You Am I have just dropped the first single, “The Waterboy” off their eleventh studio album. It showcases the songwriting skill and inventiveness of frontman Tim Rogers.
It was inspired by a song, “I Can See Elvis” on the classic Waterboys album, Modern Blues. There is a recurring line in “The Waterboy” – “Edinburgh, Galway, Nashville, Ulladulla / Breakin’ my heart / In four places”. This makes sense when Rogers points out “I was on the New South Wales south coast listening to a Scottish guy living in Ireland singing about Elvis and that led to the four places line.”
With the band being separated during the pandemic, guitarist Davey Lane and Rogers recorded their parts in Melbourne and sent them up to bassist Andy Kent and drummer Russell Hopkinson in Sydney. They went into a studio, recorded their parts and sent them back.
Rogers says: “What they did was very different to what I had imagined for the song and made it so much better.”
Continuing on he said “The Waterboy began as a folk tune set to fingerpicking but when peak “pining” for our band hit I imagined being in a room together and changed the whole feel of the toon. Typically, what Russ, Davey and AK came back with eviscerated all my daydreamin’s and replaced them with jumpin round the room enthusiasms.”
I’ve been keen to hear this track, after interviewing Davey Lane in November and asking him what was his favourite You Am I song. His answer was “The Waterboy”. It was worth the wait and matches lofty expectations. As always, Davey’s guitar work is exceptional, and Rogers vocals kick arse. It’s a beauty, and it’s worthy of our ‘Track of the Week’.
You Am I will be playing at the iconic Enmore Theatre in Sydney on Thursday, April 15. Tickets available from 1pm today, 24th February 20201 – HERE
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