Sydney-based indie rock aficionado and prolific storyteller Thomas Keating has been crafting intimate tales of home and country life since he first broke onto the scene with his band Thieves back in 2012.

Drawing inspiration from classic rock and roll luminaries Gareth Liddiard, Nick Cave, The Triffids, Paul Kelly and more, Keating released two EPs with Thieves, before setting his sights on adopting a stronger focus on a live sound and feel. Thieves slowly morphed into the highly credited four-piece Good Counsel.

Channeling modern anecdotal storytelling of twisted melancholia, Good Counsel released their first full-length album Mary, an impressive and ambitious debut that piqued the interests of the industry with its newly evolved darkness and brooding country undertones.

After a taste of success with the LP and a follow up EP Songs By Good Counsel, the outfit played shows around Sydney including a sold out single launch at The Vanguard, an album launch plus a special one off show for Vivid Sydney at The Newtown Social Club, as well as festivals Mountain Sounds, King St Crawl. 

Good Counsel parted ways in October 2016 and Keating began to look inwards, returning to his singer songwriter roots as a solo endeavor in 2017. To date, between Thieves and Good Counsel, Keating has toured with Oh Mercy and shared stages by procuring support slots with Jen Choler, Big Scary, Immigrant Union, and Kevin Divine among others.

With a wealth of songwriting experience and a backlog of new music to unpack, Keating bunkered down to write his forthcoming album, before heading into Sydney’s Ever Land Studios to record. Expected for release in 2018, the album has been produced by Gordon Burke, engineered by Dorny Mayes at Linear Studios and self-mixed in Keating’s Frenchs Forest apartment, the record features the skillful musicianship of past Thieves contributor Jenny McCullagh (I Know Leopard), drummer Tim Parsons, and bassist Gavin Perkins.

A habitué of Australiana with a penchant for honest storytelling, the eclectic Thomas Keating is set to release his debut single ‘Begin Again’ in February 2018 – an apt alternative-country take on the personal struggles of starting afresh. What was soon to become the catalyst for his debut solo album, ‘Begin Again’ reflects on past experiences and serves as a microcosm for Keating’s bright and promising future.

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