Over the past 20 years or so amidst spending time drumming for Australia's favourite rock export AC/DC, running a studio and a restaurant, racing cars, flying helicopters and a bit of farming in the land of the long white cloud; Melbourne born drummer Phil Rudd has been quietly writing an album worth of songs which will see the light of day 30th September 2016.

From the rollicking “Repo Man”, a gentle reminder about karma; to the rocking title track “Head Job”, which does not have intimate connotations but is a play on words about going to the pub to commiserate with your mates about someone doing your head in… from the upbeat dirgy groove of “Bad Move” to the relationship-driven “Crazy”; Rudd has delivered a very personal album “about the shit that goes on…” as the great man himself said.

Perhaps with the exception of “40 Days & 40 Nights”, these songs were more inspired by everyday personal experiences in life rather than being about touring the globe with the World’s Biggest rock band.

Citing influences ranging from Ringo Starr and Free/Bad Company’s Simon Kirk, to Mountain’s Leslie West and bandmates Malcolm & Angus Young, these songs and lyrics are all very special to Rudd and when talking about the release of this album which has had such a long gestation, he said “I’m very happy for it to finally make its way out there and for people to hear it!”.

The songs were penned primarily by Rudd with the assistance of Allan Badger and Geoffrey Martin - musicians Phil met on the local scene, which he says “turned out to be a great musical partnership”. ‘Badge’ & Martin also perform vocals, guitars & bass on the album, with Rudd sitting in the producer’s seat. The tracks came together over a period of time recorded at several locations including the studio that Rudd built himself not far from his restaurant “Phil’s Place” in Tauranga, New Zealand.

Phil Rudd’s HEAD JOB is out 30th September through Wave 365 Media.

Phil Rudd was born as Phillip Hugh Norman Witschke Rudzevecuis on May 19, 1954 in Melbourne, Australia.



He made his name with the Colored Balls, a skinhead band formed by guitarist Lobby Lloyd and singer Angry Anderson (who went on to form Rose Tatoo), which terrorised the club circuit during the early Seventies with a ferocious brand of yob-rock.



Two singles ('Liberate Rock' and 'Mess Of Blues') were the only recognised fruits of Phil Rudd's time with the Colored Balls who, in 1974, changed their name to Buster Brown and went on to record one album ("Something To Say") for the indie Mushroom Records later the same year.



But by the beginning of 1975 Phil Rudd had had enough, and hardly hesitated when AC/DC offered him a place on the drumkit, replacing temporarily drummers like Tony Currenti, Peter Clack and Noel Taylor.



In 1983, at the end of the recording sessions of 'Flick Of The Switch', there were personal difficulties between Phil and Malcolm Young. Their relationship progressively deteriorated, to the point where a physical confrontation eventually took place. Two hours later Phil was out, flying home. He was followed up by Simon Wright and later by Chris Slade.



Phil elected to retire to New Zealand where he bought a helicopter business and gave up professional music completely.



In 1994, when AC/DC were playing in New Zealand, Malcolm and Angus Young gave Phil a call. They hadn't seen him in about ten years. Then, around May 1994, they asked Phil to come and jam with them. He was back in the band.