A singular character in Australian music, sardonic and sentimental, Jack Ladder brings his towering and tender baritone to bear on tales of beauty, love, hope and redemption. A master of musical narrative, he conjures lyrics that celebrate the absurdity of the human condition in songs that groove in subtle ways…
He performs live at RMH on Thursday 16th May for a show like no other. If it needs to be placed, expect something between Hamish Hawk and Donny Benet – two of our all-time favourite gigs!
“With a hint of Nick Cave in his smoky baritone and a savvy erudition in his lyrics, Jack Ladder carries himself with the air of a raffish guy making his way through bars, back alleys, and bedrooms with equal aplomb” – Bandcamp
Jack Ladder is the professional alias of Australian singer/songwriter Tim Rogers. The Sydney native made his debut in 2005 with the largely acoustic Not Worth Waiting For, which drew comparisons to Smog‘s Bill Callahan, a noted influence of Ladder’s. Recasting himself as a shadowy new wave rocker, he returned in 2008 with the sparse, uptempo Love Is Gone, which put him on the map internationally, earning a nomination for the Australian Music Prize and winning a Red Bull Music Award. During this time he also collaborated with American band Okkervil River on their 2008 album The Stand Ins, and did a stint playing bass in Bill Callahan‘s touring band, which was featured on 2010 live album Rough Travel for a Rare Thing.
Prior to his third album, Ladder’s music took another stylistic shift, becoming moodier and more cinematic as he employed a new backing band called the Dreamlanders. With his deep baritone voice and wryly melancholic delivery, he was frequently compared to fellow Aussie Nick Cave, especially with the release of 2011’s Hurtsville, his first album to feature the Dreamlanders. His 2014 follow-up, Playmates, again featured the Dreamlanders, though their sound had once again evolved into a more colorful, synth-laden style of dark indie pop.
“Jack Ladder’s forte in dark, largely synth-driven Australiana plays like a cross-pollination of the romanticism of The Triffids, the darkness of early synth acts like Suicide, and the absurdist yet genius hobo lyricism of Tom Waits” – Xpress Mag
“His most ambitious, honest, and direct record to date, with deeply personal songwriting seeing him explore his fragmented self across a ten-track collection that equally delves into the beauty and absurdity” – Rolling Stone
