The Transatlantics

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The Transatlantics
OriginAdelaide, Australia
GenresDeep funk, R&B
Years active2007–2018
LabelsFreestyle Records, Mecca Records
WebsiteArchived website

The Transatlantics were a funk and soul band from Adelaide, South Australia, formed in 2007.

Biography[edit]

The band was formed in 2007[1] by Adelaide-born musicians Ross McHenry, Lachlan Ridge, Kevin Van Der Zwaag and singer Tara Lynch, after they met at university.[2] The band came to prominence through gigs with artists such as Eddie Bo, Roy Ayers and Ohmega Watts.[3]

In 2008, some of the band members formed a new band, intended as a side-project to explore a freer style of music, calling themselves the Shaolin Afronauts. Both bands continued to make music in the following years.[4][2]

After garnering a following within Adelaide throughout 2008, the Transatlantics embarked on a national tour in 2009 with soul diva Marva Whitney. The tour was cancelled when Whitney collapsed on stage at a performance at The Falls Festival in Lorne, Victoria.[5][6] Despite this setback, the band continued to tour and were signed to Freestyle Records to release their self-titled, debut album in October 2010.[7]

By this time, the band had grown to eight members. Most of the songs were their own, but the album included a cover of the Presets' "Talk Like That".[1] Reviewers compared the band to the Melbourne deep funk band The Bamboos and American diva Sharon Jones.[7][1]

The four original members still formed the core of the band as of 2011,[8] with their ranks swollen to number ten musicians by 2012, when they recorded their second album.[9] The Transatlantics second album, Find My Way Home, was released in October 2012.[10] The vocals of the now three female vocalists (Tara Lynch having been joined by Naomi Keyte and Laura Knowling) were praised by one reviewer.[11]

The band stopped working together from July 2013, until they returned to performing in January 2017. According to their Facebook page, they performed at the Melbourne Bowling Club in May 2018[12] and at the Grace Emily in Adelaide in December 2018.[13]

Discography[edit]

Albums[edit]

Title Album details
The Transatlantics
  • Released: 11 October 2010[14]
  • Label: Freestyler Records (FSRCD080)
  • Format: CD, DD, LP
Find My Way Home
  • Released: 15 October 2012[15]
  • Label: Mecca Records (MECCD002)
  • Format: CD, DD

Awards and nominations[edit]

National Live Music Awards[edit]

The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) commenced in 2016 to recognise contributions to the live music industry in Australia.

Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
2016 Naomi Keyte South Australian Live Voice of the Year Won [16]
2023 Naomi Keyte Best Folk Act Nominated [17][18]
Naomi Keyte Best Live Voice in SA Nominated

Individuals[edit]

Naomi Keyte[edit]

Before joining the Transatlantics, Keyte was in the indie band Gold Bloom, which performed at Laneway and Fuse Festivals[19] and released an EP, Sidelines, on 22 September 2012.[20][21]

Naomi Keyte released a solo album, Melaleuca, in 2017,[22] a " a 10-track homage to Adelaide’s natural landscape",[23] and was subsequently nominated for three South Australian Music Awards: Best Release, Best Folk, and Best Female Artist.[23] She played at festivals Here's to Now in 2017,[24][25] the Basket Range Festival and WOMADelaide in 2018 and OzAsia in 2019.[26] She released a single called "Travelling Woman" in May 2020.[23]

Tara Lynch[edit]

Original vocalist Tara Lynch married bass player Ross McHenry (leader of Shaolin Afronauts and a jazz trio since 2016), changing her surname to McHenry, and they have at least one child together, born around 2014. As of 2016 she was working for History SA.[27]

Ross McHenry[edit]

Members[edit]

As of 2010, the band members were listed as:[3]

  • Randall (Lachlan?) "Country" Ridge jnr – Guitar
  • Kyra Schwarz – Trombone
  • Kevin van der Zwaag – Drums & Good Vibes
  • Chris Weber – Trumpet
  • Tara Lynch – Vocals
  • Jon "Sugarcane" Hunt – Baritone Saxophone
  • Ross McHenry – Bass
  • Kahil Nayton – Guitar

As of March 2012, the line-up was:[28]

  • Tara Lynch – Vocals
  • Naomi Keyte – Vocals
  • Laura Knowling – Vocals
  • Randall "Country" Ridge jnr – Guitar
  • Kyra Schwarz – Trombone
  • Kevin van der Zwaag – Drums
  • Chris Weber – Trumpet
  • Jon "Sugarcane" Hunt – Baritone Saxophone
  • Ross McHenry – Bass
  • Dylan Marshall – Guitar

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Easton, max (18 August 2010). "The Transatlantics". Soulshine. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  2. ^ a b Hogan-Turner, Rupert (31 August 2011). "RAW: Shaolin Afronauts Interview". Kryztoff RAW. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  3. ^ a b "About us". The Transatlantics. Archived from the original on 25 November 2010.
  4. ^ Parker, Libby (30 March 2015). "Shaolin Afronauts Launch Into Blenheim Fest". The Upside News. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  5. ^ "Marva Whitney". Coda Jazz Fund Wordpress Site. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  6. ^ Jon Caramanica (31 December 2012). "Marva Whitney, Singer in the James Brown Revue, Dies at 68". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  7. ^ a b Knight, David (August 2010). "The Transatlantics". Adelaide Review. Archived from the original on 31 March 2012.
  8. ^ "60 Seconds With The Transatlantics". beat. Archived from the original on 11 January 2014.
  9. ^ "The Transatlantics". triple j Unearthed. 1 January 2010. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  10. ^ "Find My Way Home, by The Transatlantics". The Transatlantics. 15 October 2012. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  11. ^ Hurley, Sally Anne (29 September 2012). "The Transatlantics / Find My Way Home". The Music. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  12. ^ "The Transatlantics - Melbourne Bowling Club, May 2017". Facebook. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  13. ^ "A Soul Christmas". facebook.com. 23 December 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  14. ^ "the Transatlantics (DD)". Apple Music. 11 October 2010. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  15. ^ "Find My Way Home (DD)". Apple Music. 15 October 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  16. ^ "Nominees 2016". NLMA. 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  17. ^ "Nominees Announced For The 2023 National Live Music Awards". The Music. 5 September 2023. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  18. ^ "Genesis Owusu And Amyl & The Sniffers Win Big At The 2023 National Live Music Awards". The Music. 11 October 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  19. ^ Kelton, Sam (23 February 2012). "Escape glitters for Gold Bloom". Adelaide Now. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  20. ^ "Sidelines EP, by Gold Bloom". Gold Bloom. 22 September 2012. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  21. ^ "Gold Bloom". triple j Unearthed. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  22. ^ Almeida, Gavin de (28 March 2017). "Naomi Keyte launches Melaleuca at Uraidla Institute this Sunday". Glam Adelaide. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  23. ^ a b c "Naomi Keyte and the power of staying put". CityMag. 7 May 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  24. ^ Marsh, Walter (5 January 2018). "Review: Here's To Now 2017". The Adelaide Review. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  25. ^ Martin, Jaimie (27 December 2017). "5th Annual Here's To Now Festival At Coriole Lands This Week". Glam Adelaide. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  26. ^ "About". Naomi Keyte. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  27. ^ Spain, Katie (3 June 2016). "Creative Couples: Ross and Tara McHenry". Broadsheet. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  28. ^ "About us". The Transatlantics. Archived from the original on 31 March 2012.