Still Rockin' It - Cheryl Lee
Still Rockin' It - Cheryl Lee
What has Stu Rudd from The SuperJesus been up to lately? OR Writing Hot Songs to Supporting Cold Chisel
Join Cheryl Lee - That Radio Chick on STILL ROCKIN' IT for news, reviews, music and interviews with some of our favourite Australian musicians.
Join us on Still Rocking It as we become a fly on the wall during an interview with Stu Rudd, the bass guitarist and founding member of Australia's iconic rock band, SuperJesus for an episode of RiderTV for the telly.
From their early days and first EP "Eight Step Rail" to their platinum-selling debut album "Sumo" that snagged them an ARIA for Best Rock Band, Stu takes us through a roller-coaster journey of music, perseverance, and success. He shares touching stories about his previous band Southpaw, the evolution from Hell's Kitchen into SuperJesus, and their induction into the SA Music Hall of Fame.
Despite a mic going rogue not once, but twice, you'll be captivated by Stu's tales of touring and the vibrant local music scene that shaped their career.
In the second half of our episode, we gear up for the Vailo 500 with an inspiring conversation featuring a Cold Chisel song and Stewie's heartfelt recollection of his bond with Charlie Drayton.
We chat about SuperJesus's latest singles, "We Won’t Let Go Until it's Over" and "Something Good," and delve into the excitement surrounding their upcoming album set for release early next year.
Stu also opens up about his personal life, sharing his enthusiasm for getting back into motorbike riding . Don't miss this heartwarming and insightful chat with one of Australia's rock icons, as Stu Rudd takes us behind the scenes of a 30-year musical journey.
What has Ruddy been up to lately? Let's find out!!
Get out when you can, support local music and I'll see you down the front!!
Visit: ThatRadioChick.com.au
That Radio Cheek Cheryl Lee here. Welcome to the Still Rocking it podcast where we'll have music news, reviews and interviews with some of our favourite Australian musicians and artists. The other day I was lucky enough to interview founding member and bass guitarist of the Super Jesus, stuart Rudd, for the TV as the Super Jesus embark on the Red Hot Summer Tour with none other than Cold Chisel celebrating 50 years and the Super Jesus release some brand new music. So please enjoy being a fly on the wall as we filmed an episode of the TV series, including a couple of wardrobe malfunctions with an errant lapel microphone To catch up on podcasts from other favourite artists, including a couple of wardrobe malfunctions with an errant lapel microphone. To catch up on podcasts from other favourite artists, simply go to that radio. Chick dot com dot. Au. Welcome to Rider TV. We are very lucky to have in the studio with us today Stewie Ryan from the Super Jesus.
Speaker 2:How are you guys? Hey, cheryl, yeah good thanks.
Speaker 1:Thanks for coming in. I know you've got a very busy schedule.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we have at the minute Just sort of getting things ready, and you know, to go out on the road and play some shows.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I think back in 2021, you guys had. The boys are stuck in town. We were just coming out of. Covid and I interviewed you and Paul Wheeler. That was a great concept.
Speaker 2:It was fantastic, I loved it. In fact, I still keep in touch with those guys today and just going to rehearsal and hearing some of the stories you can imagine I mean there's been a long history with those guys in music, so it was just fantastic. It was really good, really good.
Speaker 1:So you had Vince Contarino, paul Wheeler from Ice House, dave Gleeson from the Screaming Jazz Rock and Rob Riley, dave Kennedy from Almost jazz rock and rob riley dave kennedy from almost human, almost human that's right and you've been like the party boys concept I may have even been the youngest in the group oh the baby. I'd love to see that show again. It was. I think we could see how much fun you guys were having yeah, I still smile every time I think of it, yeah, and I think.
Speaker 1:Then I interviewed you and the Super Jesus guys for our TV show. I think it was St Patrick's Day and I was wearing a green. That's right Straight from the support. At lunch you guys probably thought what have we got here?
Speaker 2:What's going on, yeah?
Speaker 1:Anyway, we're going to go back a little bit before we go forward. So Super Jesus, first EP, eight Step Rail in 97, two R's Congratulations.
Speaker 2:Thank you.
Speaker 1:Well done, that's pretty good stuff.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was a good knock. We didn't expect. In fact, we printed up 1,500 EPs, that's all we did.
Speaker 1:Oh, wow.
Speaker 2:And we had to then go back for more and more, more and more, and, yeah, it just became you know a bit popular, Well done.
Speaker 1:And then just a year later, in 98, first studio album, sumo.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:With Platinum yeah that's right. Aria for Best Rock Band.
Speaker 2:Best Rock Band. Yeah, again, we were sort of on a pretty good roll at that point, you know, building up and all the rest of it touring, working our butts off touring working our butts off, cool overnight success after 20 years of yeah, 100, yeah, totally right rock and roll adage.
Speaker 1:And congratulations also to you and sarah for your induction into the sa music hall of fame oh, thank you back in 2012 yeah, that's right.
Speaker 2:Uh, we'll say, um, it's a lovely tip of the hat, I guess, and it meant so much, not just to us, I guess, but to our families and stuff like that. You know, supporting you, they see what you go through.
Speaker 1:All the rest of it, yeah they see all the hard slog that goes on behind the scenes yeah, yeah you just don't get on the stage and be great.
Speaker 2:You have to practice you've got to work and do a few miles in the van, absolutely oh, good on you.
Speaker 1:Your early band just before super jesus toured with southpaw. That's right. Yeah, yeah, right I did.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was just some stuff. Yeah, I did an album with southpaw great band all sort of local people from billy bob on guitar and jad green on on drums, but, um, it was produced by nick barker. We did it here in the city and, yeah, it was fantastic. We end up going out on the road with Nick Barker actually. So that was really good, fun, awesome. Can you just?
Speaker 1:hold for a second your hair's getting me there's my hair on this one right I think.
Speaker 2:Got it, it's got really sensitive and I might just move that.
Speaker 1:If that's all right, if you don't mind, I'll just bring it over the edge. We don't have to do it again, though, do we? Oh, we don't.
Speaker 2:It's good, good go well, you moved and the hair got in there. It just mucked it all up my bloody hair.
Speaker 1:Here we go Right. Say when, whenever you like, all right, okay. Then Hell's Kitchen morphed into the Super Juicers in 94?.
Speaker 2:Yeah, about around that Hell's Kitchen was going around then and then we sort of got Sarah on board yeah that's about right.
Speaker 2:So how board and, yeah, likely lads will get together. It's kind of a strange one. So we were all from different parts of town. Literally the drummer, paul, he was up in murray bridge, I was in the northeast of adelaide, sarah was sort of around this area, chris was down sort of croydon way and yeah, we just it just seemed like, through knowing each other, one degree adelaide, hey, absolutely yeah, and it kind of got to that point where we all kind of got into a room and just started playing. I was like, yes, it feels really good, it worked, it just felt great. Yeah, it was just one of those things where we knew people who knew people who needed a bass player, a drummer, whatever.
Speaker 1:And when you got together, the magic happened, yeah literally.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I yeah, literally.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I thought it might have been, because I've just read recently that you've got Scottish heritage, as does Sarah McLeod.
Speaker 2:She does. Yeah, my dad was in a pipe band, so he was in a Scottish pipe band for a drummer for many years and Sarah's definitely got that vibe as well. You know, she's quite talented and just a musical person, Like you know. Trying to sort of keep up with series is crazy. It's a full-time job. You know You're single or swim with her around so you've got to run with the pack, so to say. But yeah, so we do. We have that sort of in common, absolutely. You are listening to Still Rocking it, the podcast with Cheryl Lee.
Speaker 1:Let's have that ARIA award-winning track now from the debut EP. Second track, shut my Eyes, written by Chris Tennant and Sarah McLeod, engineered by Mick Wordley at Mixmaster Studios in Adelaide, winning two Arias Best New Talent and Breakthrough Artist for a Single back in 1996. And then back to speak some more to Stewie shortly. There's five of you. You've got four siblings, correct?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So you're one of five. Are any of your siblings musical?
Speaker 2:Yeah, we all seem to sort of play something a little. You know, there's always sort of been a guitar or something around the house when I grew up and I was quite lucky because I had the luxury of you know four different people's records. You know they were always playing.
Speaker 1:Because you're the baby.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so my sister was sort of low town and a bit dance so orientated and rather more into you know bob marley sort of stuff, and went into queen and went into the faces rod stewart, so I was lucky to have all those albums yeah, lots of influences, yeah different genres 100 and that's sort of where I sort of grew up listening to it and and we all play guitar every now and then when we all get together, we all you know have a guitar, jam and sing and all the rest of it, just like a good old family, you know, knees up sing along yeah, yeah, totally right but we've got some exciting things to talk about, some new music just coming out.
Speaker 1:But being an adelaide girl, I'm obviously a cold chisel fan yes, yes is the news that my favorite adelaide band, super jesus, are supporting my favorite other adelaide band, cold chisel we are, yeah, we're, we're.
Speaker 2:Thank you, um, we're stoked, we're absolutely stoked. I mean to be out on it on their 50th anniversary run, which is amazing, you know. Considering everything these boys have all been through to be part of that is is just a a dream come true, really. I think we're sort of saying, oh, you just sit back and watch the masters, you know, that's what it's all about. What's?
Speaker 2:the master's apprentices yeah, well, yeah, there's no. Yeah, shout out to them all. Just got anyone because you moved a couple of times I have to move trying to get this in a better place, because Give me a little bit of stick every time you I'll try and keep still now, thank you, there we go.
Speaker 1:Oh no, that's, you know, that's showbiz, that's showbiz, that's right, yeah, I do yeah. Okay, oh, that's good, better, better, okay. You are going out with them on four, the big one here at the Balofi Country, oh yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, huge. I mean it'll be a great night. I think it's with the Cruel Sea as well. Yeah, we're really looking forward to it.
Speaker 1:Are you pinching yourself? Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2:Are you shitting yourself?
Speaker 1:You know Still rocking the podcast with that radio chick, Cheryl Lee. Well, I think it's time for a cold chisel song to get us in the mood for the Velo 500,. Here's one that you might not have heard lately Sunshine from their Uncovered album from 2011. And then we're back to speak some more to Stewie Rudd from Super Jesus. I'm in the sunshine, I'm wasting time.
Speaker 2:I've got a great story. So the drummer who's in the Cold Chisel is Charlie Drayton, who was married to Chrissy Affleck. I went and saw the Diviners years ago, probably in, maybe 1990. I got to meet Charlie and he said oh, what are you doing? I said I'm playing in a band. He said, good, keep going. Here's my number in New York, if you ever get there, no worries. He was so gracious and lovely and so encouraging that I always sort of took that with me into the Super Jesus. And here we are now getting to be on the same stage again. It's like and I want to remind him of this that he rang up actually my home to give me tickets and everything else to the show. So he was playing with the devils. So what a lovely man. Yeah, one of those things where people don't don't realize, you know, and now it's come full circle. Now it's full circle.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely yeah so another dimension even to it. Seven days, are you doing ballarat? Yes, yes, I'll see you down the front, oh awesome. Yeah, I'll see you by low around the corner and I'll see you on, excellent, oh well, if you haven't got your tickets already, get onto the cold chisel website, the super jesus website, the valo 500 website.
Speaker 1:Yep, there's plenty of avenues out there anywhere when you get your tickets yes, totally right yeah yeah, they say, don't meet your idols, but I hope it's everything that you dream of and you have a great run.
Speaker 2:I'm very jealous, don't you need a tambourine player yeah, tambourine, you know what they're worth these things.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm um expensive, but I am call me yeah, we are definitely looking forward to it.
Speaker 2:It's going to be a blast.
Speaker 1:I'm so happy for you. Thank you, I see you guys all on the same stage. As I say, from the punters' point of view, we're ecstatic Good five, this is a good five. Absolutely. There's some new music coming out of the Super Jesus camp. Two singles we Won't Let Go Until it's Over. Who we won't let go until it's over? Who wrote that one?
Speaker 2:That was Sarah and myself. Yeah, yeah, just a bunch of demos. We had a process where we just put our souls together and see what came out, but I think between us we may have had like 30-odd songs for this album.
Speaker 1:Yes, Sarah was saying and Something Good, did you both write that one?
Speaker 2:Yeah, mainly Sarah wrote that one. You two are getting pretty good at this now. Yeah, well, we're in different states. I'm still live here, adelaide, I love it, and says it's sort of interstate and yeah, you know, it just makes it easy now that you can sort of go with the computers and things like technology. Yeah, technology makes it a smaller place really well.
Speaker 1:You guys have been working together and collaborating and playing in this band for 30 years now.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:The old fart.
Speaker 2:I know, I know, I was just thinking about it not long ago. In fact, it was McLeod, I think, that said wait, we're going into our fourth decade. I'm like what?
Speaker 1:How can that be? You're only 21.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's right. Yeah, exactly, Isn't that funny? And so there's more to come, absolutely more to come. We've actually just completed the album. I just sent some tracks off last week and we're looking at releasing early next year the new album. So we're really stoked about it and happy. We're genuinely into the music and what we've done this time around.
Speaker 1:So you heard it first here. Watch this space. New Super Jesus album.
Speaker 2:You are listening to Still Rocking it. The podcast with Cheryl Lee.
Speaker 1:Time for one of the new Super Jesus songs written by the super talent of Super Adelanians Stewie Rudd and Sarah McLeod. Here it is we Won't Let Go Until it's Over and back to speak some more to Stewie after that. We won't let go until it's over and back to speak some more to Stewie after that. We won't let go until it's gone. Never stop, never quit, never give it up. Never stop, never quit, never give it up. On a personal level, have you been on any good bike rides lately? Oh no, I haven't.
Speaker 2:I haven't. Actually I've been so busy, the motorbike's been away. I've made a point to myself and I've written it up there somewhere on the fridge to make sure it gets out. Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1:The weather's just about to start to get better for bike riding.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's right. Yeah, in fact, rob Riley said to me you know we've got to go out digger and have a ride, so you know that's all. I need to sort of kick me in the butt, get onto it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, totally yeah. Yeah, we're going to probably go to Byron again. Fantastic yeah, since it might be the last one.
Speaker 2:It may be. I heard that. I heard that yeah.
Speaker 1:And there's someone with a lot of money in deep pockets.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's right. Did it get rained out last time?
Speaker 1:It got. Oh yeah, one time hubby and I had driven for four days, I think and we got within half an hour when it got cancelled. Yeah, right it's a great ride.
Speaker 2:It is a good ride. I've been up to coughs, so um and back, and then out to glen dambo and all out through that way. But yeah, I do need another adventure.
Speaker 1:Get you know, pack the saddlebags and get into it, yeah and Does your partner ride with you or does she ride also, no, with me by my husband and I?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I just hang on to D-line. Yeah, pretty much, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:That's right.
Speaker 1:Good on her. You've been interviewed probably hundreds and hundreds of times. Is there a question that you wish someone would ask?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, I don't know. That's a tough question in itself, I think no, not really, or you've been asked every question that could possibly be asked. Yeah, there's been sort of yeah, what's, I'm listening to you.
Speaker 1:Don't want me to ask you about your stamp collecting. No, no.
Speaker 2:I'm good, I keep that private. Your dancing classes. I keep that private, yeah, no, no, I mean I'm pretty boring really, you. Well, I mean I'm pretty boring really. You know, all I do is sort of play the music and get out and play shows. So no, there's no questions, there's nothing.
Speaker 1:I do want to ask you what you're listening to on your playlist these days.
Speaker 2:Yeah, what am I listening to? Death Nirvana? I was listening to Screaming Jets for a bit there. Yeah, always sort of whatever's around. Actually, my daughters have got their stereos going all the time. They're 14 years old. They're playing tatoe tammy winette oh are they absolutely on them all fours right through to um billy joel. So yeah, it's quite an eclectic mix they've got great taste yeah, it's, it's insane.
Speaker 2:In fact, I have to ask them where did you get that from? Yeah, yeah, that's right. Yeah, where'd you get it from? Um, because I don't know how they get onto that sort of music. But I guess it's the same as how we all did it, and you just search it out and you might hear it, and that's the journey.
Speaker 1:You go on right uh they playing any instruments? Are they going to follow the family business?
Speaker 2:yeah, we've well see, I will leave music instruments around the house and just I never pushed them. But if they feel, um, because I have twin girls, uh, if they feel like playing a bit of guitar and so we've just started to play guitar and chords and and and piano and things like that, so it's lovely to hear, I'm happy to have it in the background, except for when there's wrong notes, that that's. It's like chalkboard sort of stuff, yeah, but you know you can get over that, but they're going very well, yeah it is lovely, though, so I love it when my 17 year old sits at that piano and just starts playing.
Speaker 1:You know, I don't care what time of the day or night, I just love to hear the music is that good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's very good. I'm the same.
Speaker 1:You must be really proud of them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I am, I'm extremely proud, yeah.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, and they're probably proud of their dad.
Speaker 2:They're just starting to understand what I do. We did a show with Brian Adams at one of the wineries and I took the girls along and I said look, don't misbehave. Also because you know you've got to keep pretty, pretty tidy on these things. You'll get to see what dad does for a living yeah, what I do and they sort of came out and had the earphones on and I sat him on the side of the stage. It was loud and bumpy. By the end of it they so I said what did you think? All those people what did? I said dad, it was pretty boring, you're kidding the toughest critics out there. But I managed to get a golf cart and get him into a golf cart and take him for a drive and all of a sudden I redeemed myself.
Speaker 1:That's pretty normal, I think, for kids to think that you're a bit boring.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely. But now they're starting to sort of see, oh, there might be some cred in it after all.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, that'll come. Your street cred will come, yeah, yeah totally right, yeah, more so.
Speaker 2:I think with the school teachers at this point you know they're starting to realise oh, your dad plays. Oh right, yeah, okay, yeah, it's very good.
Speaker 1:Still off in the podcast with that radio chick, cheryl Lee. Here's a song I bet you never thought you were going to hear, tammy Wynette Stand by your man, one of Stewie's twin daughters' songs of the moment. Back to say goodbye to Stewie straight after this Stand by your man, what is your?
Speaker 2:non-negotiable on your rider these days, stewie. Well, I'm kind of a bit boring there, so I'm, mine's sparkling water. Yeah, just just gonna have some water and stuff like that I'm. I sort of gave up the alcohol a few years ago now. Good on you, yeah, yeah, about five years ago now, so I don't really miss it. But, um, yeah, just the waters and stuff like that, yeah.
Speaker 1:So no fancy cheeses. No, no, you're a pretty simple guy.
Speaker 2:Pretty simple. In fact, we're all pretty simple when it comes to that stuff. Yeah, we're pretty modest really.
Speaker 1:So it's pretty easy to please then. Yeah, yeah, in your green room.
Speaker 2:In our green room. It is pretty easy, yeah, likely.
Speaker 1:Well, again, all the best for the new music coming out, for the tour coming up and thanks again for chatting with us.
Speaker 2:Anytime, thanks for having us. It's been great and that's a fantastic program, thanks, thanks you, cut.
Speaker 1:Well done Good job. You take the camera from Stewie when I'm having a little sniffly moment. Yeah, that's why it's good to have two cameras.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I've moved this around, so I can three or four camera shoot. Yeah, cool.
Speaker 1:Time-wise. Yeah, really good, 24 minutes. He'll fix this in edit. Thanks, cheryl, I'll see you around the corner. Yes, and then. Yeah, we'll see you at Ballarat.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that'd be good. So Ballarat, we're probably going to ride we gonna write.
Speaker 1:You are listening to still rocking it, the podcast with cheryl lee. Hope you enjoyed being a little fly on the wall during the filming of that interview for the telly. I'm gonna have a song now to take us out. We talked about their sumo album. This is from their 20th anniversary of the sumo album. Down again. Get out and see them on the Cold Chisel Tour if you can. But, more importantly, get out and support them on their Super Jesus Tour. You'll be glad you did and I'll see you down the front. Love, love follows me down again. Love, love follows me down again. You're with Cheryl Lee, that radio chick. Thank you so much for joining me on the Still Rocking it podcast. Hope to catch you again next time. Get out when you can support Aussie music and I'll see you down the front.