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Old Man River

NAME	Old Man River
DATE OF BIRTH	0000-00-00
NATIONALITY

BIOGRAPHY

Ohad Rein exudes music. Just as he inhales inspiration from the world, he exhales songs about life and love and music and dreams. He's a storyteller, a traveller, a natural songwriter and musician, and an insightful observer of all that is around him. He has a calling - a purpose - to give and share joy with the world. And for Ohad and his band Old Man River that joy is an energy which emanates through his earthy voice and colourful 60s-influenced sound.

After spending many years abroad, Ohad returned to Sydney - his hometown. Old friends and family welcomed him into Australia and to a relaxed atmosphere which seemed to open the floodgates of his creativity. Although he enjoyed the pace and frenzy of the cities overseas, the extra space to think and breathe was liberating and he soon found himself an inspired member of an enthusiastic circle of musicians. Old Man River had truly found his place. The collective energy shared with his mates from Sydney band Gelbison resulted in touring with the band and co-writing some of the tracks which appear on the new Old Man River album 'Good Morning'. The energy then flowed into the successful side project Nations-By-The-River which combined the talent of Gelbison and Luke Steele from The Sleepy Jackson.

It's this collective musical energy which is the essence of the Old Man River sound. When he picks up the guitar and jams with friends, songs just tend to emerge. The hit single Sunshine was conceived in a tent at a music festival in Victoria. As Ohad describes, "It was spontaneous, the words just came out of everyone." He didn't think much more of it until it caught the attention of his flatmate back in Sydney, who encouraged him to finish the song. Eventually it was fleshed out and recorded, and the tune struck a chord with Triple J listeners - the summer anthem quickly becoming the station's most played song. The Sunshine EP captured the spirit of the times with Old Man River's distinctive jangling guitars, upbeat drums and exotic instrumentation.

Ohad was raised in places where life is particularly precious. His childhood years and visits to Israel allowed him to experience their unique attitude to life - it's a place where heightened political tension and awareness of self-mortality transcend everyday living. The people here place an extra value on life - they aim to make the most of everything they do and appreciate everything they are. To know Ohad is to grasp his intuitive perspective on life and people, developed through these experiences and his extensive travels overseas. It runs in the music that floods through him.

The true spirit of Ohad Rein and his music is exemplified in the creation of the single 'La'. Ohad donates time each week to a music workshop for disadvantaged children in Sydney's West. In one such workshop the class decided to write a song together. In Ohad's words, "I picked up the guitar and the chords for the song just rolled into the world, as if they were waiting to play themselves out. The melody came with them and all we needed was a first line." A young girl, looking out the window, began singing "The sun's coming up in the sky!" and the lyrics flowed, with the entire class singing along. The story of the song - told in the lyrics and delightfully depicted in the music video - is about learning to appreciate and live with what we have, even though sometimes things might seem in the way. The way the tune was written and the song's warm message is typically Old Man River. Even the way the song was recorded is so Ohad - a bunch of tipsy mates crammed into a studio, having a laugh and contributing their love to the music.

The creation of 'La' is just an example of the approach to music and life which constitutes Ohad's very being. Music just pours out from him so naturally, from inspiration, to thought, to voice and guitar. The Old Man River band is an extension of this spirit and their spontaneous group creativity onto the stage and studio. "It took a while to get right," he says, "but now it's great. It's one spirit. One vision."

This guy is so fascinatingly inspired by music and life. It's the struggle to be noticed in a big busy city. Busking in New York to be able to eat. Immersing himself in people and their music. Travelling India, studying exotic instruments with their true masters. Experiencing and trying to understand different ways of life. Being inspired by everything. Friends, family, love.

And so the enthusiastic Old Man River journeys Australia, having already accompanied The Sleepy Jackson and Damien Rice, and about to begin a busy schedule gigging with The Violent Femmes, Bob Evans, Youth Group and Josh Pike. Old Man River's debut album 'Good Morning' encapsulates the vision of Ohad Rein in one collection of infectious, warm and upbeat tunes. It's sunshine for your ears.

The biography came from :http://www.oldmanrivermusic.com

Official site Old Man River : http://www.oldmanrivermusic.com

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