The H Gang

The Natural Bridge is the debut EP from a crew of Lismore Contemporary Music Students, known as The H Gang. Considering the background of the band, I immediately expected big things and in most respects, this release delivers. The foot - tappingly tight and groovy rhythm section, combined with warm, soulful vocal lines, best heard in the harmonies of 'Love - Not This Time', makes this release a very listenable half - hour. - Reverb Magazine

With barely 12 months under their
belts, Byron Bay natives, The H Gang,
are doing their best to change the
town’s soundtrack from reggae and
blues, to soul and funk. Having
recently won the national campus band
competition at Southern Cross
University in Lismore, guitarist SHAUN
ROBINSON spoke with KEVIN BULL as
the band prepares to release (and tour)
their debut EP, Natural Bridge.
How have the Byron Bay venues and
punters handled having a funk/soul band
in their midst?
People have responded very positively to
our style and our live show. I think people
love a good groove that they can move to
and a chorus they can sing along too.
Venues have been really good to us as well.
What draws a group of young musos to
this style of music?
We all love music from the 60s and 70s
because of the simplicity of the songs.
Great songwriting, musicianship and
grooves are some of the flavours that have
drawn us to this style. I think it’s also the
integrity in the songwriting that we are
drawn to.
The funk/soul sound will always be
connected to its 60s and 70s glory days.
Are you risking being labelled an ‘old
school’ band?
I guess you could say that. But we are more
about taking influences from 60s and 70s
funk and soul music and using that in a
contemporary way. Much like Renee Geyer,
Amy Winehouse, Norah Jones and Steely
Dan have done throughout their careers.
Twelve months after forming, the band are
about to release their debut EP. Why the
need to have some physical product
available?
We were getting a lot of requests from fans
at live shows for a CD to buy and we
wanted to get our songs recorded so we
decided to record The Natural Bridge.
Where was the album recorded, and why?
It was recorded by Anthony Lycenko at
Rocking Horse Studios and overdubs were
recorded at Nashua Road Studios by Les
Doroughy and Jim Kelly. We won some
recording time at Rocking Horse Studios
so we started there. Anthony was
absolutely awesome to work with and got a
really good sound going for us. We then
finished at Nashua Road to save some money
and also have Jim help us finish the project.
Did the songs change much in the studio?
The songs didn’t change much because we
had played them live a heap and ironed out
all the creases. Anthony did have some
great suggestions for the song ‘Hello My
Love’ and Jim helped us put on the
finishing touches like vocal harmonies and
some extra little sweeteners.
What are your plans for 2012?
We just want to get out and play as much as
we can. We have a NSW east coast tour
coming up and then we want to try and hit
some festivals as well as touring other areas
of the country. We are also in the process of
writing more songs.
The H Gang perform at By The River, Ballina,
on Sunday February 5; Rails, Byron Bay, on
Thursday February 9; Lennox Point Hotel
on Friday February 10; SCU Unibar, Lismore,
on Thursday February 16; Port Macquarie
Hotel on Friday February 17; Jewels Tavern,
Newcastle, on Saturday February 18.
- Reverb Magazine

The Lismore City Bowlo can be a little hard to find if you’ve never had the pleasure of enjoying a game of bowls by the river or soaking up some fresh local tunes on a Tuesday night. A small, unassuming building set back off the road, it seemed the perfect venue for The H Gang’s maiden performance – modest yet mysterious: old-school cool.
The H Gang are a local 5 piece borne of a mutual love for the timeless charm of smooth grooves and rich sultry rhythms. Their music pays homage to an impressive range of influences, from soul to funk and blues to R&B, displaying a maturity beyond their years and embodying the kind of love that comes from a deep appreciation of the potential of real music.
Quickly finding their groove and growing in confidence, The H Gang slipped into two uplifting sets littered with sexy covers and well written originals. The Bowlo was transported back to the days of 6 inch platforms and 8 inch afros as The H Gang filled the room with soulful melodies, funky beats and captivating flow.
Covers by the likes of Norah Jones and Renee Geyer obviously lent themselves to lead-singer Shandell’s alluring vocals, yet for me the originals were the most exciting, exhibiting a real knack for song-writing not often seen in young bands. There were thickly layered tracks driven by an infectious up-tempo intensity and earnest expansive ballads: “Mama Said” took the stage by force with a rolling drum beat, “I’m Comin’ for you” demonstrated a more soulful, mellow approach, and their first recorded track “LOVE-not this time” really did ooze class.
Talented young musicians playing unpretentious music always makes for a good time. Throw in some refreshing retro style, sophisticated song-writing and musical insight and suddenly the sky’s the limit. These guys are working on their debut album, The Natural Bridge, and will be touring over the coming summer. Get down! - Rave Magazine