Sitting outside Gus’s on a Friday afternoon, I’m feeling pretty good about myself. I have the undivided attention of four gorgeous guys and out of the corner of my eye I can see passing girls giving me odd (jealous?) looks. Brothers Sam, Max and Riley, plus friend and self-professed ex-groupie Reuben are the talent behind local band RUBYCON. After playing together for just over two years, one failed attempt to create an EP (“they ended up losing our master CD and it didn’t even get pressed!”) and any number of gigs at debauched house parties and near-empty bars, the guys got together in August last year and recorded their self-titled EP.
Created at the famous Big Jesus Burger Studios in Sydney (the likes of Sneaky Sound System, Wolfmother and The Presets have also recorded there), Rubycon’s EP is a real treat: five snappy, polished tracks which echo the likes of The Strokes and Kings of Leon, plus layered vocals and the occasional falsetto to add a unique twist. It’s clear that there’s no lack of musical talent in this band, with both Max and Sam studying at ANU’s School of Music. Even Riley, who is only 14 years old, has been playing drums for more than six years.
Riley being underage hasn’t stopped Rubycon from performing at the aforementioned rowdy house parties (apparently he came home smelling suspiciously of perfume – look out ladies!) and recording until the wee hours of the morning. “It was really late – probably our third or fourth night up past four,” Sam says, of recording the track Give It to Her. “We started the guitar parts at 1am, finished them at 5am, and then JP [the sound engineer] goes ‘we could do some good kitchen noises in there.’ So we set up a mic in the kitchen, and we were just banging around, and we put the jug on… it sounds weird now, but we were into it at the time!”
When I ask what they think of the local music scene, they collectively exclaim, “we knew this was coming!” followed by a series of good-natured sighs and grumbles. “There’s some really good bands, like Fun Machine and The Trivs,” Sam says. “We saw Fun Machine the other day in Union Court – they just go so wild, all dressed up!” They also list Kasha and Girl Sized Hands among their favourites, and they’re all friends, it seems, with no rivalries or feuds to speak of (damn!). “The Trivs were actually really good to us – they helped us get into that uni scene of playing house parties and stuff,” Max tells me. “Everyone knows pretty much everyone.” And while Canberra audiences can be unpredictable, it seems the scene as a whole is flourishing. “We’re hearing about more and more bands,” Reuben says. “Canberra’s definitely on its way up.” Judging from the standard of Rubycon’s new EP, I think he might be right.
Catch the Rubycon boys at Transit Bar on Thursday March 18 along with Fun Machine and Architect DJs. The show is free!
