Watling & Bates – If It’s OK With Santa

Watling & Bates are Kym Watling and Geoffrey Bates, songwriters from Unumgar NSW, on the western edge of the Northern Rivers.

Their distinctive and energetic brand of oldtime Gothic hillbilly honkytonk took them to venues as diverse as country pubs, regional art galleries, outback camel races, riverside operas, country halls, and metro city malls.

Now off the road, they look back and reflect upon their regional experiences as they complete their body of work.

Christmas in Australia. It’s hot and muggy, no place for a big bloke in a woolly red suit.
If It’s Ok With Santa looks at the irony of the hot Australian Christ-mas and the growing tradition of Christmas in July.

If It’s Ok With Santa features Geoffrey Bates on vocals and bass, Christopher Ridgway on banjo, electric guitar, and mandocaster, Kym Watling on acoustic guitar and backing vocals, Nick Peterson on keyboards, and Scott French on percussion and drums.

The track was written, recorded, arranged, and produced by Geoffrey Bates at Watling & Bates’ Unumgar Studio, with additional strings tracked by Christopher Ridgway, from Amesville Ohio, USA. Drum tracking, engineering, and final mix were by Scott French of Lovestreet Studios, Currumbin Qld.
Mastering by Paul Blakey of 12th & Vine Post, Broadbeach, Qld.

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