A singular character in Australian music Jack Ladder is sentimental and mournful, sardonic and surreal. He brings that towering and tender baritone to bear on tales of beauty, love, hope and redemption. A master of musical narrative, he conjures lyrics that celebrate the absurdity and sincerity of the human condition in songs that groove in subtle ways.

In the years since his debut, Ladder’s musical journey has been notable for some sharp stylistic turns, but has always been connected by a singular song writing talent. Arriving with the predominately acoustic ‘Not Worth Waiting For’ in 2005, he jumped to the taut ‘cut-price soul’ of 2008’s ‘Love Is Gone’. 2011’s ‘HURTSVILLE’ was a left turn into an atmospheric world of desolation and unease, described by The Age as “a terrifying wasp-factory novella of disgust”. Polarising upon release, ‘HURTSVILLE’ has over time developed a cult following.

2014’s ‘Playmates’ managed to seamlessly blend a dizzying range of sounds, from stark synth-pop, to country and industrial, while it’s lyrical themes spanned love’s redemptive power to the millstone of notoriety. The self-produced ‘Blue Poles’, released in May 2018 proved to be the perfect culmination of Ladder’s musical trajectory so far, receiving critical acclaim both in Australia and overseas.

In 2021, Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders, reunited by global lockdowns, performed sold out shows in Sydney & Melbourne to celebrate the 10 year anniversary & expanded reissue of ‘HURTSVILLE’ through new label Endless Recordings. Now comes ‘Hijack!’ the 6th album from Jack Ladder, featuring new single ‘Astronaut’. The release heralds a new age with the introduction of string arrangements by US based Australian composer Sam Lipman and a focus on cinematic songwriting.

Jack Ladder introduces songs from the album Hijack on And This One's Introduced By...  on Planet X on community radio 3CR.

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