Sydney, AU (EMI MUSIC AUSTRALIA) - The 1960's burst to life with the British Invasion, a cross-atlantic explosion of music, heartbreaking and soul, shaking its way down to earth like a message from Mercury.
Among many other bands from this period, guitar driven power groups like The Who, The Yardbirds and Cream are strong influences of these three young men from the deep and dark backwoods of Victoria's Lake Bolac.
Known as The Exploders, they are a band of conviction, standing tall as a Phoenix of the era, revisiting these sounds amid a modern and manic format. With hints of Sunny Boys, Credence Clearwater and The Kinks, their obvious love for primitive rock is worn proudly on their sleeve, as drummer Matt Britten admits, 'I'm a bit of a retro nut.'
So what sets this band apart from the sea of today's sound alike rock revivalists you ask? 'As we are a three piece we are much rawer and stripped back then other bigger bands, we can't afford to be doing choreographed shows with calculated lights and stage positions. We put on a much more music orientated show, looks and moves are not our thing. In a word after all that, honest.'
The inception of the band is your classic rock 'n' roll story. Friends meet together at high school and bond over a mutual love of music, they start writing music, realise they have something together and decide to take the band to the next level. 'I got to the end of my Uni course and decided I'd rather be playing music than sitting in an office. I asked the boys who I knew were more than capable musicians if they were interested, they said yes and we began to write and record in the Lake Bolac cottage. Our now manager Genevieve heard some of the tracks and began managing the band straight away. The first show was a couple of weeks after that and things kind of exploded from there (pardon the pun).'
Having recently been described as appearing to channel the ghost of Keith Moon on stage, Matt 'Screamin' Lemons' Britten is the strong arm of the group. By the hands of Paul and TJ, this thunderous young drummer has been spoon-fed the likes of Mitch Mitchell, Ginger Baker and Keith himself. The vigor with which he plays, and the manner in which he monsters the kit, creates the percussive energy of the group. On Bass, the loose and lazy grooves of Paul Doery pulses in and amongst the drums to create the back bone of the group. While, raised in a farmhouse constantly rumbling with the vibrations of 'Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs', 'The Beatles' and 'The Doors', the guitar and vocals of TJ Allender are the result of such an environment. Widely thought of as being cruelly born 40 years after his time, TJ's vocal explosion of dirt and raw guitar sounds head the group.
So if you like the sound of what you're hearing, you'll no doubt love their debut self titled album. 11 tracks of pure sexy rock, bursting with energy, catchy riffs, hooks and grooves. From the familiar 'My Country Brain' to the debut single 'Stepping Out,' the charming 'Cowboy Jim' and cheeky 'Big Hair Revolution', The Exploders are set to do just that.
