Grace Before Meals started in 2009 when songwriter Vic McEwan entered a studio with the desire to make an album with a revolving line up, capturing songs with the help of whoever happened to be around at the time.  Not so much a permanent band but a revolving experience.  This line up existed as a two piece featuring piano, xylophone, percussion, clarinet, huluzi and voice and sometimes extended into a four piece featuring trumpet, double bass, viola and all manner of found things.

 

 

After having their first gig supporting Mick Turner and Jeffrey Wegner at The Cad Factory in Sydney, Grace Before Meals embarked on an ambitious 30 show European and China tour, playing in places as diverse as a series of squats in Amsterdam to a festival of art, architecture and music in a 13th Century castle in Italy.  Returning to Australia the band continued playing live in various line ups.

 

 

From 2012 Vic McEwan, after moving to Regional NSW, focussed his energy on working as a contemporary artist, often involving sound, music, installation and remote spaces.  In this time Vic’s sound experiments have stretched far beyond the cd. 

 

 

In amongst this, Vic has found the time to gather together close friends to create the next Grace Before Meals album, An Intricate Manoeuvre Through Ghosts and Residue. Featuring 12 tracks with instruments such as piano, drums, trumpet and bass, to more obscure instruments, like a Paddle Steamer and a Huluzi.