Stretch & The Truth was formed many years ago by musician Stephen Stretch Teakle - the creative mind behind Australia’s much-loved Barry Morgan’s World Of Organs. As the Barry Morgan project took off and saw him touring Australia and overseas, STruth was sidelined by Barry and a little battle with a brain tumour, followed by a mental health journey and the soul-searching time of the pandemic. Meanwhile, Stephen kept the Stretch and The Truth songs alive and likes to say that they have been “aged, tinkered with and kept lovingly, waiting for the right time”, and that time is now!

In celebration of the upcoming launch of EP ‘ Horse Piano Diaries’, a project 10 years in the making, Stretch & The Truth, will play The Brunswick Ballroom on Tuesday, December 6th. Not to be outdone, Stretch’s good mate Barry Morgan will perform on the same night with the full visual and musical experiences expected from a Barry Morgan organ demonstration! This double-header may never be seen again, and you may not be able to un-see it, so don't miss THIS!

It promises to be an epic night of great music, entertainment, storytelling, and lots of laughs. Plus, you will leave with a permission slip to go out into the world, stretch your own truth and smile.

Stephen ‘Stretch” Teakle

Storytelling from a life begun in the bush, immersion in musical and cultural city hives, to life on the road around Australia and the world, this is the musical truth of Stephen ‘Stretch’ Teakle, creative mind behind Australia’s much loved purveyor of the organ, Barry Morgan. Stretch’s music draws inspiration from the likes of Paul Kelly, Neil Murray and James Reyne, all of whom he has worked with in the past, and many lived experiences from formal musical training to time spent in indigenous communities, absorbing the desert rock reggae he describes as ‘cleansing’. Irresistibly catchy keyboard riffs and choruses combined with poetic storytelling, these songs are melodic gems - or perhaps rough diamonds, with just the right amount of polish – and will have anyone and everyone foot-tapping and dreaming of road trip getaways.

John Watson - Drums

John Watson, also known as Watski Drums, is a legend on the Australian music scene. He’s been a member of Australian Crawl, Sherbet, Rose Tattoo, Men at Work and worked with Renee Geyer, Vika & Linda and Wendy Mathews. Every time I’ve stepped onto a stage with Watski, the crew and staff all high-five because they know a big personality and exceptional musician is in their presence. He currently tours with James Reyne, and I’m bloody honoured he makes the time to play the drums in The Truth with me Stretch!

Chris Bekker - Bass

I first met Chris many moons ago when he was playing in an amazing eclectic world music and improvisation trio with Niko Schaubles (drums) and Steve Magnusson (guitar) at Bennetts Lane Jazz Club in Melbourne. Chris has gone on to establish himself as one of the top “go-to” rock players in the country. He currently tours with Jon Stevens and, for a time, was a member of Noiseworks. Chris and Watto are a truly tight and powerful rhythm section, and when I get to sing and play in that “engine room'' I feel like a stockman galloping flat-out into town!

Ben Edgar - Guitar

Ben and I crossed paths a few years ago on Wally De Backer’s “World Domination” Gotye tour when I was guesting as the “character” organ man Barry Morgan. Ben just knows what to play, and his tone is way beyond his years. He has played with so many artists, including Missy Higgins, Angus & Julia Stone, Boy & Bear, Megan Washington and Vika & Linda Bull. I name-dropped him the other day to a legendary mix engineer, and he said he thought Ben was the “best guitarist in the world”. Now that’s a vibe!

Ben Harrison - Violin, Banjo & Mandolin

Ben is a multi-instrumentalist who works across different genres of music, from contemporary chamber music to bluegrass. He's worked with Julia Stone, Dave Douglas, John Forman, Kate Cebrano, Lucky Oceans and many more. An extraordinary trumpet player - Ben lends his talents on the violin, banjo and mandolin to the STruth, and his sound blows me away every time - very cool indeed!