The Rubens Announce Massive Tour, Alongside New Single ‘Love Me America’ From Upcoming Album ‘Group Therapy’
Fifteen years into an extraordinary career – one that’s yielded five ARIA Top 5 albums and a myriad of Gold and Platinum era-defining singles – Aussie alt-rock icons The Rubens now enter an exciting new chapter with the announcement of their sixth studio album, Group Therapy, alongside an extensive national tour set to take them to every corner of the country. Spanning regional centres and capital cities alike, the mammoth tour will see the band connect with audiences across Australia as they celebrate their most ambitious and emotionally resonant body of work yet.
Album opener Love Me America sets the tone for Group Therapy, with its bombastic wall of guitars welcoming the listener before taking them on a dynamic ride that incorporates plaintive acoustic passages and vibrant lyrical storytelling, tied together in an epic arrangement.
The song was inspired by the band’s earliest experiences in America where they were courted by major labels over lavish steak dinners and LA Kings games, leading to the lyric “Kings played for us, and we put all our trust in revolving doors and dreams”. For a multitude of reasons, The Rubens American dream didn’t look the way the band anticipated in those early days, but they have returned again and again to perform sell-out shows and work with credible US producers and artists like Run The Jewels and Vic Mensa.
Singer Sam Margin explains further, “We naively ventured to New York to make our first record. It was terrifying, exciting, a blur and our introduction to a country that has fascinated us ever since. ‘Love Me America’ is a love song to America, but not a simple one. It’s about the scale of its promise, the thrill of chasing something big, and the strange desire to belong somewhere that can still feel just beyond your reach. A love song with all the baggage that comes along with it.” Brother and keyboardist Elliott Margin agrees, adding, “It was wild. But it’s not all negative. To me it’s almost like a love story – you keep on coming back to the country, enamoured with the thrill of chasing that dream.”
Off the back of their forthcoming album, Group Therapy, The Rubens are thrilled to be heading out on a massive tour, bringing their big live sound, catchy hooks and feel-good tunes to every corner of the country.
Passionate about performing live but conscious of the current cost-of-living crisis, the band have lowered ticket prices to make them more affordable for fans. Considerable consideration was also put into where the shows take place. In addition to performing in capital cities, the band will tour extensively to key regional centres and suburban areas – with many more dates still to be announced.
Renowned for their incredible live shows, magnetic energy and crowd singalongs, this will be a chance to see The Rubens perform songs from their upcoming album, Group Therapy, as well as fan favourites and deep cuts.
Joining The Rubens on all shows, except for WA, are SELVE. Fronted by charismatic Jabirr Jabirr frontman Loki Liddle, SELVE are a powerhouse alt-rock outfit who are quickly cementing their reputation as one of the most exciting live acts in the country.
The Rubens – Group Therapy Tour
Presented by triple j
Fri 16 Oct – Sydney, NSW – City Recital Hall*
Fri 23 Oct – Adelaide, SA – The Gov*
Sat 24 Oct – Mt Gambier, SA – The Globe Hotel
Thu 29 Oct – Coolum, QLD – Black Flag Brewing*
Fri 30 Oct – Brisbane, QLD – The Tivoli*
Sat 31 Oct – D’Aguilar, QLD – D’Ag Pub*
Thu 5 Nov – Castlemaine, VIC – Theatre Royal
Fri 6 Nov – Melbourne, VIC – Forum
Sat 7 Nov – Barwon Heads, VIC – Barwon Heads Hotel
Fri 20 Nov – Hobart, TAS – Odeon Theatre*
Sat 21 Nov – Forth, TAS – Forth Pub
Thu 3 Dec – Fremantle, WA – Freo Social
Fri 4 Dec – Margaret River, WA – The River
Sat 12 Dec – Wagga Wagga, NSW – Romano’s*
*U18 with a Guardian
SELVE support all shows except WA
Presale: 9am LOCAL Tues 18 August
General On Sale: 10am LOCAL Weds 19 Aug
Tickets HERE
