Jen MizeThey’re not your average country band, nor do they specifically fall into the category of the blues, at least in a traditional sense, but Jen Mize & The Rough N’ Tumble are making music that is garnering popularity in the spaces where the aforementioned genres have created homes.
For Jen Mize herself, the influence of growing up in the USA and being exposed to the greats within the spaces of Blues, country, and more has afforded her the arrival at the point of mingling with the likes of these musical styles.
However, it’s been the unique life experiences and broad-reaching exposure she has borne witness to that have shaped the way TILT, the band’s latest, has come to sound. From studying Opera to falling enamoured with the heavy guitar riffs of Led Zeppelin, Mize’s musical output has depended as much upon the variety of its input.
The wholeness of this comes through in the ten-track album that sweeps its journey from the toe-tapping Shake Somethin’ Loose all the way to the funky The Great Escape, filled with already released North Carolina, Double Talk and spoken-word style Greater Good.
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And despite the authenticity that manifests in an overall style undefinable by a particular traditional set of standards, what remains constant is the enjoyment that comes from listening to their music.
“I have fans that are diehard country fans that are like ‘I don't know what to call what you do, but I like it, I have a good time when I'm at your shows’,” outlines Mize. “The same goes for blues fans that are like ‘It's not exactly like the rest of the blues I listen to, but I kind of like it.’
“It's refreshing to be able to get people having a good time and provide some point of difference for them at some of these music festivals. It’s truly a little piece of happiness for us. Ultimately, it’s mostly good time music, party music, so people are having a really good time.
“It's definitely an in-the-moment band, that feel-good band feeling in the kind of times that we're in, you know, just leaning into joy as medicine, or it can be.”
And even though the final outcome of the music sounds and feels good, there’s been a lot of curation that Mize invested in the formation of the group and how the sound represents it all.
“When I was creating this band, I was thinking about those times when I was watching bands and music that I really loved,” expresses Mize. “I had a moment of clarity when I was at Bluesfest years ago, and a band called The California Honeydrops were playing. And they were just such a party and such a vibe.
“I backed that up with seeing Marcus King Band too. And then I had the chance to work with The Teskey Brothers when they came in to do radio at 98.9 in Brisbane, when I was doing a show there. At that time everything was becoming a real melting pot in my mind as to what kind of music I could be making and what would make me happiest.
“So, in putting together the band, I really tried to be thoughtful and measured in who I chose. We don't live in the same town. We live all over Australia. But these are people that I kept running into and collaborating with for years. These are the guys and gals I wanted to hang out with. And then the band came together, and it was a definite meeting of the minds.”
And although Mize’s name sits ahead of The Rough N’ Tumble, she has always placed precedence on the collaborative nature of the band.
“We've been striving on this record to have mostly co-writes, and the record is mostly co-writes with other band members. So, it's a real band type of band. Funny that, you know, the way the world presents itself to us now, it's harder to be a band, but we're still trying to do it at minimum in the creative effort to get that real band feeling.
“And yes, I'm the front person, and yes, there's a massive aspect of my vision in this, but I really try to bring the vision of the other band members into this as well.”
The new music, alongside the all-contributive aspect of the band, will have the opportunity to showcase itself when Jen Mize and The Rough N’ Tumble take to the Gympie Music Muster later this month.
Involved in the Pre-Muster from August 22 to 26, as well as playing a role in the highly attended four-day event running from August 27 to 30, the festival will provide an opportunity for the group to entwine their music with some of the greats in country and blues.
“We know we're a bit outside of the box,” acknowledges Mize. “We know we're a bit left of centre for what people normally see, especially when we play at country music festivals. But there are certain country music festivals where we feel like we've got a real place in the lineup and the atmosphere.
“The Gympie Music Muster is one of those for us. We started off our first muster experience on the blues stage. And the powers that be at the muster have moved us to the crowbar this year.
“We're pretty stoked about that; to be getting in front of people who might respond well to us, it might not be their thing, we're okay with that, but we're finding our people and just making sure everyone that's there has a good time; that's our job.”
TILT is a true expression of what’s possible when one honours all the different means of their artistic input but chooses to make something that reveres the uniqueness of their experiences.
Jen Mize and The Rough N’ Tumble have created something excellent in this, a testament to what music can be.
TILT is out now via Pathfinder Music.
