Perfect conditions for a tour of Tassie

THE forecast for the next 10 days is for heartbreaking folk with occasional altcountry blues and the chance of pop, as Adelaide act James Hickey and the Fair Weather Riders visit Tasmania for the first time.

With musical influences ranging from Jeff Buckley and Elliot Smith to Custard and Weezer, Hickey writes tunes about love, life and the urban landscape.

After spending more than a decade performing in pubs and clubs across Australia, in 2013 Hickey released his longawaited debut EP, Signal Girl.

The following year he toured Europe, performing 16 shows in France, Germany, England and Ireland.

In October last year he returned with his album Moon Gravity, featuring the single Last Sucker in Town.

Hickey and his band tour non-stop between Adelaide and Melbourne, and have also performed in Brisbane, Sydney and Perth. For their first time in Tasmania they will be supported by Tasmanian-born bluesman Ben Goodger, who will also play harmonica during Hickey’s sets.

James Hickey and the Fair Weather Riders kick off their Tasmanian tour with a show at Willie Smith’s Apple Shed at Grove at 6.30pm tomorrow, before playing at the Republic Bar in North Hobart from 8.30pm on Sunday, then Launceston’s Royal Oak from 9pm on Wednesday.

They return to Hobart for a gig at the Brisbane Hotel from 8.30pm on February 8 ($5 cover), and end the tour on the Party In The Paddock festival’s Blundstone Stage from 3pm on February 9 and 7pm on February 10.