For more than a decade Tankus have offered a visceral, transcendental rock ‘n’ roll experience. The hardest-working band in town, they’ve played roughly 1400 shows, criss- crossing the continent in the process. Led by the redoubtable, the Jaz Delorean, with João Mello on sax and vocals, Dan Hipkin on bass, Jack Price on guitar, João Taborda on drums and Russ Evans on trombone, the band have scored numerous highs, building an astonishingly loyal fanbase in the process. They’re a deeply theatrical endeavour, akin to shows by Tom Waits or the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, but with a modern twist, reminiscent of the raw power of The Fat White Family or Cage The Elephant, inviting people into a counter cultural realm for one-night-only. With a work-rate that far out-strips their peers, the band have created a community that could rival that of the Grateful Dead, building their audience show by show. “There’s no computers,” Jaz says. “It’s a group of musicians playing because those songs are inside them, and they’ve got to get them out. It’s not some sanitised space.” After a decade of non-stop travel, new album Valley of Distraction is a moment of pause, their most focussed and intentional record yet, it’s a sign that the storms of the pandemic could never sink their ambitions. The album was produced alongside Jim Sclavunos, known for his seminal work with Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and Grinderman. An astonishing feat of storytelling, it’s a record that thrives on community.