Chariot of the Gods is the mighty Hoodoo Gurus new album (out this Friday March 11). It’s the band’s 10th studio record and it’s exactly what we all need at the moment, a no bullshit, fun, rock ’n’ roll record featuring fat riffs and singalong choruses. It contains 14 bangers (17 on the deluxe double-vinyl edition) featuring the relatable lyricism and peerless songwriting placed in a distinctively Australian context that the band are renowned for.
Ahead of the album’s release on Friday the 11th March and a global livestream performance on Thursday 10th of March, Australian Musician editor Greg Phillips spoke to legendary Gurus guitarist Brad Shepherd about the band’s career, his gear and of course the creation of the new album, Chariot of the Gods.
Celebrating their 40th anniversary (since forming in 1981), Hoodoo Gurus boast 9 x ARIA Top 20 albums, 9 x ARIA Top 40 singles, a host of multi-platinum albums and an induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame – they’re mainstays on the live scene, and influential to a new generation of artists that have arrived after them.
Chariot of the Gods drops ahead of the band’s 40th Anniversary Tour commencing in April 2022 alongside long-time mutual friends, The Dandy Warhols and is the first full-length recording with relatively new-recruit to the Hoodoo Gurus’ line-up, on drums – Nik Reith, a veteran of some of Australia’s most esteemed rock’n’roll bands including Radio Birdman, The Celibate Rifles, The New Christs and Tumbleweed.
Lead singer, Dave Faulkner, explains: “The last two years have been frustrating and nerve-racking for everyone but, for the Hoodoo Gurus, this dark cloud has had a silver lining. Forced to rely on ourselves instead of the outside world for validation, there has been a creative rebirth within the band that has resulted in a string of singles and a new album. Most important of all, the musical bonds between the four of us have never been stronger. When the discussions are all about which songs we’re sad about having to leave off the record, that’s a damn good sign.
“I’m tellin’ ya, folks, we’ve got a real spring in our step right now”.
“For this record, we decided to go back to the approach we used when we recorded our debut album, ‘Stoneage Romeos’, which began as a series of self-contained singles. We started out this time by recording and releasing ‘Answered Prayers’ at the end of 2019. That was followed by ‘Get Out Of Dodge’, ‘World Of Pain’ and ‘Carry On’. We completed work on each single before beginning the next one, rather than recording an entire album’s worth of songs and choosing the singles later. This made the recording process more drawn out and less cost-effective, but the benefit was that it kept things fresh; each new set of sessions was an opportunity for reinvention. As an added plus, it kept us busy throughout the entirety of the long layoffs we experienced due to COVID-19.”
Each of the album’s five single releases tell a different story. In reverse order, Carry On is an anthem celebrating resilience and tenacity (damn the torpedoes!); the explosive, glam-stomper World Of Pain; Hung Out To Dry – a politically incorrect ode to a former orange President only available on the limited-release, double vinyl version; Get Out of Dodge – is a song to all the non-conformists out there – anyone who feels outnumbered and can’t fit in with the unreasonable expectations of the crowd and the punk-snarling, stage-setter, Answered Prayers, the first new single from the band in 10 years, apart from 2014’s Gravy Train EP.
Hoodoo Gurus are Dave Faulkner (vocals, guitars), Brad Shepherd (vocals, guitars), Rick Grossman (vocals, bass) and Nik Reith (drums).
Chariot of the Gods is released on Big Time Records through EMI Music.
Gurus fans will get to hear the new album in its entirety – plus more – ahead of its release when eMusic Live streams a special event recorded at Damien Gerard Studios on the NSW Central Coast. Going out internationally at 8:00pm AEDT / WST / PST / EST / GMT on Thursday, 10 March, the evening before Chariot Of The Gods’ official release, the stream is designed both as a special album preview and a thank you to the Gurus’ loyal fans around the world who have put up with cancelled tours by the band over the past two years. The stream will include an opportunity for fans to chat with the band live.
Chariot Of The Gods is out March 11, and, as previously announced, the band will follow the album’s release with a national run of dates with special guests from the USA The Dandy Warhols – a band who share many of the same underground influences as the Gurus – with hand-picked local supports in each city, including all-female indie pop up and comers The Buoys in Sydney, indie guitar pop legends Even in Melbourne and Adelaide and new power pop prodigies Rinehearts in Perth.
Tickets for Hoodoo Gurus on eMusic Live on Thursday, 10 March 2022 are available from www.emusiclive.com NOW.
Chariot of the Gods is released on Friday, 11 March 2022 on Big Time Records through EMI Music and is available for pre-order here.
CHARIOT OF THE GODS
DIGITAL / CD TRACKLIST
Early Opener
World Of Pain
Get Out Of Dodge
Answered Prayers
Was I Supposed To Care?
Hang With The Girls
My Imaginary Friend
Equinox
Chariot Of The Gods
Carry On
I Come From The Future
Don’t Try To Save My Soul
Settle Down
Got To Get You Out Of My Life
VINYL TRACKLIST
Early Opener
World Of Pain
Get Out Of Dodge
Answered Prayers
Was I Supposed To Care?
Hang With The Girls
My Imaginary Friend
Equinox
Chariot Of The Gods
Carry On
Hung Out To Dry
Obviously Five Believers
I Wanna Be Your Man
I Come From The Future
Don’t Try To Save My Soul
Settle Down
Got To Get You Out Of My Life
HOODOO GURUS 40TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR
WITH VERY SPECIAL GUESTS
THE DANDY WARHOLS
Presented by Frontier Touring and Triple M
Tickets on sale now from frontiertouring.com/hoodoogurus
Saturday, 2 April – Belvoir Amphitheatre, Perth WA
Tuesday, 5 April – Adelaide Entertainment Centre Theatre, Adelaide SA
Wednesday, 6 April – Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne VIC
Saturday, 9 April – Hobart City Hall, Hobart TAS
Tuesday, 12 April – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney NSW
Wednesday, 13 April – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney NSW
Thursday, 14 April – Riverstage, Brisbane QLD
Saturday, 7 May – Sounds of Rock Festival
Bundaberg Recreational Precinct, Bundaberg QLD
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