Snakeheads – James Roden And Pete Lusty – Release The Album ‘Belconnen Highs’ On August 29

Snakeheads is a unique project from James Roden and the late Pete Lusty – marking a friendship that spanned over 35 years, born of a shared love of punk, rock and a love of music.

Pete Lusty was one of the most influential figures in the music business from the early ‘00s, playing a major role in taking Australian music to the world, with bands like The Vines, Jet, and Empire Of The Sun. Lusty also co-founded one of Australia’s longest running and most respected independent labels in 1997, Ivy League Records (Youth Group, Cloud Control, The Mess Hall, Josh Pyke, Alpine, The Rubens, Teskey Brothers). Tragically, Pete died from lymphoma in 2020, a week before the world went into Covid lockdown.

Five years on from Pete’s death, the first and only Snakeheads album Belconnen Highs – started at Belconnen High School in Canberra and refined in Pete’s basement and recorded in various Sydney studios – has been finished by James, ready for release as a tribute to his much-loved oldest and closest friend.

The 17 song album will be released by new Sydney-based label Cassell Records on gatefold vinyl (via Impressed Recordings) and all streaming services on Friday, August 29.

In about 2016 James and Pete picked up where they left off after their band the John Reed Club broke up 20 years earlier (less than 12 months after signing with EMI and releasing just one CD EP and one 7” single – the first release for Ivy League Records). They resumed weekly jamming, setting up in Pete’s home studio. The walls were lined with the recognition of Pete’s work managing bands – The Vines, Jet and more – as founder of Winterman and Goldstein, yet Pete was still playing his Gibson Les Paul from his high school days. Their aim was simple: write and refine songs for enjoyment, look to the future, don’t dwell on the past. The aim was at its essence, to finally finish what they had started in High School. It was also an excuse for Monday night beers and a rekindling of a life-long friendship, banter and laughter.

“We only wanted to play what we loved at 15 years old, with no pressure” says James. “In a way we were finishing what we started with The John Reed Club or earlier; the thinking was ‘let’s make the songs great, no matter how long they take’. Often there is huge pressure on bands to ‘hurry up’ but we had no pressure. , We had the time to really obsess about them. Or so we thought. Every detail was discussed – bar by bar. We thought we had cracked the code to making music really enjoyable. Keep making songs and recording until they were good.”

The writing sessions went for years until 2019, as some of their 30 – 40 songs captured on Pete’s 8 track recorder got tighter, they decided to start working with friend and producer Wayne Connolly who joined in on the Monday night session, making the songs even tighter.. Finally ready to record, they quicly rehearsed with a band made up of Kit Warhust (Rocket Science) on drums, and Harry Roden (The City Lights and James’s brother) on bass, and recorded 6 bed tracks (no vocals) with Wayne at Hercules Studios before Pete shared the news that he was seriously sick.

Pete was diagnosed with High-grade Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma mid-2019. Following failed treatment in Sydney, he qualified for a new treatment in Boston, USA. He travelled there with family and friends including James and Andy Cassell in early 2020.

He died in Boston in March of 2020.

Pete passed away before he could see any of the album finished but he heard where it was going and was as excited as a teenager. One year later James began the slow and difficult work of finishing the album he had started with his friend. He began completing the Wayne Connolly sessions (6 songs), and began afresh on another 11 with Jay Whalley of Frenzal Rhomb this time with Graeme Trewin (Sick Fizz, Peabody) on drums. Without the decisive input of his collaborator, the project became a drawn-out musical quest.

Many knew Pete for his impressive work within the music industry, but his creative legacy is just as inspiring. His talent for working with bands was honed by years of playing, listening and watching – studying everything about the bands he loved – but ultimately it all began with being in a band of his own.

Pete’s energy lives on through Snakeheads’ Belconnen Highs: the first and final album.

Belconnen Highs – 17 songs – is for Pete from James.

Belconnen Highs

Produced by James Roden

All songs Lusty / Roden except **Lusty / Roden / Connolly.

1. Smash Hits**
2. Sht I Don’t Have Time For*
3. Top Of The Pops
4. Sick On the Bus
5. All I Want
6. Dumb Enough
7. Sonic Manipulation
8. Temptation
9. Exocet
10. Entropy**
11. Kontrol
12. Should’ve Known Better
13. Out Of Control
14. Cheap Thrills
15. Dementia
16. Savile Row
17. Love My Friends

Pre-order album here