Bluesy rock trio Huge Magnet launch their debut LP, Self Service, at Mojos this Friday, June 27, with support from Boom! Bap! Pow!, Ofa Fotu and Blind Tiger Blues Box, then at The Rosemount Hotel’s Four5Nine Bar on Saturday June 28, with Day Of The Dead and Flyball Gov’nor. We caught up with drummer and vocalist, Paul Sloan.
What’s the Huge Magnet story?
Basically, Bretski (Bret Hearn) and I have been playing together in the Sunshine Brothers for eight years and we had a hankering to do some no-frills garage boogie that was focussed on touring and playing live to develop a direct relationship with people rather than worrying too much about things like Triple J, the music “business” and the internet. We had used Jay Bale from Sneaky Weasel Gang to fill in on bass for the Sunshine Brothers for a few shows and his core and ethics were just right to complete the group. The result was Huge Magnet – a garage boogie band based in blues and rock, always on a mission to make a night out as worthwhile as possible for everyone involved in it.
What’s your sound?
It’s a 2014 take on boogie blues rock. Think early AC/DC, early ZZ Top, Canned Heat, John Lee Hooker – that kind of thing.
You just got back from a Spanish tour. How did that treat you?
Incredible. We played three shows in Madrid plus Barcelona, San Sebastian, Andorra, A Coruna and Pontevedra. Spain loves rock ‘n’ roll and we love Spain so it’s a good fit.
Driving through a north west coastal city called Boiro at 6am with the publican of the venue charged up on all sorts of gear in his convertible was the most memorable single moment. He played Carmen on the stereo full blast while he stood on the driver’s seat singing and driving with one foot – and sometimes with his whole body out of the car while I reached across to steer.
Where did you record the LP?
With Dan Carroll at Rada Recordings (formerly Loop) live to eight track one inch tape over two nights.
What’s up next for your guys?
Gearing up for another recording, playing as many shows as possible, including touring the north west and Melbourne and Sydney in winter ,and returning to Europe in 2015.
