Lauded as one of Australia’s great alt-country bands, WAGONS are making a long-awaited comeback with the release of their new album ‘Songs From The Aftermath’ and a tour that will see them take to the stage in The Brewery at The Imperial Hotel Eumundi on Friday 15 November.
After two decades and six albums, Wagons still pulse and stomp together as a joint force, with singer Henry Wagons at the helm. Henry’s fierce intellect, once hurtling toward a career as a philosopher, was thankfully derailed by a record deal, a thirst for whisky and an insatiable need to make noise!
These tall and lanky entertainers are, without doubt, a foundational keystone of the modern Indie-Americana movement in both Australia and around the world. Henry and band first wielded their twang-laden battering ram at a time when embroidered button down shirts and beards were far more sparse on the ground in Australia. Times have changed with trucker hats and gingham studded shirts now available at K-Mart, yet Wagons, 20 years into their unique career, stay atop the their own tidal wave of hard hitting, outlaw inspired, swamp rock madness.
The sextet have been regularly compared to the cheekiest and most mischievous of musical outlaws, from Cash to Cave and have circled the globe testing the fortitude of some of the biggest stages at Bonnaroo, Bluesfest, Interstellar Rodeo, Laneway, Bumbershoot, Big Day Out, Out On The Weekend, Queenscliff, Ottawa Blues as well as SXSW and Americana showcases.
After the release of singles Keep On Coming Back and Wake Up earlier this year, both providing the perfect melodic and lyrical blend between Americana and alt-pop, it was clear that whatever came next from the band would be as equally true to the classic sound they have carefully honed over the years, with a thrilling new twist.
‘Songs From The Aftermath’ tracks a sensory and emotional journey, with the visions and melodies evoking a feeling of driving along unfamiliar roads with no set destination – the perfect backdrop for many an old Western. With these clear Americana influences, tracks such as Sirens, with its gypsy accordion and ghostly backing vocals, and the classic lonely cowboy’s lament Drifting, encapsulate apocalypse like visions of life on the road and in small strange towns, with stories of internal reflection crafted by hauntingly powerful melodies.
Wagons’ rock’n’roll sound meets country and alt-pop in this collection of recurring memories of places visited and people met, where the past meets the present and the future is largely unknown. ‘Songs From The Aftermath’ wraps up its powerful journey with final track Is this the End? asking unanswerable questions and leaving the listener feeling as though they are returning home.
According to Henry Wagons, ‘Songs From The Aftermath’ “cascades through random visions and emotions, like a long road trip through the night.”
After this long, their boot heels are etched in the stage floorboards. Wagons know exactly what they are doing. Fasten your shoelaces tight and get your feet to the big show.
TICKETS: Pre-sale $30 at The Imperial Hotel (Ph: 5442 8811) or through Oztix (+booking fee). $35 at the door if not sold out prior.
Doors open 7.30pm.
