Psych/Doom/Stoner Rockers JACK HARLON & THE DEAD CROWS sign deal with Magnetic Eye Records

Photo by Dylon Parr

Australian psychedelic stoner doom outfit JACK HARLON & THE DEAD CROWS have signed a multi-album deal with Magnetic Eye Records. The exceptional and unique four-piece from Melbourne, Victoria will release their upcoming fourth full-length via the label early next year.

JACK HARLON & THE DEAD CROWS comment: "We are beyond excited to be jumping on board with Magnetic Eye Records", vocalist and guitarist Tim Coutts-Smith enthuses on behalf of the band. "I discovered the label after buying the 'Electric Ladyland Redux' over a decade ago. and was blown away by how well all the featured bands interpreted Hendrix' sound. I began collecting more of their Redux albums, and never in a million years did I think that our band would ever be featured on one of those tribute compilations, let alone end up signing to the label that releases these beauties! Unreal!"

Jadd Shickler adds: "Jack Harlon's first album 'Hymns' caught my attention immediately for its unique blend of fuzzed-out stoner rock and pummeling doom with this twanging Morricone-esque swerve into old western scores," the Magnetic Eye director explains. "I cannot say, if their music really is the soundtrack of the Australian outback or if I've just made this up in my head because of where they're from. But either way, there's an exotic quality to how they approach massive riffs and dreamy psych, which to me sounds like a blend of Afghan Whigs and Monster Magnet with Church of Misery and Nick Cave. I've already had the pleasure to work with them on a couple of one-off projects, so welcoming them fully onto the Magnetic Eye roster alongside their regular tour-mates Greenleaf is something I've been anxiously pursuing for some time. I can hardly wait to share and elevate their music to every nook and cranny of our beloved scene!"

Quite often, music is thought to be influenced by the terroir from which it originates, much like wine. According to this theory, Norwegian black metal has been shaped by deep dark fjords and frostbitten winters, while desert rock just had to be developed in the Mojave or another arid place. What to make, then, of a band hailing from Melbourne, Victoria at the south-eastern tip of Australia?

Ruling out Tasmania, Antarctica, and the Outback as too far away to constitute a direct influence, it is not easy to fit the unique sound of JACK HARLON & THE DEAD CROWS into this premise. Well, for the sake of a narrative, their eclectic style that explores a wide range of genres and incorporates elements of blues, stoner rock, lo-fi fuzz, spaghetti western scores, and doom metal could be interpreted as a reflection of the city's high level of diversity with many of its inhabitants originating from elsewhere on the globe.

Leaving speculation aside, it is an established fact that JACK HARLON & THE DEAD CROWS started out as a side project by singer Tim Coutts-Smith around the year 2015. Over time, the band developed into a full-fledged performing act.

Since day one, Coutts-Smith centered his lyrics and themes around a fictional western outlaw named Jack Harlon. He would often begin writing about real people and events, before turning them into characters and stories in a science fiction themed western landscape.

JACK HARLON & THE DEAD CROWS are known for their 'DIY' approach as they have produced most of their albums and visual art internally. As a live act, the band has mostly toured and performed in Australia including sharing stages with international acts such as GREENLEAF, SASQUATCH, WO FAT, and WHORES.

So far, JACK HARLON & THE DEAD CROWS have released a self-titled debut EP in 2016, followed by three critically acclaimed albums and continuously growing recognition within the heavy underground: "Hymns" (2018), "The Magnetic Ridge" (2021), and "Hail to the Underground: Interpretations" (2023). The band also appeared on Magnetic Eye Records' "Superunknown Redux" tribute to Soundgarden with their fuzzed-out, hallucinatory rendition of deep cut 'Kickstand'.

JACK HARLON & THE DEAD CROWS are currently preparing to release their new fourth album via Magnetic Eye Records in early 2026.

Band: Jack Harlon & The Dead Crows
Label: Magnetic Eye Records
Style: Psychedelic Stoner Doom

Line-up

Tim Coutts-Smith – vocals, guitar
Jordan Richardson – guitar
Brayden Becher – drums
Liam Barry – bass

Live

18 OCT 2025 Melbourne (AU) Stay Gold
15 NOV 2025 Melbourne (AU) The Evelyn
06 DEC 2025 Melbourne (AU) Cactus Room

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

 

 Thanks to Magnetic Eye Records for all of the details.