"We want to do it the right way and build up a proper fan base," says RUSHCUTTER's frontman and songwriter, Jaime Robbie Reyne. "Just tour, tour, tour and hopefully people will like the songs and get on board, the old-fashioned way."
Introducing RUSHCUTTER, a stunning new four-piece rock outfit out of Melbourne with a big, classic sound that transcends time and genre.
RUSHCUTTER first came together at the end of 2007 out of the remnants of two emerging acts in the Melbourne live scene. Guitarist Vincent Daniele and drummer Brett Wolfenden had previously played in a band together, while bassist Mike O’Dowd and singer Jaime Robbie Reyne worked together in Jaime’s solo outfit. Together, they bring to RUSHCUTTER the cumulative experience of hundreds of live shows.
From their very first jam together, the four new members of RUSHCUTTER immediately knew this was the line-up through which they'd collectively take their music to the world. "We played one song," recalls Jaime Robbie, "and Brett turned to me and said, ‘So, we've got the band. What shall we call ourselves?'"
The new group decided to take things slowly at first, rehearse behind closed doors for at least six months, perfect their craft and new sound before going public. Jaime Robbie, a prolific writer, provided the group with an almost endless supply of songs, the band quickly building up a vast repertoire of new originals.
As soon as RUSHCUTTER started gigging around their home state of Victoria in the middle of 2008, everything quickly shifted into overdrive. They soon found themselves in the US, visiting and performing in cities like New York, Los Angeles and Nashville.
It was in Nashville that they met the legendary American producer Niko Bolas, longtime collaborator to the likes of Neil Young, Keith Richards, Warren Zevon and many more. RUSHCUTTER came home, signed a major record deal, and Niko recently came out to Melbourne's famed Sing Sing studios to record the band's debut EP, "Call High Water".
The diversity of styles represented on this four-track EP hints at RUSHCUTTER's American musical influences [Stephen Stills, Gram Parsons, Creedence Clearwater Revival], blended with the undeniable effect of being bred on distinctly homegrown sounds [Midnight Oil, Paul Kelly, Crowded House].
The EP's title track, "Call High Water", is indicative of RUSHCUTTER's euphoric approach – a big, driving rocker with a soaring chorus that feels like an instant classic.
Jaime Robbie says "Call High Water" is a song about watershed moments. "It's about getting on with it, no matter what it is," he explains. "Just put your head down and don't worry about it. You can always get so down and out about how bad things are, but really there's nothing better than just hopping in the car and taking off."
Jaime Robbie Reyne's lyrics regularly forge impressions of quintessential Aussie settings – "Rain coming heavy, rain gonna pour and flood the deck" he sings on "Call High Water" – while his distinctive vocal style has an aching tone that simply sweeps you away. From the four tracks on this brilliant debut EP, it's obvious that there's an enormous depth of musicality and experience at play in this band.
Now, RUSHCUTTER is officially set to make itself known to the world. They're gigging intensively all across Australia and abroad, so make sure you get to experience them live when they come to your town.
For the moment, please enjoy RUSHCUTTER's debut EP, "Call High Water".
Written by Dino Scatena, August '09
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