Jeff Lang and William Crighton play the Eltham Hotel

ACCLAIMED guitarist, singer/songwriter and producer Jeff Lang has released his latest album, a collaborative venture with some of Australia’s finest artists and is bringing the tour to the Northern Rivers on Saturday, November 2.

More Life showcases the virtuoso’s breadth of talent and individual song collaborations with John Butler, Don Walker, William Crighton, and Liz Stringer, amongst others.

A week into his 26-date tour, Lang spoke with this masthead on some rare downtime and said the album had been a bit more involved than his regular solo projects.

“I wanted to write new material with each singer rather than me coming up with the material and pitching it to the various duet partners,” he said.

“That way, the album would not only contain brand new material, but it could cover a more varied and potentially interesting stylistic terrain.

“Writing each song with a different co-writer and then singing it alongside them felt like a fun way to approach the album.

“The element which ties the album together is my sound – my voice, my style on the instruments I play. I had faith that no matter where each track travelled, my sound would somehow tie them together.

This tour is with a full band and various guest artists, including the inimitable William Crighton, who joins Lang at the Eltham gig on guitar and keyboards and a share of the frontman duties.

“Crighto is quite the force as a writer, singer, and performer,” Lang said.

“Having him as part of the band has been a really fresh aspect to these shows, as he brings his style into all of the material.

“I don’t like telling people what to play. I’d rather have people whose style I love and then trust them to add whatever they feel is appropriate for the songs.

More Life is available as a CD and a deluxe double gatefold vinyl album with iconic US cartoonist Jim Woodring’s artwork.

Lang is a regular in the region, and this time around, he is performing in one of the newer venues on the circuit.

“People on the North Coast of NSW seem to really dig live music in general, so I always look forward to coming back up there,” he said.

“I heard about the venue in Eltham, and it sounded like a great place to bring this show. We can’t wait,” he said.

Neither can the audiences.

For tour dates and ticket information, visit jefflang.com.au/shows