Wax Jax And The Midnight Snax perform with such a delectable hybrid sound of soul-jazz-funk-psych that to hear them play, you might well be transported to some kind of red room in Paris or Amsterdam.
The Melbourne fivesome create such a great atmosphere that a vivid picture is painted. “The best kind of music is the music that makes you feel something,” bassist Lachlan McAuley says. “It brings it out of you, transcendence.”
Colourful as they appear to be, Wax Jax And The Midnight Snax stem from plainer and more humble beginnings. Listening to their debut EP Gold is a sensual experience of contrasting musical worlds. “We’re more than what’s referenced in our triple j unearthed [profile],” says guitarist Hamish McNab, the other boys nodding in agreement.
“Personally I don’t really listen to a lot of rock or any of the influences listed,” says drummer Gianni Drougas. “Mostly hip hop, trap, and techno.”
“And that definitely comes through on the drumming,” adds guitarist Fred Launder.
Having cited so many different influences and being from such a variety of backgrounds, you might think Wax Jax And The Midnight Snax would struggle to bring together all their different ideas, but the secret ingredient to such a rich sounding release is friendship. “We get on pretty well, I’d say it helps,” McNab says.
“It was Hamish’s idea to bring everyone together and start the band, but we’re fortunate because we were mates for a year or two before starting the band,” McAuley says.
“Regardless if we have different music tastes, we can still put a song together – that’s always an issue, everyone has different ideas and we’re always clashing heads,” McNab adds.
“It always comes together nicely though,” McAuley continues. “No one is afraid to tell someone that something sounds bad. I think we learn from each other a lot, the sound reflects that. ‘Gold’ was two chords, and then a breakdown, a little more progressive.”
The beginnings of Wax Jax And The Midnight Snax saw a combination of its members as housemates. “It was me, Fred and his little brother,” McNab says.
Beginning as bedroom jammers, Launder and McNab performed at various friends’ house parties, and once they became a solid unit of sound, opportunities presented themselves in a way the group didn’t think was possible. “Our first gig was last year at The Top,” McNab says.
“From the first gig at The Top we’ve gotten all the best venues we could hope for, all around Melbourne,” adds McAuley.
Wax Jax And The Midnight Snax have been afforded prestigious opportunities to play some of the city’s best venues. Even venues that might not necessarily cater to their sound. “When we played Cherry Bar we did the soul night,” McNab says. “We’ve got a bit more rock and psychedelic to us. Ruby, she’s got a lot of soul in her voice, I think that’s what got us the gig there.”
Right across Gold, vocalist Ruby Cesan croons with a tone and wisdom of a woman three times her age, a delivery the boys are in agreement stems from her extensive background in musical theatre.
“There’s not too much going on but it really comes together pretty nicely because of those lyrics on top,” explains Launder. “She’s been training for five, six years, probably more.”
The simplicity of the vocals is certainly a powerful thing once you match it with the kaleidoscope of sound happening in the boys’ instrumentals. Gold really is gold, a jewel nestled neatly at the bottom of the ocean, Launder remarking, “It’s very psychy, pretty trippy.”
