Allan Caswell – Hard Times And Struggle

Allan Caswell’s new single ‘Hard Times And Struggle’ (from his upcoming album ‘Tequila Amnesia’) is a quirky, original take on the classic talking songs of the 60s and 70s like ‘Big Bad John’, ‘Ringo’ and ‘A Boy Named Sue’. The song was written with 8 Ball Aitken and produced in Melbourne by Damian Cafarella.

“If you put two eccentrics in the same room to write songs ‘Hard Times And Struggle’ is the kind of thing you get. 8 Ball and I had been experimenting with some blues style songs … when we wrote this one, I grabbed it for my album. As usual D Caf has injected the song with flawless playing and really sympathetic production.”

‘Hard Times And Struggle’ is being accompanied by a clever animated music video created by talented young animator Zac Shaw.

2020 is off to a big start. In January Caswell won his 8th Golden Guitar (with Manfred Vijars for Bush Ballad of the Year). He was also a finalist in Bluegrass (with Damian Cafarella), which is also featured on Tequila Amnesia. Caswell’s 8th Golden Guitar has come 40 years after his first in 1980 … 40 years and still relevant. The big move from the Blue Mountains to the Gold Coast hasn’t slowed him down at all. He’s still writing “way too many songs” with an ever-increasing number of artists, he’s still doing way too many miles and sharing the skills and passion at workshops all over the country.

Throughout his career, Caswell has always come up with surprises as to “where will he take us next?” but ‘Hard Times And Struggle’ is probably somewhere you never expected to go.