Described as a monster hybrid of Xavier Rudd, Tom Waits and Ash Grunwald, Brisbane-based Jimmy Watts and his band are kicking off a national tour in support of a new five-track EP ‘February’s Drought’.
Lead track ‘Grid’ is a hard-hitting gritty induction to the paranoid world of survivalists prepping for the end of the world, and features a healthy dose of grade school political activism, some benign anti-corporate jargon, and enough fuzzed-out screaming guitars to thoroughly drive home the ‘Mad Max’ mood.
Its tag line “You’ll need to wear a gas mask in our bunker because all we have to eat is beans.” gives some insight into the tongue-in-cheek nature of the song.
Shot with a three hundred dollar budget, the clip is a testament to Watts’ DIY approach to his music. Says Watts:
“We’ve always shot and edited our own clips, it’s a bit of fun for us, but also a bit of a challenge to see what we can make for next to nothing. Our underwater clip for ‘January’ off the last album took four days to shoot in a friend’s salt water pool. I couldn’t see for a day afterwards because the salt balance wasn’t right.”
“The clip for ‘Grid’ was inspired by the trashy TV shows that depict ‘prepper’ families in the US. I thought they were hilarious, and I also secretly wanted to dress up and play army.”
The ‘Hiding Off Grid’ national tour takes Jimmy Watts around Australia from February to May.
February’s Drought is available through Bad Octopi Records.
www.jimmywatts.com
www.facebook.com/jimmywattsband
Hiding Off Grid Tour Dates
Friday 26 February
Royal Mail Hotel, Goodna, QLD
7:00pm, Free Entry
Sunday 28 February
Black Bunny Kitchen, Alexandra Headlands, QLD
3:00pm, Free Entry
Friday 4 March
Magnums, Airlie Beach, QLD
6:00pm, Free Entry, with Swoon
Saturday 5 March
Langfords Hotel, Mackay, QLD
7:00pm, Free Entry, with Swoon, Archer & The Chief
Friday 1 April
The Milk Factory, Brisbane, QLD
7:30pm, $10, with The Delta Crows, Cameron Milford
Wednesday 6 April
Caves House Hotel, Margaret River, WA
5:30pm, Free Entry, (solo)
Thursday 7 April
Beaufort Street Songwriters Club, Perth, WA
7:00pm, $5, (solo)
Saturday 9 April
The Provincial Hotel, Geraldton, WA
9:00pm, Free Entry, (solo)
Thursday 14 April
The Republic Hotel, Hobart, TAS
8:30pm, Free Entry, (solo)
Friday 15 April
The Apple Shed, Grove, TAS
6:30pm, Free Entry, (solo)
Saturday 16 April
The Marakoopa Café, Mayberry, TAS
5:30pm, $10 Door, (solo)
Thursday 28 April
Frankies Pizza, Sydney, NSW
10:00pm, Free Entry
Friday 29 April
The Stag and Hunter Hotel, Newcastle, NSW
8:30pm, Free Entry, with The Urban Chiefs
Saturday 30 April
Lakes And Ocean Hotel, Forster, NSW
7:00pm, Free Entry, with The Urban Chiefs
Saturday 7 May
Heads Shed, Wolvi, QLD
6:00pm, $20
Friday 13 May
The Catfish, Fitzroy, VIC
8:00pm, $10, with Famous Young Belgians, The Ivory Elephant
Saturday 14 May
The Loft, Warnambool, VIC
10:00pm, $5, with Famous Young Belgians, Red Eagle
Sunday 15 May
Apollo Bay Hotel, Apollo Bay, VIC
8:00pm, Free Entry
www.facebook.com/jimmywattsband