Tag: Hugo Stranger and the Rattlers

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Hugo Stranger and the Rattlers Keep the Music Coming

Hugo Stranger and the Rattlers are so prolific that I can barely keep up with their material. They released their instrumental surf rock track “Go, Rattlers, Go!” on Halloween, and they’ve already got another tune for us, “Set Me Free.” Quantity doesn’t mean sacrificing quality for this local act. “Set Me Free” is among my favourite Hugo Stranger and the Rattlers’ songs.

“I guess it’s about wanting to be better,” explained the band’s frontman, Tom Harrison. “Knowing and being self-conscious that you haven’t been.”

Hugo Stranger and the Rattlers will celebrate the release of “Set Me Free” with a double set show at Bearded Lady in Kurilpa/West End on Sunday 17 November. It all kicks off at 2 pm and tickets are $10 at the door.

Image used with permission from Hugo Stranger and the Rattlers

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

“Old Growth” – Tom Harrison

Tom Harrison takes us on a road trip through North America with his gorgeous debut EP, Old Growth. Tom burst onto the scene in 2018 with his band Hugo Stranger and the Rattlers, but he’s showing us a quieter, more introverted side with this release.

Old Growth sees Tom trading in his usual gritty blues for a sweeter, folkier sound. He penned the songs in 2017, when he travelled across Canada and America’s West Coast with his wife in a Chevy van. Each song brings a moment of that epic journey to life for listeners.

“I got the title Old Growth from the forests we were visiting in Oregon and on Vancouver Island,” Tom explained. “It felt like a summary for where I mentally was at. I was accepting a new chapter of my lifeand learning so much about myself and growing as an adult.”

If you’re a long-term reader you’re already familiar with the singles, “Start Again” and “How Long.” The other tracks help us fill in the missing pieces of their adventures. The opening song “Miles Away” may be my favourite. Its jaunty little melody and cruisy vibe perfectly set the scene for a trip with endless possibilities. It’s not all about chilling out though. “Skraeling” sees Tom at his most political, firing up at the “little men” like Donald Trump and Scott Morrison he saw failing their people from their positions of power. “Buffalo” is a haunting song inspired by the old missing people posters he saw at a New York bus terminal. Closing song “Ontario” has a cool Western feel that I’m really digging. Its bluesy sound is closest to the Hugo Stranger material that put Tom on my radar. Tom said “I think it nicely closes this chapter and gives a wink towards the next direction of my music.”

I’m not sure where his next musical moves will take him, but I’m excited to keep listening. Old Growth is out now. You can catch Tom playing at one of the following shows:

5 July 2024 – Banshees Bar & Art Space, Meeanjin/Brisbane
16 August 2024 – It’s Still a Secret, Meeanjin/Brisbane

Images used with permission from Tom Harrison

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Hugo Stranger and the Rattlers’ Tom Harrison Releases Solo Single, “How Long”

Former Hugo Stranger and the Rattlers frontman Tom Harrison has just dropped his debut solo single “How Long,” and it’s an absolute charmer. If you’re into folk-pop acts acts like Fleet Foxes and Grizzly Bear, I know you’re going to dig this.

Tom isn’t just the singer and songwriter here. He recorded all the instruments except for the bass at his home studio. “How Long” was inspired by the time Tom spend exploring the west coast of Canada and the United States in a Chevy G10 with his wife Angela, who lends backing vocals on this track.

“I wrote some of these songs within the first few months of travelling, there was so much inspiring me at the time. However I had also just written the debut album for Hugo Stranger just before the trip, so upon returning to Australia I wasn’t confident enough to be a solo musician and wanted to put my first band together (Hugo Stranger),” Tom explained. “I’ve had these songs ready to go for years, however I finally feel like I can give them justice and tell their story properly.”

I’m really looking forward to hearing more stories from the road when Tom releases his EP Old Growth.

Image used with permission from Tom Harrison

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Hugo Stranger and the Rattlers Blow Me Away With “Leaders”

I’ll call it now; you will not hear a better song than Hugo Stranger and the Rattlers’ new single “Leaders” today. Maybe all week. Maybe all year. It’s a dark bluesy, gospel number with so much grit and gravel. You’ve got to listen to this one.

Thom Harrison, the band’s lead singer and guitarist, said he was inspired to write the song after listening to Sacred Roots of the Blues by Bluebird.

“I was driving and a hand clapping bluesy melody came into my head, so I pulled over and recorded what became the intro of the song,” he recalled. “I wanted to take a gospel song and flip the narrative to show a darker side. Lyrically, the song conjures a church sermon detailing how so-called leaders look down on others with judgment.”

Apparently Hugo Stranger and the Rattlers have a big 2023 coming up, so I suggest you follow them on the socials so you learn when they’re snaking through your town.

Image used with permission from Footstomp Music