Arts & Entertainment
Brenny & The Bushwhackers have maroon blood pulsing in their veins. Their Southland-centric sound—a fusion of bluegrass, a dash of country, and a whack of Irish folk with an undercurrent of rural punk—gives voice to the region’s battlers and storytellers.
Recorded at SIT Sounds’ state-of-the-art studio in Invercargill with the legendary Charlie “Chainsaw” Rodgers on the mixing desk, the album Land of the Rolling R carries listeners from the 19th-century whale-killing fields of the south coast through a cruise down Dee Street in the back seat of a Ford Falcon, pausing only at the duck pond along the way.
To celebrate this body of original Southland-centric music, the Whackers are embarking on a southern tour in May and June. The album officially launches at the Riversdale Community Centre on Friday, 9 May, but fans have already enjoyed three topical taster singles released in April:
- “Ringers” (11 April) – a celebration of the noble art of sheep shearing
- “Chunuk Bair” (18 April) – Brenny’s aching salute to the Anzacs’ Gallipoli sacrifice
- “Duckshooting Day” (25 April) – a hard-rocking anthem for the annual duck harvest
Stream Brenny & The Bushwhackers’ releases on Spotify and all major platforms, and catch their video content on YouTube.
THE BAND
- Lead vocals / harmonica / bagpipes — Brendon Fairbairn (Run The Cutter; Hokonui Celtic Pipeband)
- Electric guitar / vocals — Liam Fairbairn (The Dense)
- Acoustic guitar / vocals — Lachie Hayes (Lachie Hayes & The Tokanui Chainsaw Massacre; The Possum Pickers)
- Bass / vocals — Chris Chilton (Triple Shot; Justin Funk Monkey; Pretty Wicked Head)
- Drums — Antonio Mercuri (The River Jesters; Bad Horsie)
TOUR DATES
- Friday 9 May: Riversdale Community Centre (official album release)
- Saturday 17 May: Redcliff Restaurant, Te Anau
- Saturday 24 May: Bluff Seafood and Oyster Festival
- Sunday 25 May: Hokonui Celtic Pipe Band concert, St James Theatre, Gore
- Saturday 7 June: Tuatara/Gadoochi, Invercargill
- Sunday 8 June: The Little Theatre, Gore