JACK LADDER is a singular character in Australian music. Sentimental and mournful, sardonic and surreal. He brings that towering and tender baritone to bear on tales of beauty, love, hope and redemption. A master of musical narrative, he conjures lyrics that celebrate the absurdity and sincerity of the human condition in songs that groove in subtle ways.
In the sixteen years since his debut album, Ladder’s varied musical journey has been notable for some sharp stylistic turns, but has always been connected by a singular song writing talent. Arriving with the predominately acoustic ‘Not Worth Waiting For’ in 2005, Ladder then jumped to the taut ‘cut-price soul’ of 2008’s ‘Love Is Gone’. 2011’s ‘HURTSVILLE’ was a left turn into an atmospheric collection of tales of desolation and unease, described by The Age as “a terrifying wasp-factory novella of disgust”. Polarising upon release, ‘HURTSVILLE’ has over time developed a devoted following, inspiring the likes of Alex Cameron who recently wrote about its impact on him and his song writing.
2014’s ‘Playmates’ managed to seamlessly blend a dizzying range of sounds, from stark synthpop, to pedal steel and marimbas, while it’s lyrical themes spanned love’s redemptive power to the millstone of notoriety. The self-produced ‘Blue Poles’, released in May 2018 proved to be the perfect culmination of Ladder’s musical trajectory so far, receiving critical acclaim both in Australia and overseas...
(Full bio available on request)
In the sixteen years since his debut album, Ladder’s varied musical journey has been notable for some sharp stylistic turns, but has always been connected by a singular song writing talent. Arriving with the predominately acoustic ‘Not Worth Waiting For’ in 2005, Ladder then jumped to the taut ‘cut-price soul’ of 2008’s ‘Love Is Gone’. 2011’s ‘HURTSVILLE’ was a left turn into an atmospheric collection of tales of desolation and unease, described by The Age as “a terrifying wasp-factory novella of disgust”. Polarising upon release, ‘HURTSVILLE’ has over time developed a devoted following, inspiring the likes of Alex Cameron who recently wrote about its impact on him and his song writing.
2014’s ‘Playmates’ managed to seamlessly blend a dizzying range of sounds, from stark synthpop, to pedal steel and marimbas, while it’s lyrical themes spanned love’s redemptive power to the millstone of notoriety. The self-produced ‘Blue Poles’, released in May 2018 proved to be the perfect culmination of Ladder’s musical trajectory so far, receiving critical acclaim both in Australia and overseas...
(Full bio available on request)
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