With a punk brain, a gospel soul, a blues heart, and hints of jazz coursing through its veins, Steve Boyd’s Rum Reverie promises to get you up out of your seats.

With New Orleans swagger, a large cup of soul, a spoonful of blues, and a dash of jazz noir, Steve Boyd's Rum Reverie hoots and hollers. Imagine Tom Waits meeting Hound Dog Taylor in Bourbon St, New Orleans and you're getting close.

The sound is heartfelt and raw, the influences primal and instinctive.

Steve Boyd's Rum Reverie is essentially the brainchild of Paul Fiddles and Steve Boyd. With a wealth of creative experience, both brutal and beautiful, their respective pasts intertwine in the music of the band.

Not just collaborators but life-long friends, the project was conceived over many late nights of shared musings and quaffing of wine to a shared soundtrack of old vinyl records.

And what did they listen to? What amalgam of sounds ended up coalescing into Steve Boyd's Rum Reverie? Try The Clash, Ian Dury and The Blockheads, Bo Diddley, John Lee Hooker, Al Green, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Tom Waits, Captain Beefheart, Louis Armstrong, Louis Prima, Miles Davis, Bette Davis, Nina Simone, Burt Bacharach, Joni Mitchell, Eartha Kitt, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra and everything in between.

The influences are primal and instinctive; perhaps not overly schooled (and nor would they want it to be) and certainly not slick. The core group of Paul on drums and Steve on guitar and vocals is augmented by upright bass and brass. The sound is heartfelt and real.

With a punk brain, a gospel soul, a blues heart and hints of jazz truckling through its veins, Steve Boyd's Rum Reverie may be something of a musical Frankenstein. In the best possible way. This is a monster, however, that promises to and does hoot, holler, growl and grind with all its might.

Their debut EP Healers and Howlers was nominated in The Age Music Victoria Music Awards 'Best Blues Album' category in 2016. The band are set to release their full length album, Hoodoo Hipshake in April 2018, following performances at 2016 Leaps and Bounds Festival, 2017 Port Fairy Folk Festival, and a residency at Melbourne's iconic Cherry Bar during 2017.

The first song released from Hoodoo Hipshake was Spencer P. Jones, a moving homage to the Australian cult icon.

As Steve Boyd explains: "During a period of self-imposed exile from the Melbourne music scene I facilitated a music/songwriting therapy group for homeless and marginalised people in inner city Melbourne for one of the renowned charity organisations. During this time I came in to contact with Spencer who had been recommended to me as a volunteer group co-facilitator.

"It was during this time that I conceived the idea for the song Spencer P. Jones which is an attempt to celebrate or honour his musical legacy, mythologize and humanise him etc. The combination of working in such a forum with something of a musical hero plus discovering and getting to know a naturally gifted, legendary, yet humble, honest, considerate and giving musician was a significant experience for myself and the group participants etc."

Spencer P Jones is just one highlight on an album of highlights. Hoodoo Hipshake is the real deal folks. Feel it now.

With special guests DJ Max Crawdaddy & Pugsley Buzzard Trio