Eskimo Joe billed to rock SW

Stuart MacLeod says he can’t wait to get down to Margaret River “to breathe in the forest air” and belt out some rock tunes with his Eskimo Joe band mates.

The East Fremantle band had an affinity with the region and was looking forward to “an old-fashioned road trip” along the WA coast to play for a crowd at Settlers Tavern on August 2.

“We’ve always had great fun playing at Settlers and every time we head down to that part of the world and breathe in the air I think, ‘why don’t we get down here more often’,” the lead guitarist said.

“Sometimes it gets to the point where you’re catching a plane, heading to another plane and you just want to hop in your car and drive somewhere far away.”

The band had recently capped off an acoustic tour of the country, playing in small, obscure venues. But with that behind them, they were eager to dust off their electric guitars and drums and play as a full band for the Margaret River gig.

“We are all keen to put our rock boots back on, but doinga few acoustic shows has been good for the soul and reinvigorated the band,” he said.

After nearly 16 years of playing together, MacLeod said the band was working on its sixth album at present.

Without a record label backing them in their latest endeavour, the band decided to call on its fans to fund their recording through an online crowd-funding campaign.

“Logistically we didn’t have the (cash) advance to make a record, which you take for granted sometimes,” he said.

“Having fans involved from day dot makes them feel connected to the album.”

The trio has moved away from their darker production sound and opted for something more cheerful.

“We’re not gloomy guys, but every time we tried to write something a little more upbeat it came across as slick and cheesy,” MacLeod said.

“But now it’s genuine and the album sounds a lot more hopeful, fun-loving and based around having a good time and getting your dance on. But there’s still a lot of grit.”