Songwriter/producer Nathan Lockwood had a very busy and successful 2004 with his Halfday vehicle, with three singles from the album "Now We're Happy" being spun like crazy on radio stations around Australia and the rest of the world. The greatest success was on Australian youth Network Triple J, where "I Feel Fine", "Turn Me On" and "You Make Me Want to Clean My Room" all garnered medium rotation airplay. The popularity of Halfday wasn't to be bound by the shores of Australia however. Halfday's music last year reached the ears of more people than ever, with radio listeners from Canada, US, UK, France, Ireland, Germany and Norway tuning in. Nathan and band played live to more people than ever too, with plently of live action in their hometown of Brisbane, Australia (most notably a spot at the huge 'Valley Fiesta' in July) as well as several jaunts around the country.

In July 2003, while still in pre-production for "Now We're Happy", Nathan decided to put out a pre-release single to whet the public's appetite for the forthcoming album. He was after something that would introduce the band, but not necessarily be a runaway hit. The song he chose was "I Feel Fine", one that he felt was "pretty good, but not great". After all it was just a simple 12 bar blues with some odd time signatures. He had written it in about 20 minutes in order to fill out a 2 hour set the band had to play at the Fortitude Valley Markets one weekend. The band quickly recorded the song at home, mastered it, burnt it onto a shabby looking CD-R and while on tour in Sydney personally dropped it into the newly appointed king of Oz Music at Triple J, Mr Robbie Buck. Well, the response was quite unanticipated. Robbie and music director Richard Kingsmill pounced and immediately added the song to the Triple J playlist. This really got Nathan fired up to complete the album, so upon return from tour did just that in about 6 weeks in his Paddington home studio.

When we say "Home Studio" you may be imagining a pristine environment with leather loungesuite in the corner, big expensive studio speakers, beautiful shiny microphones and walls lined with acoustic foam. Its actually more like a garage. Actually it is a garage. A garage that became the place where almost all of Now We're Happy was recorded during late 2003. Now normally this would not be the most conducive place to record music. After all where do you record all of your beautiful sensitive instruments and crisp clear vocal melodies and harmonies in a place that sounds like... well... a garage? Nathan came up with an unusual solution to that problem - his car. Thats right, a car became the recording booth. It turned out to be perfect; the Ford Falcon EB Station Wagon could be driven into the garage alongside the computer, the leads could be run into it, microphones placed in it and when the doors were shut the rubber seals basically made it airtight and reasonably soundproof. Everything bar drums (played by Norwegian Svein Åge Lillehamre) and grand piano (played by Jess Smith) was recorded in this way - all the vocals, percussion, electric / acoustic guitars and bass. Crazy huh?! The things you do to record on a budget.

On completion and release of the album in late 2003, the second official single "Turn Me On" was released in May 2004 and was again added to Triple J's playlist on medium rotation, with the stunning, dreamy 16mm filmclip, directed by Swedish film-maker Martin Sandberg, receiving consistent airplay on Rage, MTV and Channel V and prompting a tour of Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra.

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In his abscence, "You Make Me Want to Clean my Room" was released to radio to huge acclaim, again making Triple J's "hitlist" on medium rotation. Not only that but the accompanying filmclip by Norwegian director Anja Øesterli got Halfday its best result yet with 6 weeks straight play in the prime time of ABC TV's 'Rage' program.

So understandable on his return to Australia, Nathan was itching to perform with the full band again. Halfday set out for a three week Australian tour titled the "Brisvegan Invasion Tour" playing from Adelaide to Townsville and taking along for the ride local Brissie mates Denvar and Shifter. Thanks to the huge radio success of "You Make Me Want to Clean My Room", the tour gained the prestigious 'Official Support' of radio station Triple J and earned great reviews and publicity nationwide.

Download Filmclip

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