Who is Betty? A helpless maiden, or a sly femme fatale? Whoever she is, she’s got SheerKhan in a twist, and it’s one that sees them at their best.
Sydney’s SheerKhan are a band that as been smashing it on the music front, hitting up stages with the likes of The Delta Riggs, Kingswood, Jeremy Neale and the Moses Gunn Collective. But would you believe that their true calling is whiskey brewing?
Well at least that’s what we found on their Facebook page. Other proof of this “coconut oil, tanned bosom, diesel fumes and the unforgettable after-taste of aged sashimi” flavoured whiskey is yet to be found. So let’s maybe focus on the music for now.
For those who are yet to be fans of SheerKhan (not to be confused with the band Shere Khan from the UK) I will give you the low down. They have four songs out on SoundCloud at the moment and the music is very raw rock, all drums, bass and the occasional electric guitar, “true rock of the rolls” as… no one says ever. Seriously don’t say that.
Their lyrics are fun and well written. Each song having a theme that is pretty well linked to the name of said song, for example the song Molly (Yes, THAT “Molly”) is a great listen and spot on in its context.
Anyway, SheerKhan has released a new masterpiece by the name of Betty. The song is a little faster and up-tempo compared to their other stuff, which has more of a mellow echoed vibe to it. It leans more to the side of classic rock with a tinge of country hidden in there if you listen hard enough. I’m assuming it is named after a woman named Betty who, from the sounds of it, is a bit of femme fatale supposedly claiming the souls of men up and down the west coast.
Rivers Scott is in fine form on vocal duties. He’s charismatic and arresting. He’s signature rasp is as prevalent as ever, and from the moment his presence is made he sinks his claws into your brain and refuses to let go. It’s a powerful vocal performance that is delivered with plenty of grit and swagger. The band likewise follow through with sharp angular guitars and crashing cymbals. Props go to producer Liam Gordon (who’ll you know from Spookyland and his own solo project Tail), he’s done a great job capturing such a raw performance, and it’s a good indicator of what we can expect from the band’s debut EP The Princess Highway.
The band have two shows coming up. You can catch them at Visions at Waywards in Sydney tonight alongside King Colour, Good Counsel and old mates Bin Juice. Then on February 11 they’ll be tearing up at the OAF Gallery Bar for the official Betty single launch, alongside Hedge Fund and Capital Coast.
