8 BALL AITKEN ALBUMS
SWAMP BLUES
10TH ALBUM
2018
8 Ball’s proudest album to date. SWAMP BLUES is the place to start your 8 Ball Aitken album collection. ‘Swamp blues’ is swamp blues, and that is why it is called ‘SWAMP BLUES’.
8 Ball Aitken recorded this album in Texas. It reached #2 in the Australian Blues Charts and was a finalist for two 2019 Australian Blues Awards. Single ‘High Water’ went to #1 on the AMRAP AIRIT Radio charts 2019 and was shortlisted for 2019 APRA Song of the Year.
Swamp Blues was recorded at Yellow Dog Studios in Wimberley, Texas’ Hill Country, 8 Ball laid down his guitar tracks through an v analogue tape machine for the warm guitar tones. JJ Johnson from Tedeschi Trucks Band/John Mayer played drums on the album, and legendary Austin musician Glenn Fukunaga played bass. Dallas, Texas songwriter Guthrie Kennard provided backing vocals on many of the tracks along with Julie Meridan.”
“Swamp Blues is my salute to the rhythms and grooves of the Deep South and is my most stripped back studio recording to date. “Much of my USA touring is traversing between Texas, Tennessee, and Florida, travelling through Louisiana, home to the gritty, sub-genre sound I love the most and birth place of one of my musical heroes, Tony Joe White,” says 8 Ball.
“Of the 12 tracks, two were co-written with friend and 100% certified Texas Bluesman, Guthrie Kennard, and it was such a thrill to be creative partners on High Water and Mama’s Cookin”, 8 Ball adds.
Audience favourites from this album; APPLE TREE, IRON HORSE, SIX STRINGER, LINDY LOO, DROP ON BY, SAY YOU LOVE ME, and DRUNK AND STONED (played on 8 Ball’s three string guitar).
Swamp Blues is available on iTunes, Spotify, CD, vinyl record, and cassette.
8 BALL AITKEN
9TH ALBUM
2016
In 2016 RED ROCKER RECORDS released a self-titled 8 BALL AITKEN ‘best of’ album . This is a collection 8 Ball’s most popular tracks including his #1 Australia Country Chart hit song, SHE’S GOING TO MEXICO I’M GOING TO JAIL. Other highly requested songs from this album are OUTBACK BOOTY CALL, SEVEN BUCKS AN HOUR IN A CHICKEN SUIT, GIRL IN A MILLION, SHUT THE FRONT DOOR.
THE NEW NORMAL
8TH ALBUM
2015
The New Normal is 8 Ball Aitken’s second album Nashville recorded album.
“I had some great musicians play on it including Dennis Holt on drums, Dave Francis on bass and acoustic guitar, Mike Flanders on pedal steel, and Lynyrd Skynrds keyboard player Peter Keys”, remarks 8 Ball.
“At this point in my career, I was experimenting with a softer side of songwriting particularly getting into the 4-chord songs structure. I think ‘Girl In A Million’ and ‘Sleepy’ are standout tracks on this record. Most of the album was written in my living room over the Summer months. When it got too hot to go outside, I would relax with my mini Maton acoustic guitar and write until I created something that I was happy with,” adds 8 Ball.
The instrumental track Broken Hill received a Golden Guitar Award nomination. The more boldly rockin tracks like ‘Seven Bucks An Hour In A Chicken Suit’, and ‘Shut The Front Door’, have become staple crowd pleasers during live performances ever since their release.
Song favourites from this album: GIRL IN A MILLION, SLEEPY, SKYDIVE, WITNESS PROTECTION, MONKEY IN A SUIT AND TIE, SEVEN BUCKS AN HOUR IN A CHICKEN SUIT, BROKEN HILL (Instrumental - Golden Guitar Nomination 2016).
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
7TH ALBUM
2013
Southern Hemisphere is the first album 8 Ball Aitken recorded in Nashville.
‘‘I was still very new to town and was finding my way living in Music City for eighteen months when I got together with producer Mike Flanders to work on this record.”
‘Southern Hemisphere’ is a rockier, more electri-fried sound than previous albums. 8 Ball wrote twelve new songs fusing country, blues, and Southern-rock. This is what happens when you transplant a Queenslander into the American South. The hot session band backing 8 Ball features members of Little Big Town, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Alison Kraus, and Robert Plant’s bands. Troy Cassar-Daly also guests on guitar. This album is packed with slide-guitar and goes in new interesting directions.
Popular song list: I’M GOING TO JAIL, MILE IN MY SHOES, MY TANK’S ON EMPTY, HILLBILLY DISCO (featured on Bachelorette Nashville 2018), UNDERNEATH THE STARS.
A BLUER SHADE OF BLUE
6TH ALBUM
2013
A ‘Bluer Shade Of Blue’ is a compilation album of 8 Ball Aitken’s bluesiest tracks taken from his albums that were released prior to 2013.
The Bluesy songs include: YELLOW MOON, BLACK SWAMP CREEK, ROGUE PONY (Live), PITBULL OFF THE CHAIN, GOOD TIME MUSIC, NOBODY LOOKS UGLY AFTER MIDNIGHT.
ALIVE IN TAMWORTH
5TH ALBUM
2012
Due to popular demand 8 Ball recorded a live album in Tamworth. This album showcases his humorous, live one-man-band storytelling show.
“It has all of my Australian bull$&#t and true stories that I just made up on it”, he laughs. “I recorded it in late 2011 before I moved to USA, so this album really is one for the Aussies who inspired me to write and record the songs,” he explains.
With his trademark slide guitar, sense of humor, audience participation, and Queensland swamp-blues antics, 8 Ball Aitken has came up with a barnstorming riot of a recording. If you have ever experienced the interactive 3D quality of an 8 Ball Aitken live show, then this album is for you. He took the country music capital of Australia by surprise with this album. ALIVE IN TAMWORTH will take you right there into the front row of a rockin’ crowd of an 8 Ball Aitken gig.
Favourites include: CROCODILE SONG (the full 13:24 minute version), CYCLONE COUNTRY (live), CHOCOLATE, JACK DANIELS, AND LSD (live), ROGUE PONY (live), BLACK SWAMP CREEK (live), PITBULL OFF THE CHAIN (live).
THE TAMWORTH TAPES
4TH ALBUM
2011
8 Ball Aitken played every instrument on ‘THE TAMWORTH TAPES’. He recorded the it at ENREC Studios in Tamworth to an old tape 1 inch machine, keeping the production to a minimum.
Favourites include: ROGUE PONY, CHOCOLATE, JACK DANIELS, AND LSD, HIT THE ROAD.
REBEL WITH A CAUSE
3RD ALBUM
2008
‘Rebel With A Cause’ features 8 Ball’s original songs about cyclones, parties and outback booty calls. Recorded at Rancom Street Studios, Botany Bay, Sydney with producer Garth Porter of Sherbet fame. This album was cut straight to tape with classic analogue equipment and vintage amplifiers, ‘Rebel With A Cause’ was the first album to really get 8 Ball Aitken attention. It was nominated for a Golden Guitar Award, and won two Queensland Music Awards for the blues and country categories.
With some of Australia’s best session musicians in tow, John Watson on drums, Tony Mitchell on bass, and Michele Rose on pedal steel.
8 Ball Aitken lead the way with vocals, sizzling guitars, blues harmonica, as well as banjo and mandolin.
Popular tracks: CYCLONE COUNTRY, HANDS ON TOP OF THE WHEEL, COWBOY MOVIE, THE PARTY, GUITAR MAN, BLACK SWAMP CREEK.
ODD BALL IN
2nd ALBUM
2006
ODD BALL IN was recorded in Woolloongabba, Brisbane. It received Triple J airplay and is a roots rock affair with some interesting blues songs and guitar playing from a very young 8 Ball.
Favourites; SAGAS AND DRAMAS(Triple J Radio airplay), I BELIEVE YOU CAN (Triple J Radio airplay), BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, YOU’RE OUT OF THE GAME, LUCKY CHARMS.
BEHIND THE 8 BALL
1st ALBUM
2004
After a long stint playing nightly at Johno’s Blues Bar in Cairns, 8 Ball Aitken moved to Brisbane and began working in the venues around West End and Fortitude Valley. He met Marly Luske from Alchemix Studio and laid down his first album in one 8-hour session. The album features songs played on 8 Ball’s vocals, stomp-box, National resonator, and acoustic guitars.
Popular tracks include: REFUGEE, ALL ALONE. WALLS HAVE EARS, GYPSY MAN.
