The Rumjacks unveil their first new music in more than a year with the release of brand new single, ‘A Fistful O’ Roses’. The song is an emphatic statement about the band’s view of Sydney’s new lock out laws and features a powerful music video directed by Josh Groom, which shows the band taking over a bar for a metaphoric wake with an arresting live performance.
Lead singer Frankie McLaughlin said today, “We’ve written many a song about our hometown of Sydney, and ‘A Fistful O’ Roses’ is yet another, though this one was created beneath a very dark cloud and a sorely difficult time for our beloved city.?? An agenda of sweeping law reforms and increasingly heavy tactics by our state government have crushed the city’s nightlife, the livelihood, and in many cases even the lives of many of its inhabitants. Iconic pubs, bars and restaurants are forced to close their doors, elderly residents are driven from their homes and Sydney is growing more desperate and hostile with every passing day.? ?This is a city under siege by those who rule her, set to become a playground for the elite, while the people who made it the treasure it was are squeezed out to wherever they hell they may venture.?? We performed the video for the song as a macabre ‘dry wake’, set among the decay, in a derelict pub, one of many to fall victim to the states new order. Historic footage flits across the screen like memories of a life flashing before one’s eyes. ‘A Fistful O’ Roses’ is one last great send-off for the old girl, but make no mistake..??..this is a band falling very much out of love with its muse.”
The band has departed Sydney and embarked on a four-month UK and European tour, showcasing this new single plus songs from their much loved album releases.