There is an old Gaelic proverb, “No wonder that the cask smells of the herring that it holds,” and no truer statement could be made about the music of Sydney Gaelic-punks, The Rumjacks.
When The Rumjacks hit Big Jesus Burger Studios in Sydney with producer, Dave Hammer (The Snowdroppers, Rex Banner, Mz Ann Thropik), one would expect that the album they were recording would have picked up where the previous two Eps left off; more sea shanties gone to the mosh pit, broken down ballads and the weird Gaelic-dub that they do so well, rife with mandolin, tin whistle and an electric energy that kicks down doors just to get to the party. By the time the fumes cleared, the quintet had done all of this – but with a new sense of grandeur.
Having spent the last few years peddling their blue collar brand of folkloric 'rotgut n' roll', The Rumjacks have swept aside tired comparisons to legends such as Billy Bragg and The Pogues – sure, the guys all have great respect and love for what came before them and are more than a little fond of traditional folk music, but they are forging their own sound, over rattling bottles and twisted tales, long nights up and down the East Coast of Australia and likely as not, sprawled on the floor when the sun comes up.
Work ethic with a constant grin, on their debut album Gangs Of New Holland The Rumjacks are getting things done.
With their first two Eps, The Rumjacks captivated the people; from swingin' rockabilly cats to fans of hardcore punk and old school rock n' roll... and a quiet acoustic gig or two didn't daunt these brave young fellows, they proved themselves to be at home anywhere they could set up and play.
Having shown the ability to fit in (and rise above) anywhere, anytime, The Rumjacks have shared the stage with acts as diverse as Gogol Bordello, UK Subs, Leftover Crack, Magic Dirt and Regular John.
Spending so much time on the road slows some bands to a crawl as far as writing goes, not so for these draught horses of the public bar; on trains and in taverns, in bedrooms and tour vans, even in the workplace, The Rumjacks toiled and strove and when the songs were done, you could almost smell the sweat, strain and strangeness that had surrounded the songwriters as they created something that is at once comfortable and unapologetic but also a stretch in expectations.
The resulting full length, Gangs Of New Holland contains not only the band's truest take on the traditional influences they hold dear but also manages to up the ante on arsekickin’ energy while lead singer and chief songwriter Frankie McLaughlin has woven “a soundtrack for life, from teat to the tomb,” from the folk-punk theatrics of Green Ginger Wine to the weep along tenderness of Bar The Door Casey, a world is built, something from the past, worth reminiscing about even as the band presses on.
By the people, for the people, with the people, The Rumjacks aren't just coming, they've been, gone and are coming back. Lay your tables and keep your lights on, they'll be home soon.
The Rumjacks debut album Gangs Of New Holland is officially released on September 3, 2010 through Laughing Outlaw Records / Inertia.
"...I’ve seen Dropkick Murphy’s live and I think I may just have had a better time with these scallywags from Sydney!" Fasterlouder.com.au
“Mixing the drunken raw storytelling of the Irish with the grit and honesty of street punk, they’re frontrunners in an ever-emerging scene...The Rumjacks are a band on the move” Drum Media
"There are only a few good folk-punk bands plying their trade along the eastern seaboard, however The Rumjacks have joined this illustrious club with ease. Sound As A Pound is sure to turn a few heads..." Rave Magazine
“Folk punk music to drink beer too...It seems like sausage sizzle kind of music” Repressed Record
Discography:
The Rumjacks
Sound As A Pound (2009)
From: Sydney, Australia
