Nic Dalton - Okinawa to Forrest 1991-1993-2019 (2025)

Plenty of gems on this fourth collection of solo 4-track recordings from this Australian underground legend. Nic Dalton has nothing left to prove. He’s been a participant and catalyst in the Australian music scene for over four decades. He does have plenty to share though, like his latest collection (the fourth in the series) of four-track recordings. Okinawa to Forrest spans three decades (1991-1993-2019), offering a fascinating peek into the songwriter’s creative process during his Lemonheads and Godstar years. You needn’t be a professional digger to find nice things among these alternative guitar pop tunes. Like Sunday. God, What a Drag, featuring Evan Dando on drums, a song recorded on a Walkman during a 1993 soundcheck—lo-fi doesn’t get much more authentic than that.

The collection jumps around chronologically, mixing 1993 sessions recorded during breaks from Lemonheads touring with older material from 1990-91 that didn’t make it onto Godstar’s Sleeper album. Three newer tracks from 2019 close things out. Look at the liner notes on Bandcamp to learn about these songs. Most of the recordings lack full production value, and by default they capture Dalton’s melodic sensibilities purely and loosely. Find some of my favorite tunes from the collection below, but I’m sure you’ll find others to love.