![]() I was one of the guest vocalists and every time we’d do a show he’d tell me if I ever wanted horns on a song to call on him. I knew a young guy, Travis, who played trumpet in Jack Howard’s Epic Brass band. Listening back to the tracks I felt some of the tunes really cry out for horns. We’d do two rehearsal takes and nail it on the third before we got too comfortable. Sure there was a little spill and occasional ghost vocal, or me calling out a chorus or chord change that bled into the drum mics, but all that just added to the vibe. We were all set up in the room together, so we could maintain eye contact. ![]() I was very pleased that even though none of the guys had never heard any of the songs but one – ‘Old Ben Putty’ – that we managed to get six pretty cool tracks down. I decided to keep it simple and grab the lads and just lay down some original blues country tunes that I’d been working on. I was offered six hours of free time in the studio to do as I pleased with him engineering. In April 2021 he got an in-house gig as an engineer in a studio in Brunswick and wanted a ‘name’ to record there for promotional reasons – he chose me. I was getting lessons on ProTools from a young engineer, Levi Dowsett, just before the first series of lockdowns in Victoria and during that time developed an easy friendship. Bruce Haymes and I have done a session or two previously and he had also become a regular with the Hounds, so it was natural to bring him into the studio. I learned many years ago, don’t interfere with chemistry and those guys have it. Mavric, double bass and Peter ‘Robbo’ Robertson, drums (with brushes) was a combo that clicked instantly. That is how I got to meet new players and consolidate old friendships that brought me to this particular lineup on the sessions that make up this collection of tunes. The band roster began to expand over the year with various guest artists filling in when other players needed to be elsewhere. The band started gigging regularly doing residencies around Melbourne like The Ding Dong Lounge, Cherry Bar, and The Espy (Esplanade Hotel). Each of us would take turns fronting the band and I got a crash course in playing the blues. ![]() That lineup had Ash Davies on drums, Jerome Smith on bass and vocals, the late and great Chris Wilson, blues harp and vocals, Matt Dwyer, guitar and vocals, and myself, guitar and vocals. We’d call out a song and a key and just start playing. I needed an opener for a charity gig I’d put together and thought running like the Elvis Comeback Special might be a good idea. I put together a band called The Heinous Hounds, almost by accident. ![]() A few years ago I decided I’d had enough life experience to be eligible to start playing the blues. ![]()
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