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78 Saab reside in good company. Over the past ten years, they have produced timeless music that sits comfortably alongside the likes of Died Pretty, The Church and The Triffids. They present a world that is uniquely their own, but also a part of the legacy of those great bands who came before them.

The Bells Line is 78 Saab's third album, the culmination of two years writing, thinking and rehearsing. It's the self-imposed "luxury" of artists disinclined to rush things lest they create anything less than what they’re aiming for. On their first two albums, ('Picture A Hum, Can't Hear A Sound' and 'Crossed Lines' both on Ivy League), 78 Saab established their reputation by creating their own world of wide open skies, city living, country remembrances and constant dreaming, all set to a soundtrack provided by Ben Nash’s unique sweet voice, Jake Andrew's distinctive melodic guitar lines, and the loose metronomic swing of Nicholai Danko on drums and Garth Tregillgas on bass. Songs such as 'Sunshine', 'No Illusions' and 'Beat Of Your Drum' set a standard of timeless song writing ability for which this Sydney four piece have become much loved.

The Bells Line is an album full of atmosphere. This new collection of Ben Nash portraits celebrates how small our lives are, set against the backdrop of the wider world and enormous landscapes we live in. The sky, satellites, stars, sleep, dreams, nostalgia and sleeplessness are the recurring themes in Nash’s lyrics. The widescreen ambition in the playing of the band and sounds curated by producer Wayne Connolly are the perfect accompaniment to the lyrical sentiments. The magic of 78 Saab lies in their ability to take subjects that are every day and within our immediate experience, and lay a gauze over them, making the every day seem dream-like, magical, and beyond the mundane.

This approach is apparent from opening track, 'Sleepless Nights', which begins with the line that gave the album its title, 'The Bells Line'. Referring to an area of the Blue Mountains outside of Sydney, Ben starts the song - and the album - by singing "Up on the Bells Line we disappear..." A regular event, driving on a country road, becomes the catalyst for something far less mundane:

"The first line of the song came to me as my wife Tamara and I were driving up on the Bells Line just on twilight on a cold winters night – it kind of felt like we were disappearing into another world from time past. I like driving as it allows unconscious thoughts to materialise while concentrating on the job at hand."

The second track provides the perfect segue, and continues the theme. 'Drive' says Nash "lyrically, is all about escape. The initial demo sessions for the album were held up in an old Church Hall near my parent's property out at Canowindra. The 'Smokey Sessions' – named after my Dad's trusty 14-year-old sheep dog – were really productive – we froze our arses off but plenty of beer and country hospitality ensured that a lot of great songs were put down. Drive came out of everyone throwing ideas around."

Recorded and mixed over a four week period in Sydney at Velvet Sounds and Tiger Studios, this is the first time 78 Saab have worked with producer Wayne Connolly (Youth Group, Josh Pyke, The Vines, You Am I). Wayne's usual assured touch is evident throughout the album. A fan of 78 Saab for many years, his sensibilities and approach were perfect for a band setting out to make an album that sounded like the wide open spaces they were writing about. The album has a sonic quality that perfectly complements the songs themselves, and demonstrates what a world class producer/engineer Wayne is. His influence was also felt in helping to shape the final version of the first single from the album, 'One Of These Days' as Nash explains:

'One Of these Days' literally came right at the death a couple of weeks before recording. Wayne thought the chorus was still too minor so we swapped it around and as per usual it was a genius touch. Lyrically it's about realising how easy it is to get lost and caught up in your day to day activities and that it's important to let go sometimes."

When Nash opens the next track, 'Needle In The Hay' with the lines;

"Kid, I think you're a dreamer
Don't you ever change
It's the only way to be"

he could well be referring to the band themselves - creating their own world, living in it, and thinking there is no better place to reside. Musically the inspiration comes from another band who definitely resided in their own world, as Ben explains;

"Love's 'Forever Changes' really is one of my favourite albums of all time, and this is an attempt at paying homage to the album. A big shout out to all those muddle headed day dreamers out there - if only there were more of us."

One of the highlights of the album is 'Messed Up', a song nearly forgotten, which may never have seen the light of day had Jake Andrews not rescued it from the depths of his hard drive going through old songs. Tapping in to one of the recurring themes of the album, Nash says the aim of the song is about "trying to capture that moment when you can’t get back to sleep and have a lot on your plate."

Another highlight of the album is some of the guest musicians - stepping in to add their own touches to what were already great songs. 'Lean On In' features the superb pedal steel of Mr Jason Walker, a much loved and admired figure in the Sydney independent music world for many years, and a talented multi instrumentalist. According to Nash:

"Jason's pedal steel fits in perfectly. This is another song from the Smokey Sessions – a love song dedicated to my wife. We were trying to combine something off Wilco's 'Being There' with 'A Day in the life'."

In addition to the appearance of other friends on the album, belonging firmly in the category of "hero", Mr Jim Moginie of Midnight Oil can also be heard adding some typically tasteful and creative guitar and keys parts on two tracks, 'Kandahar' and 'Sleepyhead'.

"When Wayne suggested getting Jim in for a couple of songs, it was hard to be cool and not appear too excited. When I came in to the studio and he was there it was quite surreal...it's f***ing Jim Moginie! What he added to both of those songs was so perfect, just great textures and sounds. His playing is amazing, and he is so creative, it's an honour to have him on the album to say the least."

Of the sentiments behind 'Kandahar' Nash says: "Reading dispatches from journalists like Paul McGeough on the front line really brings home the sheer futility of war. Lyrically I was trying to make sense of how a suburban kid like David Hicks can end up in Cuba via Afghanistan a long way from home. The looping rhythm was quite hard to nail exactly but Wayne kept his dry humour rolling via the headphones and we got there. The legendary Jim Moginie added just the right amount of menace via his keyboards."

'Haul Away' is, according to Nash, "a meditation on the lives of Australian truckies. Any band in Australia who travels will know the sensation of being on the Hume Highway late at night surrounded by lines and lines of trucks. It's quite a solitary life but pulling into a service station in Tarcutta or Kempsey you can always sense the camaraderie amongst them." With just a sparse musical framework to carry the song with everybody playing only what's needed to convey the solitary feelings Nash mentions it's a fantastic snapshot of a lonely way of life.

Another guest steps in on 'Nothing As it Seems' in the form of Mr Tim Kevin, another talented Sydney multi-instrumentalist, producer and arranger, who plays in La Huva and formerly Hoolahan. Having written string arrangements for both Youth Group and Josh Pyke of late, Tim plays piano on a song about memories;

"Whenever I recall a favourite memory I always replay it my head like I am watching an old sepia toned 8mm film. My family's film collection consists of about 12 minutes of Super 8mm film but it never stopped us rolling it out for regular Sunday night sessions. Maybe we were easily amused."

The album concludes with the elegant drone of 'Sleepyhead', once again featuring the guitar and organ work of Mr Moginie. It's a melodic and hypnotic way to say goodbye, "some sort of homage to the Velvet Underground and the Byrds 'The Notorious Byrd Brothers' which the band has always loved" according to Nash.

The Bells Line is the record from a band at a point where they know what kind of album they want to make, and are confident enough to make it for the sheer excitement and joy of the process. The main reward lies in getting to hear how the songs come out at the end of that process. By not keeping one eye cocked on the unreliable barometers of fashion at any given time, they have made an album that transcends it, and, like its predecessors, sounds timeless. Like any band loved dearly by their fans, they do what they like, and welcome anyone who wants to be part of their world. Where the rest of the world spins at any given point may or may not coincide, but the success lies in longevity of the band and most importantly in the songs.

The Bells Line RELEASED: 29-09-2007 1. Sleepless Nights 2. Drive 3. One Of These Days 4. Needle In The Hay 5. Messed Up 6. Lean On In 7. Kandahar 8. Haul Away 9. Nothing As It Seems 10. Sleepyhead

Crossed Lines RELEASED: 18-10-2004 The long awaited second album - Crossed Lines, includes Beat of Your Drum, Come On, No Illusions and The City Is Humming.

Beat Of Your Drum - EP RELEASED: 30-08-2004 The gorgeous EP featuring Come On, Beat of Your Drum(song + video) and two exclusive tracks. Another superb release from one of Sydney's finest.