If ever there was a story about perseverance, it’s the story of The Riptides. The Brisbane-born band are preparing to release their debut album Tombs of Gold this week, 30 years after it was recorded.
That’s no typo. The band finally got the financing they needed to take their music to the masses after a successful PledgeMusic campaign. It’s stories like this that make me love the capabilities of the internet.
For those of you who don’t know, The Riptides quickly became darlings of the Sydney music scene when they relocated in 1980. They drew big crowds and gained a reputation as one of the nation’s best live music acts. They did it old school, funding time in the studio, booking and running their live shows, and even building their own PA system in their own truck. Then they signed a record deal and the metaphorical wheels fell off. Mark Callaghan moved on to GANGgajang and The Riptides became a distant memory.
Thankfully now it’s 2014, and the internet has helped musicians and their fans forge connections outside of the industry. Mark reacquired the rights to that album and set about finally getting it into the hands of those loyal fans. The PledgeMusic campaign helped not just to distribute the album, but to transfer those analogue tapes to a digital format for remixing.
“The album is finally finished and sounds just like I always wanted it to,” Mark explained. “It was recorded in our prime but thanks to these great mixes, it also sounds like it could have been recorded this year”.
The release of Tombs of Gold on October 31 should appeal to fans new and old, with digital, CD, and limited edition gold vinyl LP versions available. You can preorder your preferred version on the PledgeMusic campaign page.
Image used with permission from Revolutions per Minute