(Music Review & Interview: The Ten Ton Tinnies-Bad Gas Travels Fast in a Small Town
The Ten Ton Tinnies are a breath of fresh air to the country scene. The quintet, from Queensland, Australia combine Punk and Country with a mixture of humour added to the mix.
TTTT was formed in 2018 by Steve ( Guitars) and Dave ( Bass), before Luke Turley joined earlier this year to lend his vocals to the band. " Bad Gas Travels Fast in a Small Town" is the first single by the band, released on May 15.
The opening riff is fresh and catchy which draws the listener in immediately, The three-chord riff swirls around the earlobes like a whirlpool of countrified music. The uptempo groove supplements The hoarse vocal palette of Turley, who opens up with the lines " Bad gas travels fast in a small town/ Listen up is what they say/ pretty Penny talked to Jenni at the mall now/ everybody says she swings both ways. This style of lyrical observation and humourous encounters underlie the jocular nature of the band. The music itself is energetic, raw and brash with a huge chorus and heavily distorted guitar work that retains its tempo throughout. The band sounds like they are enjoying themselves on the record, which conveys to the listener. The ascending guitar solo fits in nicely towards the end. The track is an addictive 3 minutes of another perspective to the usual country music in the charts.
Rambling Man's Reviews had an opportunity to talk to lead singer Luke Turley about the band's inception, Bad Gas Travels Fast in A Small Town, the new album, and the band's aspirations. You can read the full interview below, as well as find a link to the track.
Rambling Man's Interviews TTTT
RMR: Good afternoon, can you begin by introducing yourself to the readers?
G'day Ladies and Gents, my name is Luke Turley and I am the lead vocalist for The Ten Ton Tinnies.
RMR: How did you form the band?
The band was initially formed by Steve (guitarist) and Dave (Bass) back in 2018. Until I joined the band in February 2020, Steve and Dave had been working on a few songs with the intent of forming a band if they could find the right fit. Turns out they liked what they heard on a lazy Sunday afternoon when we were all gathered at the studio and the boys asked me to lay some vocals down on a track they had been working on. Since then I have been the lead vocalist for TTTT and we have most recently added the newest member of the band, Rob (lead guitarist), in the last few days.
RMR: How would you describe the music of The Ten Ton Tinnies to a new fan?
I would describe our music as Country Rock with a punk twist. The interesting and innovative thing about our debut album "Tons of Tins" is that no song is the same as the last. Each song is unique in its own way and I truly believe there will be a song for everyone on this album. From fast-paced country-punk rock bangers to sentimental country ballads, our music can relate to many different audiences.
RMR: What were your inspirations getting into music?
Personally, I have always loved music and had a passion for singing but never really displayed it until now. This is actually the first band I have ever been in and I've never had a singing lesson in my life. I would say my biggest inspiration to get into music would be a combination of love for music and fear of not knowing what could have been if I didn't at least share my voice, and put myself out of my comfort zone.
RMR: How did you come up with the band’s name?
The name of the band was inspired during a drinking session actually. We were all just having a few tins (beers) whilst in the middle of a recording session and Steve just blurted that out and said: "what do you reckon?". We all thought it was pretty cool so we went with that
RMR: You have just released the fun “Bad Gas travels in a Small Town”, The track itself has a catchy chorus, and some interesting observations, what inspired you to write the track?
Bad Gas was a song that Steve had been working on for quite some time before I joined the band. He loves the Canadian TV comedy 'Letterkenny' where the saying "Bad gas travels fast in a small town" comes from. The events we address in Bad Gas were his own interpretation of what crazy things can happen in small towns.
RMR: I have watched the video to the track, it seems a fun animated take on a small town with characters getting up to mischief, whose idea was for this ?
The idea for the animated video clip came from Steve. It made a lot of sense considering the song itself is quite humorous, so we thought animation could be a fun way to amplify the humour. Not to mention we couldn't travel anywhere or gather for long periods of time due to COVID-19 so that was the logical answer.
RMR: Would you say TV shows and social commentary are part of the band’s inspirations when writing songs?
The TV show 'Letterkenny' definitely influenced our debut single but I would say the remainder of our album is influenced by all of our own life experiences, love for country rock and personal imagination/creativity.
RMR: I understand the band spent the majority of 2019 writing for a debut album, could you tell the readers more about that, and what to expect?
During 2019 Steve and Dave were developing 4 or 5 songs. When I joined the band earlier this year they really only needed touching up on lyrics and someone to sing those particular songs which is where I came in. Turning a bad situation into a good one, the COVID 19 pandemic allowed all of us to tap into our creative side and develop the second half of the album in a relatively short amount of time. I think I added a fresh vibe to the band and have been able to have some great input into the remainder of the album. As previously mentioned, everyone can expect this album to be dynamic. It will not be too long until we drop our second single and our tracks will be coming thick and fast. Our music will be able to appeal to many. From Aussie farmers to young rockers to mothers and daughters. I truly believe there is a song for everyone on this album.
RMR: How did you find the recording process?
The recording process has been extremely interesting to me as someone who has never recorded before. Whilst it can be frustrating at times and I can leave the studio with a hoarse voice at the end of the day, I have enjoyed every moment of it! I don't think people actually realise how much work goes into recording a song. It's hard work and I have a much greater appreciation for all artists as a result of this
RMR: How do you find the music scene in your native Australia, is it tough to gain exposure there, or do you feel the scene is flourishing, which helps you?
The music scene in Australia is very diverse. As a regular bloke, I love going out in my local town, Brisbane, and watching gigs of new, upcoming talent. Although we have not been able to that as of late. Personally, in terms of exposure, we are a very young band and seeking to improve on this. I think I speak for all members of TTTT when I say that we need to release more music to gain more attention, and that's exactly what we are going to do. Whilst we are networking on the Australian music scene we know that nothing beats hard work and appealing music.
And finally, what are your aspirations for The Ten Ton Tinnies going forward in the future?
In the short term, I think we would love to break out in the local Brisbane music scene. Getting our music out there is what is most important. A goal for the band is definitely playing at the Gympie Muster in 2021. If we get a good response from the people, the sky is the limit and we will continue to create unique and entertaining country-punk rock music.
Words by Anselm Anderson
Click on the video below to listen to " Bad Gas Leaves In A Small Town by TTTT;
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