Great bands are born in the tantalising unknown, the grey area between well-laid plans and mystery. Matt Joe Gow spent years envisaging what The Dead Leaves might be, but even as they fall together on this powerful debut album, they weave their own enigma. Cities On The Sea is a majestic rock album that conjures its own atmosphere and panorama of emotions and moods, an immersive experience that engulfs the sum of its parts in a unique alchemy of sound and images. Matt is a journeyman songwriter from Melbourne via Dunedin who's drawn from every well from Joy Division to Johnny Cash "The band was initially formed to serve songs I had written," he explains. The Messenger, a largely acoustic album credited to Matt Joe Gow and the Dead Leaves, documented that phase of their trip in 2009.