Afraa Kori
Born into a family of music but raised in an era of chaos, Newport’s Craig Fraser didn’t know how else to help the world other than write songs.
Recently he released his most personal and themed album, Last Night on Earth, which tells a story of greed, war, and corruption.
“I’ve really tried to go about presenting a story that fits one time frame, which is the last night on earth. So everything shares that common link of having a reflection on the end of the world, the problems of the world and possibly the end of the world. So everything is tied into that one subject,” Fraser said.
“What will be our legacy on the Last Night on Earth?,” he asked. “Surely truth and love still have value.”
The world’s current state made it the perfect opportunity for Fraser to release his album and amplify his message.
“Watching the news and seeing the likes of co-operations in America and war, it’s not hard to write about that stuff because it’s so awful and real. Things like the Middle East, the US elections, Russia, China, this ability for people to deny the truth, this whole alternative truth, it just made me really mad.”
The album puts the audience front and centre of stories that have led to the Last Night on Earth and how various characters approach it.
There is no one musical style with songs ranging from, heart breaking ballads, to rock, nine-minute epics and even disco. It’s also enhanced with backing vocals of Cherie Morgan, Chris Webb and Neil Wise.
Fraser aims to change the narrative by reviving the album-listening experience, crafting interconnected songs and proving people still pay for music.
“I wanted to once again reunite listeners with the idea of sitting back and taking in a whole album song by song,” he said.
“I guess I’m of that era where you used to put on an album, a tape or a CD and listen to the whole thing. I think I missed that and I’m hoping a lot of other people missed that journey of losing themselves in an album. So that was a trigger for going to the whole album here, not just a single.”
“Hopefully for the broader Australian music industry, it encourages people to start listening or buying whole albums again, not just downloading a single. Community wise, we’ve been pretty aggressive on the fundraising part and so far we’ve raised about two and a half thousand dollars for charity. I was also trying to show that people love music and they are actually happy to pay for music, you just have to give them a platform.”
A portion of the sale price of each album has been going to a charity of the purchaser’s choice.
While he’s not in control of where people donate, Farser is pleased the album sales are going to a good cause.
The funds have been donated to Red Cross, Medecins Sans Frontieres, WWF, Red Nose, Cottage by the Sea, Beyond Blue, Cancer Council, Support Act UNHCR, Greenpeace, Headspace, Bears of Hope, Smith Family, Orange Sky, Foodbank, Bob Brown Foundation, MND, AQA Vic (Quadriplegia), Peter Mac and Epilepsy Foundation.
