By ALANA MITCHELSON
Celtic rock act The Rumjacks have returned to Australia after the band’s biggest tour yet, playing almost 40 shows in 50 days.
Frontman Frankie McLaughlin said he was “blown away” by the extent of support from fans half a world away from the band’s Sydney home base.
The Rumjacks discovered fans spanning England, Germany, Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic, France, Ireland and many more countries, McLaughlin said.
Some had even travelled up to 10 hours to see the show, he marvelled.
“It was amazing to see that we had made quite an impact over there.”
The response overseas gave the band plenty of motivation, McLaughlin said.
“We’ve already got bigger shows planned for 2016 and we’ll be back in Europe from May onwards but not before we play some more gigs around Australia.”
McLaughlin is quite the perfectionist when it comes to writing lyrics.
The Rumjacks’ new album, Sober and Godless, released earlier this year, was the first time the lead singer had approached songwriting with a solid set of themes in mind.
Inspired by day-to-day interactions and the experiences of those around him, McLaughlin’s work extended to even creating the album artwork to portray his concepts of conflict, heartbreak and redemption.
“I do torture myself over getting the lyrics right,” he said.
“I’ve always been a fan of really well-crafted poetry.
“Sometimes I’ll wake up in the morning with a complete story in my head and the urge to want to tell it.
“I’ll think, ‘is there a way I can treat the senses?’ I like words that carry more than just their meaning alone but when there’s an added weight of emotion attached to it,” he said.
The Rumjacks members have drawn from their Scottish and Irish heritage to find a unique, speedier sound which is heavily rooted in the renowned folk music of their motherlands.
The Rumjacks play the Barwon Club tonight (Friday).
Click below to watch The Rumjacks’ music video for ‘Home’.
