Rag n' Bone

Rag n Bone

With a rousing intro and an atmospheric lighting set up that felt like it was emanating from the backwoods of a Louisiana swamp, Rag n Bone took to the stage to entrance the audience for a full on performance.

Starting with ‘Danielle’, this song made me realise that maybe I had been missing out on what ‘polished scunge’ could bring to the table. Haunting and compelling, ‘Danielle’ drew the crowd closer to the stage whether they knew it or not. From that point, each song built on the atmospheric vibe, with a heap of laconic cheeky banter (mostly by guitarist Axel Carrington) thrown in. However it was Kiera Owen’s vocal that was so strong and controlled, that it interweaved through the discourse to knit together a sound that was just so hypnotic to hear.

As the band finished their set with the ‘Scunge’, they were given a send off, with the most genuine and spontaneous mosh of the night by the audience - AMN - Australian Music Network

Rag n' Bone - Live Recording with Foam/Catbrush/Aborted Tortoise

The Rosemount Hotel
Friday, June 6, 2014

..."Rag n’ Bone live suspended between a few different tensions, defiantly straddling the high – and lowbrow. Like, not many bands around will play a moving torch song about the Stolen Generations while stamping your hand with the word ‘BONED’ as you walk in. It’s the same kind of gap that hovers between Axel Carrington’s acutely Howardesque guitar work and Kiera Owen’s deftly controlled voice. When it all melts together though, it’s incandescent.

The crowd lifted their game too, with at least one bloody nose emerging from the ruckus. Witnessing people dance as hard as they possibly can into each other while avoiding the person with the expensive camera standing in the middle of the pit raises all kinds of questions about performativity and artifice. It’s the kind of thing that can make the ordinary gig experience awkward, but to everyone’s credit, it never came close into feeling like an ego exercise. Moreover, the ambition involved in such a project is pretty worth lauding by itself; stay tuned for reliving this one on the screen" - Alex Griffin - X-Press Magazine

Bailey March 17, 2014 Interviews

Rag’n’Bone are that rare breed of band that burn bright and hot but are somehow still unknown. Since releasing their double-A-side Crossing/Bag o’ Nails late last year, the raunchy four-piece have been getting down and dirty; writing new tracks and decimating local stages with a series of blistering performances. Bailey Lions caught up with Rag’n’Bone vocalist Kiera Alice Owen and bassist Sara McPherson for a few cheap beers and a long chat about rock’n’roll, relationships, and cutting loose.

“I screamed like a psycho,” laughs Owen, discussing a recent performance. “I just lost it and it was so great.”

McPherson agrees, noting that pushing themselves to the limit is where the band found both their release and energy. Having formed while studying at WAAPA, the band has a strong attachment to breaking rules.

It feels like at times we should all be in strait jackets. We misbehave.
“At uni things were so regimented, it was about learning specifics,” notes McPherson. ”Now we’re allowed to cut loose and go crazy, and Axl (the guitarist) can scream. It feels like at times we should all be in strait jackets. We misbehave.”

Rambunctious stage antics aren’t the only way Rag’n’Bone misbehave; Owen and McPherson break the cardinal rule of being in a band – don’t date your band members.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” objects Owen, “I love sharing this particular passion with Sara and I feel so grateful that she can relate at the exact same level. I don’t have to come and bitch about my band or be really excited about a gig and telling someone who doesn’t quite get it. We can be excited together.”

While it can be tricky managing a relationship in and out of a band, both Owen and McPherson are incredibly upfront about keeping any bullshit out of the jam room.

“I treat it like there are four individuals,” says McPherson. “It’s different for us because, between rehearsals, we have a whole week to discuss ideas and throw things at each other. It’s not always in a united way like this is our opinion and this is theirs. I hate that it would appear that we operate like a united front.”

As well as a band and a house, Owen and McPherson share the same musical background. Both are trained musicians, but the response they get on stage in Rag’n’Bone is very different from the one they received in their studies.

“When I went to school there were other ladies who played music, but I played bass and that was weird,” laments McPherson, whose rhythm focus has led to many strange looks. “Whenever I apply for a music job I always get asked if my instrument is voice or piano and get shocked looks when I say bass guitar.”

Owen is a little more direct – “It’s just rock and roll,” she points out. “Look at how many women are in chamber orchestras, they’re almost dominant in that classical genre. [Rock and roll] has always been about sex.”

Rag’n’Bone is certainly no exception; the band practically drips sex with their powerful, sultry songs that slam you into the wall like a passionate lover. The band explodes on stage, and it’s this climatic mix of strength and vulnerability that seduces the audience.

It’s part of who you are. As human sexuality is innate, [avoiding sex would] be like not including your accent when you sing.
“Sex isn’t bad,” says Owen, throwing down the proverbial feminist gauntlet. “It’s part of who you are. As human sexuality is innate, [avoiding sex would] be like not including your accent when you sing.”

“I feel sexy when I sing in Rag’n’Bone and the music makes me feel sexy,” continues Owen, “and when it’s a bit raucous and gross I feel even more sexy – I’m not trying to be sexy but that’s how I feel, and I go with it because its emotion and expression; it’s part of who you are.” - Heather Magazine

The Music, 13 November 2013, page 27 ISSUE #14

"...Local four-piece Rag n' Bone use their band to "act out" after years of sometimes stifling musical education. Amber Fresh hears from three of them on how.

Even Starting out, Perth's Rag n' Bone were drawn to the unconventional. As singer Kiera Owen, guitarist Axel Carrington and bassist Sara McPherson chat about the band's genesis it's clear they - along with Jamie Gallacher - were destined for something other than staid recitals post-WAAPA..."

Interview by Amber Fresh. - The Music

Live Review: Deer Santa @ The Bakery 21-12-13
By John Aliaga @ImpartialCamera · On January 2, 2014

...Around this time the crowd had grown large enough that The Bakery’s courtyard bar opened up and the night seemed like it was only going from strength to strength. With such a strong line-up though, it seemed only natural that the venue would fill up but at the time I had never seen The Bakery so crowded so early into a show that even the promoters were surprised.

A definite standout for the night, Rag n’ Bone hit the stage running, opening with a high-octane rock sound that drew a dtrong crowd. Kiera Owen’s vocal power rang through the venue as if singing in a deep cavern while the entire band didn’t hold back, refusing to stand still, the audience feeding off of their energy. Guitarist Axel Carrington took it to the next level however, literally running around the stage, screaming at the audience, jumping off the drum kit and flat out breaking his guitar by the end of the set, walking off immediately after in true rock star fashion and, while I cringe at the thought of breaking instruments, it was spectacular to watch. - The Beat Press

PICA Bar
Friday, November 22, 2013

Raw, honest, and crammed into the corner of a vibrant PICA Bar, Rag N’ Bone took the next step in their upsurging careers, providing a night of body moving rock that sent an overwhelmingly sized and lively crowd home happy.... - XPRESS Magazine