In March of last year (2024), my phone pinged signalling a message. It was from a good friend of mine, who spends part of his year living in Australia, and it was a video clip, from the Byron Bay Bluesfest, of a band called Sweet Talk. I’ve always liked my americana on the rockier side of the genre, and he knew this six-piece band, based out of Melbourne, would be right up my street.
Since seeing that video clip I’ve followed the band with growing interest and, while it’s still relatively early days for this Australian outfit, I think more people need to know about them now, before they break through in a big way, because that can only be a matter of time.
The band came together just a few years back when 3 friends, who grew up on the Gold Coast in Queensland, headed down to Melbourne in search of some gigs and a like minded rhythm section, which they found at a Christmas gig for a friend. They set about some serious rehearsing and, after just 3 months, recorded an EP to try to attract some gigs, a tactic that worked out better than expected because that EP found its way into the hands of a few prominent festival organisers and promoters and suddenly they were being invited to play at a number of Australia’s most renowned roots music festivals. In the short time they’ve been together they’ve already appeared at Blues On Broadbeach, Queenscliff Music Festival, Tamworth Country Music Festival, Port Fairy Folk Festival and the aforementioned Byron Bay festival, along with playing a host of live venues up and down the country. They also supported Charlie Crockett on his recent Australian tour.
Listening to this band, it’s not hard to understand why they’ve made such a big impact relatively quickly. They have that looseness that, paradoxically, only comes from the tightest bands. Their ability to lock into a groove and make it sound effortless is really quite extraordinary and immediately calls to mind two of the finest roots bands to ever come out of North America, Little Feat and The Band themselves. It comes as no great surprise to learn that, in a list of references that include some fine musicians, those two bands top the list and set the template for Sweet Talk and their approach to their music. When you hear this band, their influences are really obvious, but they don’t sound cliched or copying; like all good bands, they’ve taken those reference points and combined them with their own personalities and the talent of their band to produce a great sound. It’s vintage and it references blues, country, gospel and soul but it’s a sound all of its own and it’s wrapped around some great songs. The band consists of lead vocalist Tane Walker, guitarists Soren Walker & David Turner, Craig Mattingley on keyboards, James Vincent Harding on bass and Nic Symons on drums & percussion. Every member of the band sings and their vocal harmonies are impressive; it seems like there’s very little this band can’t do.
Their debut album is recorded and scheduled for release around April 2025 and I’m predicting it will turn a lot of heads. At this point, there’s not a lot of material available to hear, but there are some clips on YouTube and songs like ‘Superman’, with its New Orleans good time vibe, their duet with Aussie Country Queen, Kasey Chambers, on their cover of ‘The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down’, and recent single ‘Real Good Cookin” shows clear intent and the sheer quality of their musicianship. Right now, they’re barely known outside of Australia but surely it won’t stay that way once the album hits the big wide world. Just remember, you heard about them here first.
