MELBOURNE SKA ORCHESTRA RELEASE NEW ALBUM ‘THE BALLAD OF MONTE LOCO’ OUT TODAY – TOURING AUSTRALIA FROM AUGUST 1
Melbourne’s most explosive musical export is back. Today, the ARIA Award-winning Melbourne Ska Orchestra release their latest record The Ballad Of Monte Loco, a 13-track journey through revolution, rhythm and a wild Spaghetti Western dreamworld.
With the dust still settling from recent singles Walls of Jericho, John Wayne and the electrifying Bom Bom Bom, this brand new full-length album sees the beloved 20-piece orchestra dial everything up — the horns, the drama, the storytelling and the soul.
Opening with the clang of a distant church bell and ending in a whispered moment of reflection, The Ballad Of Monte Loco is anything but a typical ska record. There are heavy dub textures, sweeping brass arrangements, protest lyrics and moments of pure joy. Think Ennio Morricone in a sound clash with Lee Scratch Perry, with a full horn section and a dancefloor at the ready.
“This record takes a wider lens on our musical journey—dipping into cinematic reggae, big-band storytelling, and soulful protest vibes. Expect a melting pot of deep grooves, lush horn lines, and a global soundscape that keeps one foot on the dancefloor and the other in the clouds.” Says the band.
Tracks like No Doubt About It and Read Between The Lines show the band’s love for slow-burning dub and layered grooves, while When Bootsy Came To Town and Spring In My Step bring the funk and uplift that have become signatures of the MSO live show. There’s even a Spanish-language protest track, No Me Mientas, that swings between salsa percussion and driving ska with cinematic intensity.
“We wanted to capture some of the cinematic energy of Sergio Leone classics like The Fistful Trilogy and merge it with some of the wilder, more surreal visions of the West,” shares Bomba. “We love the craziness of films by Alejandro Jodorowsky, so we hoped to bottle a bit of that energy as well. We figured a good tribute to these cinematic ideas would be a trailer to our fictional Western film The Ballad Of Monte Loco. We worked with long-time collaborator and friend Clayton Jacobson—he’s got the eye for mixing real grit with cinematic magic. He’s done some of our most popular music videos and he just gets it.”
Recorded and produced by Nicky Bomba with MSO’s in-house crew, and with sound design by multi-ARIA winner Wally Maloney, The Ballad Of Monte Loco is a sonic leap forward for the group. It’s still unmistakably Melbourne Ska Orchestra, but with a deeper, dustier and more cinematic scope.
To celebrate the release, Melbourne Ska Orchestra are hitting the road for a massive world tour, with shows locked in across Australia, Japan and Canada from July through October. The Australian run kicks off on August 1 at Liberty Hall in Sydney and wraps with a triumphant hometown show at 170 Russell in Melbourne on October 3. Full tour dates below.
“This album was born in a time of uncertainty, but also one of reflection and fire,” says Bomba of the upcoming album. “The Ballad of Monte Loco is our imagined Western world, where rhythm is resistance, and people rise together through music. It touches on revolution, false prophets, joy as rebellion, and the power of truth when it’s sung loud. We wanted it to feel like both a warning and a celebration.”
Since their debut in 2013, Melbourne Ska Orchestra have earned a place as one of Australia’s most original and powerful musical collectives. From ARIA wins to international tours and sold-out hometown runs, their fusion of ska, reggae, funk and big band energy has captured fans around the globe.
And now, with The Ballad Of Monte Loco, the band invites listeners into something bigger than just a record. It’s a fever dream with a beat. A protest party with a saloon soundtrack. A reminder that unity, rhythm and rebellion all belong on the same stage.
Stream: The Ballad Of Monte Loco
For tickets, merch and more: www.melbourneskaorchestra.com
MELBOURNE SKA ORCHESTRA – THE BALLAD OF MONTE LOCO AUSTRALIAN TOUR
Tickets: www.melbourneskaorchestra.com
FRI 01 AUG | LIBERTY HALL, SYDNEY
Tickets: www.moshtix.com.au | 1300 GET TIX
SAT 02 AUG | UC HUB, CANBERRA
Tickets: www.moshtix.com.au
SAT 09 AUG | TANKS ARTS CENTRE, CAIRNS
Tickets: www.ticketlink.com.au
FRI 29 AUG | THE WOOL EXCHANGE, GEELONG
Tickets: www.oztix.com.au
SAT 30 AUG | THEATRE ROYAL, CASTLEMAINE
Tickets: www.oztix.com.au
FRI 05 SEP | ALTAR BAR, HOBART
Tickets: www.moshtix.com.au
FRI 12 SEP | THE GOV, ADELAIDE
Tickets: www.oztix.com.au
SAT 13 SEP | PORT BEACH BREWERY, FREMANTLE
Tickets: www.oztix.com.au
FRI 19 SEP | THE TRIFFID, BRISBANE
Tickets: www.moshtix.com.au
SAT 20 SEP | MIAMI MARKETTA, GOLD COAST
Tickets: www.oztix.com.au
FRI 03 OCT | 170 RUSSELL, MELBOURNE
Tickets: www.moshtix.com.au