FORMER journalist Brian Bennion said he was excited to be hitting the road with his band The Leads, with bandmate and award-winning songwriter James Grehan making his triumphant return after more than a decade.
Following the release of their debut single Trace in November last year, The Leads have had a frantic year and released their latest pop anthem Sweet Mary Jane earlier this month.
The song Trace came about when Ipswich music teacher Kellie Holmes and Bennion first regrouped to write new material after a long hiatus from their original band Leadfoot Fairies.
The song was written in support of the Jarjumbah Protectors who had camped on the old Deebing Creek Aboriginal Mission site at Deebing Heights, Ipswich for almost four years to stop development over the top of Aboriginal burials believed to be throughout the site.
When developers threatened to evict protesters, The Leads recruited the help of GANGgajang guitarist Robbie James and Jarjumbah Protector, award-winning musician Dirri’Ya-Gamil Kapithun, and recorded and released the song.
After the release of Trace, The Leads emerged, with fellow Leadfoot Fairies drummer Grant Gunnourie (formerly with Brisbane folk legends Popproperly) joining, and accomplished musician and a long-time friend of Bennion, James Grehan, also joining the band.
The new single Sweet Mary Jane was released alongside a six-track EP launched in Ipswich at Banshees Bar & Artspace.
“I love playing with Grant, Kellie and James,” Bennion said.
“As soon as we stepped on stage together we just clicked. It was like lifting the needle up on a record and putting it back down again.
“We had a great crowd at Banshees Bar, which was a huge boost for us. To headline our first show as The Leads was pretty amazing and to launch our new EP to the world in Ipswich was a special night. Our new single was played on Hot FM Mildura this week, and to head interstate to play at the Nimbin Roots Festival alongside legends like Ross Wilson and Dog Trumpet was huge.”
Sweet Mary Jane was penned by the band’s newest member James Grehan, whose previous releases enjoyed widespread airplay on ABC and community radio, including Triple J for more than a decade.
This single marks Grehan’s long-awaited return to the music scene after a hiatus, bringing never-before-heard music to the world.
