Living indie legends Hoodoo Gurus have today announced the details of their long-awaited new studio album – ‘Chariot of the Gods’.
Of course, the Gurus have carved out a very special niche in Australian indie scene – they were part of an innovative underground movement, along with bands like The Scientists, which blossomed in isolation, and preceded grunge by more than a decade, melding gritty fuzzy guitars with a sense of inherent style and indelible pop melodies. Later, they jangled more than rumbled with pure pop classics like ‘Bittersweet’. For me, the band’s debut ‘Stoneage Romeos’ is still one of the best albums ever released in Australia with its gritty primal beats and gravity-defying hair cartoonery.
‘Chariot of the Gods’, set for worldwide release on Friday, 11 March, is the band’s first album in over a decade (the longest interval between Hoodoo Gurus’ albums in their history) and is available to pre-order today from here on Big Time Records through EMI Music.
Dave Faulkner explains
The last twelve months have been frustrating and nerve-racking for everyone but, for the Hoodoo Gurus, this dark cloud has had a silver lining. Forced to rely on ourselves instead of the outside world for validation, there has been a creative rebirth within the band that has resulted in a string of singles and a new album. Most important of all, the musical bonds between the four of us have never been stronger. When the discussions are all about which songs we’re sad about having to leave off the record, that’s a damn good sign.
I’m tellin’ ya, folks, we’ve got a real spring in our step right now.
And they are not the only ones.
Faulkner goes on to say:
For this record, we decided to go back to the approach we used when we recorded our debut album, ‘Stoneage
Romeos’, which began as a series of self-contained singles. We started out this time by recording and releasing
‘Answered Prayers’ at the end of 2019. That was followed by ‘Get Out Of Dodge’, ‘World Of Pain’ and ‘Carry
On’. We completed work on each single before beginning the next one, rather than recording an entire album’s
worth of songs and choosing the singles later. This made the recording process more drawn out and less cost effective, but the benefit was that it kept things fresh; each new set of sessions was an opportunity for
reinvention. As an added plus, it kept us busy throughout the entirety of the long layoffs we experienced due
to COVID-19
In an exclusive preview, Hoodoo Gurus’ fans across the globe can hear ‘Chariot of the Gods’ played in its entirety for the very first time, as well as some classic tracks, when eMusic Live streams a special event recorded at the esteemed Damien Gerard Studios on the NSW Central Coast.
The streamed set will be shared at 8:00pm AEDT / WST / PST / EST / GMT on Thursday, 10 March, the evening before Chariot of the Gods’ official release and will include the opportunity for fans to chat with the band during the stream. The stream is designed both as a special album preview and a thank you to loyal fans around the world who have experienced cancelled tours by the band over the past two years.
The new album is released alongside a welcome return to the stage for multiple tours making for a year for which the band are full of a palpable and infectious level of determination, drive and spirit, including their 40th Anniversary Tour with long-time mutual friends, The Dandy Warhols, in April 2022, presented by Frontier Touring. Show openers on the 40th Anniversary Tour were recently announced and opening proceedings in Sydney will be The Buoys, Even in Adelaide and Melbourne and Rinehearts in Perth.
‘Chariot of the Gods’ consists of 14 tracks (17 on the deluxe double-vinyl edition) featuring the relatable lyricism and peerless songwriting placed in a distinctively Australian context that the band are renowned for (see below for tracklisting). The album is the first full-length recording with relative new recruit to the Hoodoo Gurus’ line-up, on drums – Nik Reith.
Hoodoo Gurus are also appearing on the postponed Red Hot Summer dates with Jimmy Barnes, Jon Stevens, Diesel and Chris Cheney through January and February 2022.
Track Listing (digital/CD):
Early Opener
World Of Pain
Get Out Of Dodge
Answered Prayers
Was I Supposed To Care?
Hang With The Girls
My Imaginary Friend
Equinox
Chariot Of The Gods
Carry On
I Come From The Future
Don’t Try To Save My Soul
Settle Down
Got To Get You Out Of My Life
Vinyl tracklist:
Early Opener
World Of Pain
Get Out Of Dodge
Answered Prayers
Was I Supposed To Care?
Hang With The Girls
My Imaginary Friend
Equinox
Chariot Of The Gods
Carry On
Hung Out To Dry
Obviously Five Believers
I Wanna Be Your Man
I Come From The Future
Don’t Try To Save My Soul
Settle Down
Got To Get You Out Of My Life
Tour details:
Tickets on sale now here.
Saturday, 2 April 2022 – Belvoir Amphitheatre, Perth WA
Tuesday, 5 April 2022 – Adelaide Entertainment Centre Theatre, Adelaide SA
Wednesday, 6 April 2022 – Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne VIC
Saturday, 9 April 2022 – Hobart City Hall, Hobart TAS
Tuesday, 12 April 2022 – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney NSW
Wednesday, 13 April 2022 – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney NSW
Thursday, 14 April 2022 – Riverstage, Brisbane QLD
Saturday, 7 May 2022 – Sounds of Rock Festival
Bundaberg Recreational Precinct, Bundaberg QLD
Tickets for Hoodoo Gurus on eMusic Live on Thursday, 10 March 2022 are available from here now.
Feature Photograph: Christopher Ferguson
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