Steve Boyd’s Rum Reverie are celebrating their debut album Hoodoo Hipshake

After sharing stages with the likes of Bob Dylan and Ray Charles in the ’90s, Steve Boyd took a lengthy hiatus before returning to the music world with Steve Boyd’s Rum Reverie, a self-described “big, bold and brassy” number.
With New Orleans swagger, a large cup of soul, a spoonful of blues, and a dash of jazz noir, the Reverie released their first effort in 2016 with their debut EP Healers and Howlers, which came to be nominated in The Age Music Victoria Music Awards ‘Best Blues Album’ category that same year.
It’s been a few years now, and the band have spent time performing at 2016 Leaps and Bounds Festival, 2017 Port Fairy Folk Festival, and a residency at Melbourne’s iconic Cherry Bar during 2017. Now kicking off 2018 the very best way, the Reverie are finally celebrating the release of their debut album, Hoodoo Hipshake, created using the same formula, the same studio and the same sound engineer as their EP.
“We had such a good experience with that, we just wanted to milk it further and stretch it to an album project,” vocalist Steve Boyd explains, before commenting on the evolution of their sound.
“The sound has certainly grown along with the personnel as well,” Boyd explains. “The EP was basically just a five piece; no keyboards, just two brass. It was pretty guitar-based, a bit raw and bluesy set up.
“This time, it’s naturally morphed into more of a big, almost gospel soul group,” he continues, “Now we’ve got a brass section, a Hammond organ, a three piece horn section, we have second guitars now and again, and we use a few different people. It’s like a big review.”
As the brainchild of life-long friends Paul Fiddes (drums) and Boyd, conceived over many nights listening to old vinyl records, the pair have gone on to create a sound is heartfelt and raw, drawing on influences from everyone from Al Green to Bo Diddley in their latest release to create a bigger and bolder sound.
“We have quite eclectic musical tastes and we tend to listen to a lot of different stuff so I think that’s really evident on the album,” Boyd says. “There are the blues and roots musical stylings, and we infuse African American gospel, soul and even a little bit of old school jazz. I think those elements have been explored a little further on the album too. It’s very roots-based and it still comes under the blues and roots umbrella comfortably, but we’ve probably stretched out and explored some of those other musical influences a little more than we did on the EP.”
With a city-based launch last month at The Spotted Mallard, Steve Boyd is bringing the Rum Reverie and their debut album to Pistol Pete’s for a regional launch this month, which Boyd insists will be one hell of a party. “Get on down! If you enjoy your blues and roots music and you like the idea of a big brassy fun gospel soul style review with original tunes and highly skilled musicians, get on down and have a party with us.”
Join the Forte crew, and come support Steve and the Reverie down at Pistol Pete’s.
When & Where: Pistol Pete’s Food n’ Blues, Geelong – May 13 (3pm – 6pm)
Written by Talia Rinaldo