Tex Perkins is one of Australia’s most influential musicians, boasting a back catalogue stretching over four decades as a solo artist and with iconic groups such as Beasts of Bourbon, The Cruel Sea and Tex, Don and Charlie.
For the past five years Perkins has worked with Matt Walker both as a duo and in the Fat Rubber Band, which recently released its second album, Other World.
However, the collaboration may not have happened due to Perkins’ high estimation of Walker’s abilities.
“When The Cruel Sea were going in the mid-90s Matt was just starting out, playing with Ashley Davies as a duo,” Perkins said.
“We loved them, and they were the perfect opening act for us; we would get them to support us as often as possible.
“From my perspective, I’ve always seen Matt as a really unique and complete performer. He’s a songwriter, a brilliant guitar player, not a bad piano player, either.
“It’s taken me this long to work with him because I always respected him so much; I always saw him as the complete package and I didn’t see a role for me working with him because I thought, what does he need me for?”
After nearly a decade working together in the lauded Johnny Cash tribute show the Man in Black, Walker made the off-hand comment in 2017 that he and Perkins should make an album similar to Link Wray’s Beans and Fatback.
“That was it, that was the invitation I wasn’t expecting; it took him to initiate this partnership,” Perkins said.
“We started writing immediately via email and text message, and we quickly realised we had a real ease of working with each other.
“Basically, within two weeks we had seven songs, three quarters of the first (Fat Rubber Band) album.”
Perkins said while he loved the “magic” of the Fat Rubber Band, the duo setting allowed the exploration of a broader repertoire, including large sections of Perkins and Walker’s individual back catalogues as well as new, original material.
“Matt is such a great, versatile player that I can pretty much say we can go anywhere,” Perkins said.
“We’re probably more flexible, our options are greater as a duo.
“It’s a different experience, sonically, and I love playing in a full group, but playing just with Matt is… There’s a mysterious, almost indefinable way we vocalise together.
“(We do) exciting new material, but also comfortingly familiar tunes; some big hits and some new adventures as well.”
Tex Perkins and Matt Walker perform at Palais Geelong on Sunday, April 23.
