Interview: Get Acquainted With Racing Birds, The Dynamic Duo Creating Alt-Country Goodness

Emerging Aussie band Racing Birds have just announced their debut single ‘Rarely Never Loaded’ and upcoming EP, ‘Lonesome Blue’– we’ve got an exclusive interview with the boys today to get to know them ahead of Friday’s release.

Racing birds is made up of coveted songwriters Bobbie Lee Stamper (guitarist for Jon McLaughlin, sharing stages with Sara Bareilles, Colbie Caillat & Bon Jovi) & Jeremy Strother (performed atPeats Ridge Festival, Sounds of The Suburbs). For fans of Creedence Clearwater Revival, John Fogerty and The Allman Brothers Band, the first single from the duo comes out at the end of the week- and let us assure you, it’s guaranteed to incite some foot-stomping fun. The EP was recorded in their garage studio, allowing them to truly capture the blood, sweat & homegrown essence of the track.

We wanted to learn more about the origins of their emotive, guitar-driven alt-country music ahead of Friday’s release- read below to get introduced to this exciting new act!

With both of you having a previous pedigree across touring, recording & songwriting – what drew you together to create Racing Birds?

Jeremy- “I had a copy of Bob’s solo record, ‘Sea & the Heartbreak.’ As soon as I heard the opening track on that record, I knew I wanted to write with Bob. It was super authentic, and he was a long way further down the road than I was at the time in terms of songwriting.”

Bob – “I didn’t know Jez very well in the beginning, but I just had a feeling it would be a good fit. I had always wanted to make ‘proper’ rock and roll songs, but my voice isn’t really suited to it. So, when we started writing and making some demos, it was fun to build up these big loud tracks because Jez could actually sing over them and give it the right energy. He also has a unique way of saying things lyrically that I love.”

Racing Birds brings up imagery of soaring eagles, speedy pigeons and a Chevy flying down the highway. How did you come upon the name & does it have any special meaning for you?

Jeremy- “The name started as kind of a car reference, as in two Pontiac Firebirds racing. We write rock and roll songs about cars, girls, and heartbreak, and it works well for that kind of image. It just kind of stuck around long enough that we started to like it.”

Bob – “The name was Jez’s idea. He’s often bringing up images, old photos, posters . . . things to help inspire the sound. I didn’t give it much thought in the beginning because we weren’t really a band, we were just writing songs, but I’ve come to really like it. We can sort of hide ourselves behind the name and create something that we wouldn’t make as individuals.”

You’ve teamed up with Audio Network in the UK for this release, that must be an exciting way to publicly launch the band. How did that come about & how have you found your time with them so far?

Jeremy – “Audio Network, the folks there have been great. They’re super supportive of our vision for Racing Birds and give us the freedom to make the music the way we think best. They picked up one of our songs, ‘Vampires & LSD,’ a while back, and we’ve been working with them on music that circles around that Rock and Roll/desert highway vibe. They work mainly in the advertising and TV/film world so to have their back-end support is great.”

We’ve heard your upcoming tracks & love the blend of alternative, country, blues & swampy guitars. Would you say are some of your biggest influences?

Bob – “I didn’t know it at the time but growing up in America it was some of the music where rock and roll, country, and R&B all kind of intersected. Hank Williams, Elvis, Johnny Cash, Buddy Holly, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles. I also played a lot of bluegrass and Southern Gospel, old Gospel hymns . . . which I think is always influencing the way I play and how I put songs together. With Racing Birds, Jez and I are listening to Tommy James and the Shondells for inspiration now. The songs are just pure joy. Loud guitars and fun.

With the touring landscape seemingly reopened now, did you have any aspirations for tour dates in Australia or abroad in 2022?

Jeremy- “Absolutely. We’ve just started to get festival bookings coming through and we’re currently looking at dates mid-year here in Australia, which we’re excited about.”

Bob – “Until the pandemic hit, I didn’t realize how much I really love playing in front of people. The studio is great, but the energy you get from a room full of people enjoying rock and roll is incredible. It makes us better, and the more we do it, the more we can give back to those audiences. I’m looking forward to playing more this year.”

Tell us a bit about your setups? What guitars do you play & what drew you to using those models?

Bob – “I use mainly a Fender ‘72 Custom Telecaster, which is just a workhorse for me. I have other guitars, but I always end up with the Tele in my hand, both in the studio and especially playing live. I recently got my 1968 Fender Princeton Reverb amp out here from the States, and it’s the only amp I use now, live or in the studio. I use the beautiful tremolo and reverb that are onboard the Princeton, and various overdrives and fuzz pedals to get our heavier sounds. In terms of acoustics, I have my grandfather’s old Martin D-28, which records beautifully, and a Blueridge slope shoulder J-45 style guitar that I play live a lot. Jez has an Epiphone LG-1 from the late ‘60s I think, and we use that heaps in the studio. It has a small, focused tone that sits in the mix well.”

Finally, if you could describe Racing Birds to a stranger in 4 words, what would they be?

Jeremy – “Good time Rock & Roll . . . and a few slow heartbreakers.”

Bob – “Get your dancin’ boots.”

Stay tuned for the release of ‘Rarely Never Loaded’, due out on Friday March 25th!