Ambition burns brightest in those who have to work the hardest. Talent manifests itself best when allowed to be quietly fire-hardened out of the way of salacious recording budgets, slipping under the radar, able to form itself the way it wants. Usually, Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula is too creatively interlocked for this to happen – too many intertwined relationships, too many bands, too much pressure to not be creative – but it continues to provide Australia with a breed of musicians hungry to branch out. Hungry to escape. Hungry to succeed.
Red Ink have ambition, that much is obvious. But it’s the way their talent has risen in hand with that ambition over the course of the past four years as a band, slipping under the radar, making an impact and rising to prominence with industry heads in the know that is most impressive about this young quartet; they’re good and they know it, now everybody else is about to find out.
As the rest of the country recovers from its eighteen month obsession with electro-pop and hip-hop, Red Ink have spent that time honing their craft to an impressively sharp edge. It’s understandable – Red Ink are a band who write constantly in search of the perfect Red Ink song – one not limited by terms as simple as ‘indie pop’, ‘post-punk’ or any such nonsense.
Their musical output plucks from all manners of the past thirty years of tune-craft, but, critically, striving for something new. Something fresh. Something that not only Australia, but the international community lacks – a band that can craft credible three minute pop songs; tunes, however, that won’t leave you thinking you’re listening to a pop song. Four disparate identities formed on the sun-parched peninsula and surrounded by a cultural vortex that sucks creativity from your soul, Red Ink are a gang who’ve grown up together, have risen above their surrounds – had that same environment poetically inform their songwriting - and are now destined to grow into a sensation together.
Led by onstage dervish (and the very unassuming offstage) John Jakubenko, along with Brendan Jones on guitar, drummer Aaron Sim and rounded out by bassist James Munns, Red Ink aren’t afraid of all-guns-blazing guitar-pop music, as they prove to great effect on blistering new single Audrey. It’s the sound of a new internationally ready Australian band finally hitting their straps.
In the best tradition of Manchester, New York, Glasgow, Melbourne and, er, Rihanna, it contains a loping bassline sparked into life by a strangling guitar line and a synth line that drags the entire tune onto the dancefloor. Before you know it, hands are in the air and everyone is marvelling at the sheer indie-pop brilliance on show. If someone rumbled Franz Ferdinand, Queens Of The Stone Age, Faker and Eskimo Joe into an oversized blender, it couldn’t possibly sound better.
It’s an international-class pop-song, made by an international-class band. And only a sign of the tunes to come.
"Polished production, deftly layered soundscapes and great playing make Red Ink's music stand out from a crowd of other young Australian bands aspiring to this kind of anthemic rock."
-Gotye
"I read Phrase and Gotye were fans.... catchy and well produced."
-Richard Kingsmill
“Red Ink are cool as all shit, my bet is they are about to tear the rock world a new arse hole ..
and if you don’t know then you should..”
Bands/DJ's/Producers we've slaughtered stages with
Hilltop Hoods - The Basics - Little Birdy - Jebedia - Blue King Brown - Frankmusic (UK) - Scribe (NZ) - Mammal - Grinspoon - The Beautiful Girls - Snobscrilla - Gyroscope - Art VS Science - Wolf and Cub - The Panics - Wagons - Sarah Blasko - Dead Letter Circus - Draft - Resin Dogs - Miami Horror - Kate Miller Heidke - Infusion - Ash Grunwald - Old Man River - Hungry Kids of Hungary - Bonjah - Wagons - Shihad - Philadelphia Grand Jury - Hungry Kids of Hungary - Dappled Cities - Fred Falke - Knighlife - Zeahorse - Galvatrons - Dallas Frasca - Dukes of Windsor - Diesel - Whitley - Matt Nathanson (US) - Paris Wells - Young & Restless - Calling all Cars - Children Collide - Hoodoo Gurus - Boom Crash Opera - Funkoars - Old Man River - John Steele Singers - The Vandas - Tim Rogers - You Am I - Spazzys - Ouch my Face - Skybombers - Younglovers - Scientists of Modern Music - Yacht Club DJ's - Little Red - Canvas Kites - Regular John - Van She - Dirty Secrets - Red Riders - British India - Dan Sultan - Melodramas (UK) - I Heart Hiroshima - Kram - Young Heretics - Harlequin League - Phrase - Fearless Vampire Killers - Bertie Blackman - Passenger (UK) - City Riots - Goons of Doom - The Seabellies - Boys Bys Boys! - The Fauves ... plus more we can't remember..
DUDES! We are opening for Midnight Juggernauts at Pier Live on Sat 14th of Nov! Massive show for us, would love to see you there! Got a billions of tickets to sell, let us know if you want some! WOOO! James. The JSB's.
I'm sad about the lack of confetti in Friday night's show.
But alas, there are photos up on Fasterlouder (or there will be tonight, anyway, if they haven't cleared yet...)
And I look forward to seeing another amazing show from you all on the weekend!
Hey! Absolutely insane set last night at Rocket Bar!! Was the first time Id seen you live - obv ur all great musos but ur voice is nuts!! Put on an epic show - look forward to next time!! xXx ;oP