Melbourne Legends Icecream Hands Reveal Details Of Their New Album ‘Giant Fox Pineapple Tree’

Melbourne power pop legends Icecream Hands have emerged from the depths of winter with a very special gift for fans – a brand-new album, Giant Fox Pineapple Tree (Nov 7) – brimming with pop-rock melodies and the soaring harmonies that have become an Icecream Hands trademark.

Formed in Melbourne in 1992, this iconic power pop group have seven albums under their belt along with two Australian Record Industry Award nominations – for their 1999 hit album, Sweeter Than The Radio. With hits like Dodgy and Nipple, the album captured the hearts of audiences worldwide thanks to the band’s trademark melodic brilliance and impeccable guitar riffs.

After a 13-year hiatus pursuing solo projects, the band returned in 2020 with the critically acclaimed album, No Weapon But Love. Reignited by their irresistible hooks and harmonies, loyal fans packed out the band’s live performances, and the annual Icecream Hands Christmas Show has become a much-loved Melbourne tradition.

Now a new chapter in the three decade story of Icecream Hands begins with Giant Fox Pineapple Tree, a masterclass in harmony-drenched, classic guitar-driven melodic rock, destined to satiate existing fans and draw in new ones aplenty.

Tinged with equal parts of melancholy, hope, and joy, the first single Back On The Road, which premiered on Radio City on PBS and online with Backseat Mafia, reflects on the unconditional love we hold for the precious ones we farewell as they move into adulthood, seeking their hopes and dreams in a world unknown.

Immediately resonating, loud and clear on the back of chiming guitars and that ever-solid backbeat, the song carries the hallmarks of the finest power pop – from The Beatles to Big Star, Nick Lowe to Teenage Fanclub. The band’s collective voices are a guiding light through the sparkling verses and skyward chorus, conveying that aforementioned love and optimism on high.

“[Derek G] Smiley and I both have three daughters of a similar age, and he provided the inspiration for the theme,” explains songwriter Douglas Lee Robertson.

Elsewhere on the album there’s a rallying cry for those keen to drop in and hear what the band’s been up to (Leaving Nobody Out), songs about Charles Jenkins’ hospital stay (Tambourine Mountain, Carry On), rediscovering joy (Do Ya Feel It), finding the light in dark times of depression (Look For The Blue), a tender message to a loved one (Mercy), and musical memories in the wake of the loss of Smiley’s mother (In The Haze).

Across all of the album’s 11 songs, there’s a pristine musicality – complete with heartwarming harmonies, ornate flourishes, and, as always, a classic, overwhelmingly strong sense of melody, sonically uniting them all.

Working with recording engineer and mixer Greg J. Walker (he of the lauded and awarded Machine Translations) at The General Store in South Gippsland, Victoria, over a long weekend, the band were able to capture their songs as they flew by. “Songs got faster as we warmed up, arrangements were tweaked, parts were honed, and fun was had,” recalls singer/guitarist/songwriter Jenkins.

“Recording this album altogether in one room over a long weekend I think plays to our strengths as a unit, there’s a lot of bump and sway,” says Robertson. “It was all recorded to tape so some things that we’d quickly fix in the digital realm got left alone… we’re pretty happy with the result, it sounds fresh!”

Of that intriguing album title, Jenkins explains, “at times South Gippsland offered up foggy nights, limited views of the road ahead, and unsightly vermin. On one particularly foggy night, bass player and pale driver Douglas Lee Robertson swore he saw a giant fox; when we drove back to the studio the next morning, standing where the fox had been was a large red horse,” he recalls. “On playback of a song, guitarist and band proofreader Marcus Goodwin misheard a lyric as But I’ve a Pineapple Tree, and so the line was corrected — and an album title born!”

Pre-Order HERE

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SYDNEY ALBUM LAUNCH
Saturday 13 December
Petersham Bowling Club

MELBOURNE CHRISTMAS SHOW ALBUM LAUNCH
Saturday 20 December
Northcote Social Club