Jim Moginie & The Family DogJim Moginie is no stranger to music. He cut his teeth as the guitarist of Midnight Oil, and yet the music he has created under the band Jim Moginie & The Family Dog, stirs as perhaps the most provocative and innovative in relation to its era.
Backed by Kent Steedman and Paul Larsen Loughhead (formerly of Sydney punk outfit The Celibate Rifles), and Tim Kevin (who has worked with myriad luminaries such as The Apartments), they comfortably fit the definition of “supergroup”, but aren’t ones to coast off their prior achievements.
Their first record Bark Overtures, was released in 2018 as a means of celebrating the uniqueness and greatness of Australian guitar bands. A la the inspiration of groups such as Skyhooks, Daddy Cool, and an array of other notable acts to contribute to the sound established in the 1970s.
And, as would be expected the album is dotted with commentary on the crises we are faced with in our contemporary existence.
It illuminates the marriage between politics and music, although a disgruntling subject matter for Moginie, bolstered by driving guitar riffs and hard-hitting layers of analogue sound.
In the tail end of 2025, seven years after their initial release the band came out with THUNK, a project designed to critically examine the way in which music is being created today.
Don't miss a beat with our FREE daily newsletter
Audaciously it has only been distributed on record, CD and cassette – a move that Moginie himself describes as low risk for the band, but essential as a means of resistance.
Supported by its entirely tangible release, the group are setting off on an Australia tour that commences on Saturday, February 7th in Coledale, NSW, taking them from Queensland to Tasmania and nearly everywhere in between.
It’s the very action of playing live and releasing tangibly that amplifies the narratorial arch that threads the songs together on THUNK. Ultimately, it’s focussing on the modern injustices and toxicity rife in our society.
Recording and subsequently releasing it entirely through analogue and tangible means affords a true opportunity for the band to break away from the automated system of operation that serves little other than streaming services.
I spoke with Moginie and we mused on many topics that spanned from John Howard’s inadequacy as Prime Minister, 5G radiation, CD players amongst teens, David Bridie’s donkeys at his property all the way to why the band decided to make and share THUNK in the way they have.
“You may as well just stick with the physical because the whole problem that's happened with the business is that the streaming thing in the beginning was like, ‘Oh, wow, great I can put my record up there,’” argues Moginie. “‘It’ll be up there in 20 seconds and then all over the world.’ You know, ‘Wow, dream come true.’
“But I think it's gone and we've realised that the royalties, the people and the payment musicians get are pitiful. Those streaming companies are up to no good because they're encircling the way people consume music.
“Now the thumb screws are going on they’ve started doing AI harvesting, even creating artists that aren't real, to eliminate musicians altogether.”
Moginie, makes a great point, and when you reflect on what he speaks to it’s enough to make you want to boycott the whole machine and just press vinyl.
But, despite his ability to objectively analyse and critically reflect on where music has moved to, he’s aware of the nuances that artists of a different ilk, background and generation face.
“The mechanical, physical way of consuming music rewards the musician more,” outlines Moginie. “I'm not talking about my self-interest, because in our case, the stakes are pretty low. We don't have to, we probably won't shift a million units, but I think for people like us, it doesn't matter.”
“You have to be self-funded or have a job or, you inherit money from your mum, or something. At this point in my career, I think it's important to make a stand about things and just mention to people so they can be reminded of, ‘Look, think about how you're doing this, because there are effects on other people based upon your behaviour.’”
And despite Moginie speaking from a vantage point of privilege, he’s aware of that, and the band’s decision to pursue this route of release is more about honouring their truth and allowing for anyone to find inspiration or empowerment in it.
“It's a flesh and blood band,” he notes. “We play live; we play our own music. We're Australian, we love the Australian guitar bands. We're talking about things that are important to us and we're doing it in a way that's kind of rocky and interesting.
“The music has a breath of life from just being played live, conceived live. And then kind of direct it down to this sort of funnel, where it's still going down to tape.”
There’s also a deep inherent joy, one that connects people in more meaningful ways than the digitisation of things that speaks to Moginie through resorting to analogue.
“You can wrap it up and put it under a Christmas tree,” he exclaims. “Put some ribbon around it, it’s special. I think your attention is your most important commodity, and if you consume an album the way THUNK is constructed, there's a flow to it, there's a song order, and there's a certain journey through it that affords you a whole different way of relating to it.”
Ahead of their upcoming Australian tour Moginie repositions the responsibility back onto the audiences, absorbing them into a decision-maker role about where music moves forwards.
“It's great, people have a choice as to how they want to consume their music and how they can think about the consequences of their actions as well.”
If you’re into dynamic guitar riffs carrying a depth of sound, or you’re merely interested in partaking in a renaissance type expression of music, your best bet is to purchase your copy of THUNK, or grab a ticket to the upcoming tour. Ultimately, there’s a role we all play in this dilemma.
Jim Moginie & The Family Dog – THUNK Album Tour
Saturday, February 7th – Coledale RSL, Coledale, NSW
Thursday, February 12th – The Brightside, Brisbane, QLD
Friday, February 13th – Imperial Hotel, Eumundi, QLD
Saturday, February 14th – Coolangatta Hotel, Coolangatta, QLD
Thursday, February 19th – The Baso, Canberra, ACT
Friday, February 20th – Marrickville Bowlo, Marrickville, NSW
Saturday, February 21st – Avalon RSL, Avalon, NSW
Thursday, March 12th – Theatre Royal, Castlemaine, VIC
Friday, March 13th – Brunswick Ballroom, Melbourne, VIC
Saturday, March 14th – Altar Bar, Hobart, TAS
This piece of content has been assisted by the Australian Government through Music Australia and Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body
