In my humble opinion, Johnny Hunter, now signed to Cooking Vinyl Australia, are one of the most exciting bands in Australia at the moment – one we have been following for a while at Backseat Mafia with intense interest and satisfaction as they go from strength to strength. They project a tough and studied demeanour with compassionate and intelligent undergarments, cloaked in the most theatrical and glam-soaked accoutrements befitting the kind of exhibitionism that every good rock band should display. The music is steeped in a post punk new wave brutalism with an eyeliner edge and an arched eyebrow.
Their new single, ‘Cry Like A Man’, shows that in 2022, the band is back with a blast and purring on their continued ascendancy. The single is no posturing shallow showpiece nor an empty vessel parading its finery. With their trademark gothic tinges, a heavy and thunderous spine and Nick Hutt’s deep and vibrant vocals, Johnny Hunter deal with serious issues. Hutt says the track was the result of a 6 hour brainstorm… as I manically yelled lyrics, and says:
I had been placed in the unfortunate position of witnessing someone shrink into very selfish and abusive behaviour. It had been my first encounter with such an event and it shook me to my core.
‘Cry Like A Man’ calls upon the embracism of vulnerability. Men often abuse their masculinity to shield their vulnerability, in doing so they jeopardise the balance of the two dualities, they lose their sense of humanity and sense of self, to satisfy the self-aggrandizing fallacy that the world belongs to them.
Visceral shards of guitar frame Hutt’s rumbling voice – the archetypal Las Vegas showman tremble in the sonorous vocals, imbued with anger and emotion in skyscaping choruses. And melody? You can count on Johnny Hunter to provide a bittersweet pop sensibility deep in the heart of anything they write.This is utterly tremendous:
‘Cry Like A Man’ is available to download and stream here.
Check out our reviews of their recent singles here, our interview with the band here and our review of their debut EP ‘Early Trauma’ here.
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