Biography
The Fumes … the story so far
BOOM SHAZAM!
‘Ever since The Fumes exploded onto the Aussie rock scene in 2004 with a self-titled EP and the critically-acclaimed debut album Guns Of Gold in 2006, the infamous blooze-rock duo have left slack jaws, ringing ears and wagging tongues in their wake. Read the band’s press and you have to wonder how a mere two-piece can garner so much hype, hyperbole and histrionics. But in the case of geetar-slinger and mighty-bearded vocalist Steve Merry and drumming prodigy Joel Battersby, the gushing is with good reason.’
‘Sundancer’ by The Fumes is out NOW in OZ/NZ (MGM), JAPAN (P-Vine)too, and has picked up a ridiculous number of AWESOME reviews. The clip for ‘Python for a Pillow’ has been added to TV nationally including Indie Clip of the Week on Rage and Channel 10’s Video Hits and the single has swept right around the country at radio.
Making its debut into the AIR chart at Number # 6 and the All Distro chart at no # 18 from here I’ll let reviews do the talking as they prepare to embark on the first of their tours in Australia to support the release after returning triumphantly from touring Canada, the US including showcases at SXSW and Japan .
Check www.myspace.com/thefumesoz for ALL tour dates
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REVIEWS - 'What folk are saying about Sundancer'
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Album Of The Week: 90.7FM SYN FM (Sydney) + 93.7FM Three D Radio (Adelaide)
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‘The bands that got the most buzz from the exercise that saw 77 artists invited to showcase (SXSW) include Temper Trap, The Boat People, The Grates, The Drones and The Fumes from Australia.’ - Themusic.com.au
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Sydney duo The Fumes are back with a vengeance with their sophomore record, Sundancer. This record sees the guys take their rollicking bluesy rock sound to a new level, with the appearance of some beautiful piano action… ‘Sundancer’ can be described as nothing short of fucking exemplary 4.5/5- Article by Max Easton
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The Fumes have a sound that’s as fresh as the morning sun. And you can dance to it too. - Patrick Emery for Beat Magazine (Melbourne) 29/4/09
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"Cuddle Up The Devil" is just magnificent here and covers the same dilemmas Robert Johnson faced at his mythical crossroads. Do you embrace the darkness in order to play music? Is it true that the devil has all the best tunes? The duality of human nature and all that. Brand new but old as the hills. - Chris Johnston for The Age Magazine (Melbourne) May '09
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Sundancer’ is an awesome album. It is diverse and has a beefcake of a sound – no mean feat for a two piece – and is performed by two very talented musicians.
The band feels like a collage of its various influences although dirty fuzzy blues seems to be predominant, but they manage to make an album that is never boring and a much needed injection of goodness into the local scene in Australia. - Tim Cashmere for undercover.com.au 1/5/2009
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Abundantly more exciting than a reformed Wolfmother, The Fumes’ 'Sundancer' expresses the heart-pounding, flesh-rending core of Dionysian rock. - http://www.scenemagazine.com.au
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The Fumes are your quintessential rock band. This album is just absolutely hell bent on being sensational. Four & ½ stars - http://elevenmagazine.com.au
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This is fine working class rock, blue collar guitar and drums that is as honest as a five year old child. Peter Ryan Music Australia Guide - http://Musicaustraliaguide.com
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‘Sundancer’ is a steak and you are hungry. These are songs that drive and grind and appear relentless. They are both terrifying and excellent. If you have the opportunity or inclination to do yourself a favour this year, this is an album that should find its way into your stereo and this is a band that should find its way onto a stage near you. Because as good as The Fumes are. Produced up, practiced, blowing one of your expensive speakers, they don’t need any of it either. - Carolyn Dempsey for Inpress Melbourne 05/05/2009
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‘Sundancer’ is a solid rock n roll blues album that offers heavy beats raw and exciting riffs and sincere lyrics. It places The Fumes army at the front of the Aussie rock scene. Four stars - Emma Heard for Time Off Brisbane
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Guns of Gold - 2006
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Bursting onto the Australian scene in 2005, riveting two piece THE FUMES have rarely been out of the nation's gig guides. Gaining respect from industry and a growing public they work equally well carving up blues festivals and headlining sold out rock venues. Their vigorous touring schedule started from the onset and charged into full gear by the time they released their debut album ‘Guns of Gold’ (Silent Partner/Inertia) in July 06. Chock full of swagger and groove they set about Australia on numerous occasions to regional towns and cities wowing audiences with their high octane blues rock performances.
THE BRAG… “You cannot deny the raw power of The Fumes." ... DRUM MEDIA "The next big thing... an amazing set of lungs and a man behind the skins that doesn't miss a beat”…..INPRESS “They were, simply, awesome. The Fumes are going from strength to strength; to the point that you’ll have to book ahead next time they stomp into town. The reason for this; they write and play great fucking music. Class over.”
The Fumes have also sweated up stages with the likes of Dallas Crane, COG, The Beautiful Girls, Ash Grunwald, Angus & Julia Stone, Hayseed Dixie (USA), Evermore, Dan Kelly and many other great local and international acts as the major festival invites came calling; Groovin The Moo, Falls Festival, Festival of The Sun, The Great Escape, Woodford Folk Festival, Great Southern Blues and Rockabilly Festival and the West & East Coast Blues & Roots Festivals.
The Fumes were named Blues Artist of The Year at the 2005 Music Oz Awards and pulled of a spectacular performance that was televised nationally on SBS coinciding with the release of their first single ‘Oh My Babylon’ ( from E.P ‘The Fumes’) while it enjoyed rotation nationwide on Aussie radio. Second single ‘Automobile,’ (accompanied by the award winning film clip) went to high rotation across the country mostly through the efforts of Triple J which also featured the guys live on air in the studio and their performance at the Falls Festival in Victoria, all on the back of a more rigorous touring. The release of ‘Guns of Gold’ made its debut on the AIR chart at no 5 the first week of release. The Fumes entered the all distribution chart at number 20. The media went at it again;
FASTERLOUDER… "The Fumes are set to dazzle. with their multi-faceted stylistic raw blues tunes.’Guns Of Gold' is a genre busting mash up of country, delta blues and punk/rock n' roll. Recorded by legendary producer Lindsay Gravina (Thirsty Merc, The Living End, Magic Dirt, Faker) THE FUMES' debut record proves why the band is quickly becoming the nation's most exciting musical prospect”.
The album continued to pick up accolades and scoop Album of the Week in the press and at radio. The Fumes were making the blues cool and dammed sexy to boot.
INPRESS…”The fluctuations in tempo and style are one of the albums strengths… Steve Merry's deft and intricate guitar work with powerful, bourbon-drenched and cigarette-singed voice maintains the listeners attention whether through subtle or brutal means, where as Joel Battersby is simply one of the most dynamic drummers to beat his way onto the scene in quite a while”…CD of the WEEK DRUM MEDIA…”timeless and awfully well wrought”…J MAG…”These are two guys playing from their gut and they’ve captured that intensity here.”
The forever–touring Fumes completed their ‘official’ run for GOG with the ‘Ghosty Blues and Sea Shanty Snooze Tour’ in March/April 2007 supported my MySpace.com the tour was aptly named for it’s cruise factor as the guys turned it down a notch and revealed a ‘sweeter’ side delving deeper into their long player album. Towards the end of 2007 The Fumes signed with Native Tongue Music Publishing worldwide and went out on tour again this time with like minded road warriors The Vasco Era in a double header tour that slayed audiences and once again garnered the band an awesome swag of great reviews.
Guns of Gold was released in Japan on 5th December 07 ( Blues Interaction P-Vine Records). In 2008 The Fumes started serious work on their follow-up album in OZ but were typically were lured back to the road by offers of support with The Cruel Sea and then again as exclusive support around Australia with Queens of The Stone Age.
A highlight mid-way through 2008 occurred when The Fumes were invited to perform at FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL in Japan for two separate performances to rapturous audiences. The Fumes will tour outside of OZ again in 2009. Meanwhile a recording date for the second album has been set down in October with Jim Diamond (White Stripes) confirmed as the producer..stay tuned!
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http://www.myspace.com/thefumesoz http://www.thefumes.com.au http://www.twitter.com/thefumes
For more information kindly contact Tracey Griffiths at Kick Music Office: 61-2 9522 0038 Mobile: 0405109729 Online: http://www.kickmusic.com.au or email info@kickmusic.com.au
Instrumentation
Steve Merry - resonator/ guitar vocals
Joel Battersby - drums
Discography
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LATEST ALBUM
SUNDANCER
Release Date: May 01, 2009
Label: Kick Music/MGM
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DEBUT ALBUM
GUNS OF GOLD
Release: 1 July 2006
Label: Silent Partner Recordings / The Fumes
Distribution: Inertia
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SINGLE
AUTOMOBILE
Label: Silent Partner Recordings / The Fumes
Distribution: Inertia
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SINGLE
OH MY BABYLON
Release: August 2005
Independant
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EP , SELF TITLED
THE FUMES
Release: January 2005
Independant
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Links
| http://www.thefumes.com.au |
| MySpace |
| Faster Louder |