Triple j ‘Hottest 100’ winners The Rubens have us jumping through ‘Hoops’ in anticipation of their new record.
Premiering their latest single ‘Million Man’ on triple j earlier this week, the fresh-faced Menangle-hailing rockers have returned from a brief hiatus with an unexpected – but nevertheless welcome – groove and soul-filled sound.
And it seems as though ‘Million Man’ has been a few years in the making… Spinning a yarn on triple j’s Breakfast with Ben & Liam, the lads confessed the track was spawned at 2013’s Laneway Music Festival. Having attended the Sydney leg of this particular Laneway, I can tell you that they shielded this revelation masterfully – I guess we were all still reeling from the sexy success that was ‘Lay It Down’. As it turns out, the guys buddied up behind the scenes on the festival tour with NYC rapper EL-P and his band, Wilder Zoby and Lil’ Shalimar (his Run The Jewels producers and collabs). Insert obligatory drinking story, and the rest is history. Literally. The team recorded the album in a World War II communications bunker outside of Camden, in Sydney’s south west.
‘Million Man’ is the first single to arrive ahead of The Rubens forthcoming third album release next year. The signature crooning that encompasses The Rubens sound is complimented by a simple melody and a finger-clicking good beat. This catchy prelude makes way for soulful lyrics, ‘I’m a million man / I will do what I can to get me home’ that are sure to run a well-worn track around your mind by the end of the day. Trust me.
Vocalist and songwriter Elliott Margin describes the evolution of ‘Million Man’ as a somewhat informal and disarmingly casual process,
“The song itself kind of came from nowhere, just sitting at the piano and playing whatever came out. As the song developed, the lyrics slowly came and spelled out a story and the rest came from there. The chorus was an easy flowing one, which is rare.”
Following their insanely successful shenanigans in 2016, The Rubens are bound to be greeted with similar demand leading up to their next release. And if this first taste is anything to go by, it’s safe to say this next record will be a stellar offering, undoubtedly propelling The Rubens juggernaut to success on the international stage. Whoever said third albums were a curse obviously hadn’t heard Aussie music.
In the meantime, check out ‘Million Man’ below and let us know what you think!
