Supergroup supports Benny Ward

PERTH musician Benny Ward is bringing his new supergroup Benny J and the Psych Ward to the region for a show at the Red Hill Hotel in Chewton on 21 September.

Ward, of WA band Rinehearts, has put together the indie/pop/garage group to promote his run of solo singles – a sound that encompasses garage, punk and power pop in a style described as catchy and noisy.

Apart from Ward, the band consists of Davey Lane (You Am I), Link Meanie (The Meanies) and Matt Cotter (Even), all from Melbourne. The Chewton show (originally booked for Bendigo but relocated last week) is part of a run of east coast dates.

Ward’s current single is called Flight of the Navigator, while the Rinehearts have just released a new single, a cover of the Falling Joys song You’re in a Mess.

The release is a stop-gap between the band’s last album and the next one, recording for which is to start soon.

“This song was predominantly Mitch’s (bass player Mitch Long) choice,” Ward said of the cover.

“We were having a beer together and pointed out the fact we’d never recorded a cover and were talking about great cover versions of songs we liked.

“We love ’80s Australian bands like the Falling Joys, Stems, Scientists, and we’re big fans of that era of Australian music – it’s classic stuff.”

Ward said the decision was made to do a cover and many ideas were thrown around before Long suggested You’re in a Mess.

“We all listened and agreed, I did a rough version of it in the studio to see if giving it the Rinehearts treatment would work, and it sure does,” he said.

“Hopefully the Falling Joys dig it.”

Meanwhile, Benny J and the Psych Ward will play all of Ward’s solo singles which, apart from Flight of the Navigator, include Scratch That Itch, I Didn’t Mean It, Televisions, Up and Down and Tell Me Tell Me.

They will be supported by Melbourne three-piece Plastic Section performing a style that fuses rock and roll, rockabilly and rhythm and blues.

Tickets are available online through Eventbrite and the show starts at 7pm.