Buick Six

Meeting under heated circumstances amidst the dustbowl of Splendour’s Belongil Fields in 2007 following a dust-up of a different variety, brothers Griffin and John Ryan made amends with drummer Nick Morrison for long enough to realise they shared common musical influences as well as an in-between-bands status. The only thing for it was to kick out some jams to see where it led.

Almost three years on, the trio named Buick Six have carried over that same deal-it-out-now, ask-questions-later approach to their music which has gained them a reputation as a brazen live act, securing Queensland support slots for You Am I, Tame Impala, British India, Sugar Army and The Fumes in the process.

Highly proficient in their raw musicianship, Buick Six could well have been born in another era, one smack-bang in between the high-energy rock scene of late 60s Detroit and the hazy days of Led Zeppelin’s rule, with a visit to early 90s You Am I thrown in for Australian taste.

Unabashed in their teeth-gritting urgency, the trio play classic guitar-driven rock with just enough dirt under their nails to be garage, though not so cool-for-school to snub their blues and roots influences which are worn proudly on the sleeves of their sweat-drenched t-shirts. Invading the space right through to the lungs, the unrelenting bottom-end signals each shift in pace with industrial-like, precision timing.

In 2008 Buick Six took their first tentative steps into recorded territory with The Buick Six EP, trapping the energy of their shows onto disc in a live recording at The Valley Studios. The release served as a calling card for their live shows and was an early indicator of local support, with tracks reaching the top ten on triple j’s overall Unearthed chart.

The second time around freak storms and a subsequent studio flood attempted to dirty up the sound of the Common Arms EP in a new way, seeping through precious masters and triggering a time consuming recovery process. Launched to Queensland audiences late in 2009, Common Arms lends the production talents of Robbie Carlyon from Numbers Radio who is certainly no stranger to the techniques of capturing sharp, gritty rock. Showcasing a clear development in song writing ability, the EP builds a newfound melodic tension over traditional progressions and good old wailing rock.

In 2010 Buick Six have made their first interstate in-roads, sharing with southerners what Queensland audiences have known for some time: Buick Six will break you down and wear you out. And just as you are led to believe that there are no more peaks to be reached and all efforts have surely been spent, Buick Six will drag you kicking to front and centre with the next furious wall of sound... and you will willingly let it happen all over again.