Jebediah to unleash OIKS at Torquay Hotel

LONG-RUNNING Australian band Jebediah has embarked on its national OIKS album tour, with a local performance set for next week.

The quartet are bringing their alternative rock to the Torquay Hotel for a high-energy show on Friday, August 2.

Ocean Grove resident and Jebediah frontman Kevin Mitchell said his band’s Torquay gig would be his most local performance for the whole tour.

“The thing I’m looking forward to with that show is having some friendly faces in the crowd and driving myself to the gig just down the road.”

For those headed to the show they can expect to hear some tracks off the new album as well as some of their old classics.

Jebediah began the tour in July following the release of sixth studio album OIKS in April, the band’s first release in 13 years.

Mitchell said it was a strange album to work on, affected by COVID lockdowns and border closures, but it was also one he believed stood on its own.

“It was a really long, protracted kind of process. It literally took almost five years to get it done.

“At the same time, even though there were a lot of challenges along the way and there were times I wondered if we were ever going to finish it.”

Mitchell said when it came to making new music at this stage in the band’s career, he had always believed it was important to produce something new and different.

“This record does that – we really experimented in the studio in a way we have never done before. I think it’s a pretty unique album.”

OIKS had success in the ARIA charts shortly after it was released, something Mitchell said came as a bit of a surprise and attributed to Jebediah’s loyal fanbase.

“The reason it charted is because we’ve got fans who have been around for a long time and who are still really engaged and they raced out and bought it the first week.

“We’re very, very lucky to have that support.”

Special guest Magic Dirt will support Jebediah throughout the tour.

For tickets and more information, head to torquayhotel.com.au