Rob Hurst

I'll play bass and flute.

And there's this guy called James Magini.

I think you should meet him.

He's a guitar player.

So mum in her, in the little Beetle VW that she had, got piled in with drums and I went up to meet Jim on the North Shore and there was this fellow surrounded by guitars and vintage amps.

we just kind of hit it off immediately and actually almost I think on day one started writing songs together which was something which happened right throughout our career and continues to this day you know there was this

I think it was because we bring different things to songwriting, you know, kind of bring singing, melody, lyric and rhythm.

And Jim brings knowledge of a whole variety of instruments, a guitar and then keys, theremin you mentioned before, you know, but also a brilliant lyrical sense and a musicianship.

which none of the other members of the band has.

I always think it's great to have one musician in every band, like a real musician.

It's Jim, yeah.

I think a lot of people know that.

That's not to in any way disparage the contribution by all of the other instrumentalists in the band.

But there's the real music nut.

But there would never have been any midnight oil music at all.

had Jim not been guiding it, not just in the songwriting or the performing, but in the production and arrangement.

I was singing behind the drums.

It was horrendous.

And it was clear that, you know, singing and playing behind the kit wasn't cut out for much longer.

So we held auditions in the science auditorium at Grammar and three people turned up.