Scott Richardson was born in Maryhill, Scotland in the mid 60s, spent the 80s bumming around Europe and the 90s apologising for his previous behaviour.
Come 2001, it seemed the most logical option available was to shave his head, move to a different hemisphere and start a hillbilly band with a bunch of hard-drinking reprobates. Richardson found himself in St Kilda, his local was The Greyhound and everything seemed to fall into place from there.
THE MARYHILLBILLYS were soon formed around a nucleus consisting of Dave Job (mandolin), Loff Kahans (fiddle) and Paddy Chong (double bass). The quartet shared a love of country music, drinking beer and telling lies. It wasn’t long before Kim Volkman (dobro) and Steve Prictor (harmonica) decided that this was, indeed, the way forward and promptly jumped on the bandwagon.
The combination of Richardson’s songwriting, some wide-eyed enthusiasm from the band and some splendid knob twiddling has produced a CD that is not only a damn fine listen, it’s a cheap and handy stocking filler come Christmas time.
“MEET THE MARYHILLBILLYS” has captured the band as they like to be caught best – alive and well. If you enjoy the record, try to catch the band in person, they play around town (Melbourne), kick up your heels and say hello – chances are they’ll buy you a beer.
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