Chris Russell’s Chicken Walk

Chris Russell is back. It may have taken a couple of years for it to happen but he’s about to head out on the road in support of his latest single ‘Swimsuit’ and unleash new tunes thanks to the new fire in his belly. Although ‘Swimsuit’ is the latest single and the reason for this promotional tour before Ride the third studio album is released in September, it is a track that has been around in the live set for a few years now.
“You are right in thinking that mate,” Russell begins,“It’s a track that we have been playing live for a while now and what we tend to do, is pick songs up and down, then down and rotate them through the set. When Dave joined the band, which was about two years ago, we had never played together before and it seemed like we should get to know each other musically and we recorded anything. We were both busy and Dave plays in about seven other bands and that’s primarily why it has taken two years to be released as a single and recorded on an album.”
The new track from Chris Russell’s Chicken Walk, as you can expect, is full of energy and a certified classic track from the band. Right from the get go, there is hand-clapping, dirty guitar and loud drums, which have become the staple sound for CRCW over the past couple of albums. On the back of their sophomore release Shakedown a few years ago; the band was thrust into the limelight and played shows such as Meredith Music Festival and Queenscliff Music Festival as well as just about every Melbourne dive which allowed them to really hone their skills in creating a cracker live show. If you’re headed along to the show on Friday night at the Barwon Club you are sure to see some raw energy as the duo take to the stage.
The new album, as Chris explains, is going to sound a little different to how the others do, and that is primarily down to the environment in which the duo recorded. The days of town halls and aiming to get a natural reverb to the sound were thrown away as the duo were able to afford professional environments.
“We recorded in an actual studio this time around and that was really good. It was a venture that we could afford and decided to take up. The guys that mixed the first two records were up for engineering the sessions and we got on well with them. It seemed like the right thing to do, it’s a bit like if you flirt with a girl a couple of times, the next thing to do is kiss her,” Russell said cheekily.
The last time that Chris Russell played the Barwon Club was when he was supporting the original Swamp Fox himself, Mr. Tony Joe White. There isn’t much Chris can say about TJW but he is the real deal. “It is definitely the coolest thing we have got to do this year. That show went off the charts and the vibe was electric and we can’t wait to get back down to Geelong and party like last time. See you down there mate!”
When & Where: Barwon Club, Geelong – August 7, Howler, Melbourne – August 8 & Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine – August 16
Written by Tex Miller