The Double Agents - Best Bits... so Far (2023)

Stalwarts of the intense Melbourne pub-rock scene from 2000 - 2008, the band completed two blazing European tours, played voluminous shows with the likes of Dead Moon, Mudhoney, Celibate Rifles, White Stripes, Dirtbombs, Detroit Cobras, Spencer P. Jones, Kim Salmon, Thalia Zedek (Come), Drones (etc.), and released recordings on labels such as Spooky, France's Beast and Bruce Milne's In-Fidelity.

The band never aimed for a particular genre within the ‘rock’ realm, just so long as it was raw and from the gut. The sound veered from swamp-rock to rough-house garage-punk to dirty country twang to a lurching & lumbering brand of Aussie post-punk.

Think Stooges, Stones, Groovies, Cramps, Reigning Sound, Birthday Party and all points in between: The Double Agents were never trying to slot themselves into a patented stream of sound, but were about mixing up the palettes.

Two vocalists - female and male - two guitarists (with some lap steel thrown in, thank you), keyboards and a rocksteady rhythm section set them apart from the pack. Uniquely Australian and wildly powerful, they were sometimes fun, sometimes dark and moody, and always meant business.

In late 2021, vocalist/songwriter and Telecaster-slinger Dave Butterworth received word from his oncology team that things may not be going as well as they’d hope’d in his fight against cancer. Dave had barely picked up his beloved guitar in nearly 10 years, let alone contemplated the thought of calling his old friends and ‘getting the band back together', but he was overwhelmed by a sense of urgency - not only to present this compilation of songs from the band, but to play live and write new material. All of which is happening as we speak.

Best Bits... So Far is due for release Friday June 16th, distributed by Magnetic South. The vinyl launch party is Friday July 14th @ Northcote Social Club with special guests Dave Larkin Electric and Plastic Section.