WINE, women and song is almost a perfect description for Redneck Gentlemen…maybe replace wine with beer.
The crafty and fun musicians admit that many of their songs revolve around alcohol.
But bassist John Lee – who claims to be the band’s “eye candy” – says women were his real motivation for forming a band. “I just wanted to be a rock star, I wanted women in front of me, looking at me. That’s all I ever wanted in life,” he laughs.
Behind the jokes, the trio have some serious musical ability and a long history together.
- Hear the Redneck Gentlemen talk about making music in our new podcast. If you already have Spotify on your phone and are reading this on your mobile, click the banner below. Alternatively, download the Spotify app on your phone and search for Celebrating Aussie Country. For more instructions, click here.
Lee has been in the industry for over 30 years. He joined the Royal Australian Navy on a scholarship to become a trumpet player at the age of 16 and while on the force earned a Bachelor of Music degree.
In 2006, Lee built his own recording studio in his backyard. Over the years, top artists such as Beccy Cole, Casey Chambers, Shannon Noll and Ross Wilson have all recorded there.
Jared Scott and John Lee, two-thirds of Redneck Gentlemen, formed the band with drummer Rob Bennic about 10 years ago.
Rob Bennic started on drums when he was around 6 years old, playing in marching, school rock and concert bands during his school days at Tamworth.
He formed the band Shift with Alison Forbes and Mark Pauling, playing gigs in NSW North West, before joining the Redneck Gentlemen.
Jared Scott has been playing guitar and leading bands since he was 11 and says the friendship between the three extends far beyond the stage.
“There’s a lot of love in the band. We’re all good friends,” Bennic confirmed.
These utterly respectable but larrikin types have earned a stable reputation as the latest sound in country rock.
Formed as a cover band about 10 years ago, fans convinced them to start playing their own music.
This decision was confirmed in 2016 when their first single, apple pie whiskey, reached No. 1 on the radio charts across Australia. Their second single, Four knocks downis on track for similar success.
The inspiration for apple pie whiskey came after a visit to the United States, Scott said.
“I was on vacation and went to a few moonshine distilleries, where I bought myself bottles of apple moonshine. I brought it back to share with the guys and John got inspired enough to write a song. “
After spending time writing and recording in the studio during the COVID shutdowns, the Redneck Gentlemen can’t wait to get back to live performance.
They had to play Tamworth Country Music Festival in January, until it was postponed due to rising coronavirus cases. The festival has been postponed to April 18-24.
Listen: New Country Music Podcast
To mark the 50th anniversary of the iconic Tamworth Country Music Festival, ACM (publisher of this website) has created a new podcast, Celebrating Aussie Country.
The podcast was recorded and released before the recent spike in coronavirus cases which forced the festival to be postponed. We are sure you will always enjoy the interviews and the music. Just keep in mind that all references to performance dates are outdated.
In the 10-part series, available only on Spotify, you’ll hear from established and emerging artists and their music.
To listen you will need to download the Spotify app on your mobile phone and search for Celebrating Aussie Country. If you already have Spotify – and you’re reading this story on your mobile – click the banner below and your phone will take you straight to the podcast.
Each podcast episode includes an interview with the artist and some of their music. People with a free Spotify subscription will hear a 30-second sample of the song, while those with a premium Spotify subscription will be able to enjoy the full version.
- This article was first published on January 14, 2022 but has been republished for the rescheduled Tamworth Country Music Festival
