Hestia, the fifth studio album from The Rumjacks, marked a new era for the band.
The album introduced new lead singer Mike Rivkees, whose songwriting skills have rejuvenated The Rumjacks’ collaborative spirit. Together, Rivkees (vocals), Johnny McKelvey (bass), Gabe Whitbourne (guitar), Adam Kenny (bouzouki/mandolin), and Pietro Della Sala (drums) combine their diverse American, Australian, Italian, and Irish perspectives to create a fresh, globalized iteration of the Celtic punk legacy dating back to the Pogues.
Hestia takes the energy of traditional folk music, lights it on fire, then sprinkles it with ash. Dark, gritty, and historically aware, this is music grounded in the character of the Rebel.
When writing Hestia (named after the Greek goddess of home and hearth), bandmembers Mike Rivkees and Johnny McKelvey paired their affection for their Irish immigrant grandparents and parents with the punk, ska, and hard rock sounds pulsing through their veins.
Although their songs are composed in divergent places, from the shores of Rhode Island down to Australia and across mainland Europe, The Rumjacks final sound is seamless and cohesive, boasting a perfect balance of folk influence and modern punk.
