themselves in Austin. Their debut album, Movin’ On, earned them a deal with Nashville-based Dualtone Records, so they headed east in 2005. Weather & Water, Viridian, Fascination and The Brick Album followed, along with two Grammy nominations and a 2006 Americana Honors & Awards win as New/Emerging Artist of the Year. In 2012, Warner and Young finally made their long-planned return to Austin, in part to reinvigorate their music.


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