Liner notes for Flax happy

1 Sally

2 Haven

3 Lonely Babylon

4 Sad Girls

5 Cinders of the Sun

feat. Jolie Holland

6 Crushed Ants

7 Deborah

8 Flax Happy (Anomie)

9 Pin of Love (Ka Pinea Koe)

feat. Anika Moa

10 Gone

feat. Alan Pitts on musical saw

11 Anomie Reprise

12 Heart of Misery (The Bough)

feat. Jolie Holland

13 Frail

Steve Abel: singing and acoustic guitar; Geoff Maddock: electric guitar, backing voice; Gareth Thomas: keyboards, piano, accordion, bv; Mike Hall: double bass, bv; Milan Borich: drums, percussion, bv; Jolie Holland: singing and fiddle on 5 + 12; Anika Moa: singing on 9; Alan Pitts: musical saw on 10; Ben King: bv on 1.

Recorded by Dale Cotton at “The Brick Bee” Roundhead, Auckland on 2, 3 July 2007 (assisted by Jordan Stone); except 10: recorded by Jol Mullholland at The Lab (Mt Eden) one eve in 2006 (assisted by Oly Harmer and Murray Grindlay); and 5 + 12: recorded by Lee Prebble one afternoon in December 2006 at The Surgery (Wellington); and 13: recorded by Jeremy McPike at York Street (Parnell) 28 April 2002. Additional vocal overdubs and edits at Audioworks, Epsom Ave, Montage and Jol’s place (Maungawhau).

Mixed by Nick Abbott in Whitehorse Lane London; except 5 + 10: by Dale Cotton at Audioworks in Dunedin; and 9: by Justin Maundsley at York Street; and 7 + 12: by Jol Mulholland at The Lab and Montazuma Recording Spa in Grey Lynn.

Mastered by Chris Winchcomb at York Street except 7 rough-mastered by Jol.

Cover design, packaging and artwork by Nick Eagles. Photograph by Penny Kerr (assisted by Duncan Cole).

Thanks to the band (arrant joy!), Dale for superb care, Nick Abbott (always), Jol too, Ms Bee, Lee Prebble, Jolie Holland and Wairarapa Chris, Anika Moa, Alan Pitts, Jeremy McPike, Justin Maundsley, Chris Savage, ANTI Records, Hermione Johnson, Will Mullholland, Murray Grindlay, Brian Spittle, Steve Matheson, Mike Donnelley, Oly Harmer, Jack Mooney, Zel Tate, Clary Scholum, Nick Abel, Kirsten Morrell, Michael Keating, Anna Coddington, Ned Ngatae, Jeremy Toy, Dudley Benson, Simon Burgin, Matt Thomas, Kerry Furlong, Anthony Barnes, Sarah Cooper, Mahinarangi Tocker, Neil Finn, Julia Connolly, Neil Baldock, Jordan and all at Roundhead, Andy Lynch, Hannah Cornwell, Tex Houston, Peter Baker, David Carroll and all at Rhythmethod, Lisa Paris of The Label, Jonathan Hughes, Chris Gough, Miriam Smith, the good women: Deborah, Kate, Kate, Rachel, Nic, Natasha, and children: Tane, Sylvie, Eden, Jaime, Alexandra and Ara, Pluto, Goldenhorse, Ben King, Mika, Malcolm Black, William Dart, Jonathon Poneman, Sport Murphy, Patrick Nicholson, Sean Newsham, Mike Holdsworth, Max Corradi, Nick Young, Murray Cullen and Stebbings, Christine Stokes and Sentra Print, Ngatai Huata and the descendants of Paraire Tomoana, Matt ‘Strangenews’ Crawley, Gordon Campbell, Jim Rush and Galesburg, Anthony Healy, Petrina George and all at APRA and RIANZ, Ben Holmes, Penny, Duncan and Haru, Creative NZ, NZ On Air, Waiheke Beach Radio, all at National Radio, bFM, Lesley Paris and Radio 1, Radio Active, VBC, RDU, Michael Higgins and all at Kiwi FM, Andrew Tidball of cheeseontoast.co.nz, Michael, Claire and Strangely Normal, Florian Habicht, Chris Pryor, Age Pryor, Paul McLaney, Tim Guy, Michael Simpson, mother and father Abel, sister Kate, other dear kin, family and friends, and all who attend, listen, buy, give a stuff and forgive amnesia.

Jolie Holland appears courtesy of ANTI-Records.

Anika Moa appears courtesy of EMI

Geoff Maddock appears courtesy of Siren Records

Milan Borich and Mike Hall appear courtesy of Slow Rodriguez Records / EMI

Gareth Thomas appears courtesy of Limpet Records

All songs by Steve Abel © (p) Steve Abel / Kin’sland Records 2008 except Pin of Love (Ka Pinea Koe): Traditional Te Reo Maori lyrics – Courtesy of P. H. Tomoana descendants / Melody by S. Abel. Thanks to Nandor Tanczos for lyric “a haven for bats and moss”.

PO Box 52108, Kingsland, Auckland 1352, Aotearoa New Zealand.

More lyrics, oddities and free downloads at: www.abelsong.com

Contact: info (at) abelsong.com

NZ distribution: peter (at) rhythmethod.co.nz

Publishing enquiries: jonathan (at) manamusic.co.nz

Publicity: lisa (at) thelabel.co.nz