Trusty Chords

I don't think I'm talking out of school when I say that Tex Perkins is a man who wears many hats (and oh my, does he ever look stylish when he does).

If you're a casual consumer of music, then band names like Beasts Of Bourbon or The Cruel Sea would come to mind upon mention of his name. 

If you're a bit more of a diehard, then I could start mentioning the likes of his solo work, the Dark Horses, the Fat Rubber Band, The Tennessee Four, The Band Of Gold, The Butcher Shop, The Ape, the Bush Oysters, the James Baker Experience, Minced Meat, Salamander Jim, The Dum Dums, Thug, and collaborations like T'N'T with Tim Rogers, and the wonderful Tex, Don & Charlie with Don Walker and Charlie Owen. 

Good gravy, I think I'm going cross-eyed just mentioning them all.

And you know what? That's not even all of them. Tex has been in more bands than I've had hot dinners, and frankly it's a wonder he has time to do anything else in his life.

In recent years, we've seen The Beasts wrap things up, and we've seen The Cruel Sea release their first album in 24 years. If you're listening to this thinking we're about to be chatting about those bands, well, here's a curveball for you – we're actually chatting about 'Before The Show', Tex's new album made in collaboration with Matt Walker.

It's a stellar piece of work, and as the pair head out on tour, Tex was kind enough to donate his time to chat about his musical origins, and just what collaborating with an artist like Matt Walker is all about.

Anyway, have a listen to Tex Perkins and Matt Walker's 'Before The Show', buy a ticket to their current tour, have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

As far back as I remember, I've never been someone to really find myself attracted to bands that generate a lot of 'buzz'. I mean, I remember realising as a kid that I had to listen to a song numerous times before it really clicked with me.

That's probably why I was pretty surprised I found myself really digging Getdown Services when they first came across my desk.

Having only been around for the past five years, the duo – comprising Ben Sadler and Josh Law – have fast made a name for themselves. They released their debut album, 'Crisps', back in 2023, with a string of EPs following soon after. 

Along the way though, their live shows swiftly drew attention for their frankly wild nature. 

See, while Getdown Services are like musical chameleons with a noted sense of humour, they're not a 'joke' band or anything like that. They're simply a pair of lads who know how to make good music, know how to have a good time, and want you to do the same.

They've managed to make a fan in Harry Styles, and earlier this year, they undertook their debut Australian tour, which swiftly sold out.

Just last month, they released their latest album, 'Massive Champion', and it's a massive success for the pair. Frankly, it's easy to see why they're being called Britain's best band.

That's why I was stoked to have a chat with them recently, where we talked about their musical journey, and why it is that people don't take music seriously if it has a sense of humour.

Anyway, have a listen to Getdown Services' 'Massive Champion', have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

It's always really fun watching artists catch on quickly and suddenly seeing their popularity skyrocketing as folks catch on and pay deep attention to them.

That's pretty much what happened with Sydney outfit The Lazy Eyes when they first formed about seven years ago. Launched by a bunch of school mates, they swiftly found themselves performing at events like BIGSOUND before they released a single, and then as they did, a global pandemic happened and halted their momentum.

Thankfully, they didn't stagnate, and while singles like 'Cheesy Love Song' were followed by a pair of EPs, their profile continued to rise. In 2022, they released their debut album, 'SongBook', and months later they were supporting names like The Strokes.

Though impressive, it'd take a while before we heard new music from the band. In fact, it would take about four years, with their return occurring earlier this year as they got ready to unleash their second album, 'Cheesy Love Songs'.

It's a gorgeous piece of work that showcases that indie rock mentality of The Lazy Eyes and blends it with their clear love of melody and pop sensibilities, wrapping it up and delivering it in a package which is as self aware as it is impactful.

This week, I was lucky enough to have a chat with The Lazy Eyes members Harvey, Leon, and Itay. We didn't quite go deep on all the standard questions relating to their Trusty Chords (we had a good time regardless), but we certainly touched on their formation, their new record, and why their second record shares a name with their debut single.

Anyway, have a listen to The Lazy Eyes' 'Cheesy Love Songs', buy a ticket to their upcoming tour, have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

It's always fascinating to see how songs can catch on and – in some cases – become emblematic of an entire era. For many, the early '90s hip-hop scene is typified by songs like 'Jump Around', the debut single from Los Angeles trio House Of Pain.

They charted around the world, and while that debut single hit No. 3 in the US and No. 15 in Australia, they never quite matched the same critical and commercial heights.

By the time they'd hit the big time, one member of the group – Everlast – had already gone solo with a debut album in 1990, having previously emerged as a member of Ice-T's Rhyme Syndicate. But once House Of Pain called it quits in 1996, Everlast went solo once again, with albums like 1998's 'Whitey Ford Sings The Blue's going top ten in the US.

He even took home a Grammy in 2000 thanks to 'Put Your Lights On', a collaboration with Santana which is still a track I go back to regularly.

However, while albums would come relatively regularly, his most recent record – 2018's 'Whitey Ford's House Of Pain' – was his last for some time, with live shows being largely put by the wayside, and new music emerging only rarely. As he explains, there was a lot going on: COVID, a house fire, a divorce, and even a health event which left him unable to play guitar.

This year, however, he returns with 'Embers To Ashes', an album which falls into vintage Everlast territory, pairing his vulnerability with acclaimed musicianship in a way that appeals to fans both longtime and nascent.

This week, I was lucky enough to have a chat with Everlast (well, we had the chat back in May, if you want a peek behind the curtain), to chat about the new record and everything associated with it.

If you're eager to hear war stories about his time in House Of Pain, I will admit you may be disappointed, but Everlast – or Whitey Ford, if you prefer – is someone who can still tell a good story, and share some real interesting tales about his experiences with music.

Anyway, have a listen to Everlast's 'Embers To Ashes', have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

Cast your mind back to the early-to-mid-'00s, and it was pretty hard to escape Epicure. That is, if you were listening to triple j, the Ballarat outfit were a hot commodity.

Having formed in the mid-'90s, a few formative releases gave way to a bit of a personnel shuffle and something of a musical refocusing. What came next was the sort of thing that most bands of the era could only dream of.

Slick support slots, constant airplay, and even placings in the annual Hottest 100 countdown made Epicure's name one that a lot of fans were quite familiar with, while albums such as 'The Goodbye Girl' and 'Main Street' were mainstays of those same fans' CD players.

By 2010, however, it was clear that things were reaching an end, and after the fittingly-titled Quietly Into The Night tour, the band found themselves no longer a going concern.

Members still made music, of course, including Juan Alban, who released a string of solo records in the coming 15 years. However, many fans of the band – and I include myself in that list – were not expecting to receive word that 2026 was bringing with it a new record from the group.

Dubbed 'Evenings In Honduras', it's a wonderful piece of work which feels like a perfect continuation of what the band had delivered all those years ago, and also serves as a perfect example of a 'reunion' done right.

My excitement for this new record led to me giving Juan a call to chat about this new record, how it came together, and what fans can expect going forward.

Anyway, have a listen to Epicure's 'Evenings In Honduras', buy a ticket to their upcoming tour, have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.