It all began in 2016 when, after 50 years, on and off, as a professional musician, singer Tony Cini finally decided it was time to cut an album of original blues-based songs. Heading into the studio with the three-piece Chase The Sun, led by singer and guitarist Jan Rynsaardt, with some additional organ work courtesy Lachy Doley, the result was a powerful ten-song rock-blues album. Since it was as much a band as a solo record, rather than put it out under his own name, Cini decided to release it as The Arc Riders on his own Bad Penny Records. Alongside six songs Cini had cowritten, he included four classic blues-rock covers – two from the legendary Peter Green, who founded the original Fleetwood Mac back in 1967, Frankie Miller’s Jealousy and, his all-time hero, the late great Irish guitarist Rory Gallagher’s Moonchild. The Arc Riders CD topped the Australian Blues n Roots Charts and stayed in that charts for six weeks. 

Cini’s own musical journey took off in earnest in 1973 when he was invited to join a band of young Sydney rockers who eventually became Geeza. After a 20-year hiatus – like John Lennon said, “Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans” – he joined what turned to be the hardest-working band on the Sydney circuit for a good 25 years, The Ginhouse Blues Band.

In order to tour The Arc Riders album, Cini put together a top-notch combo featuring guitarist Ewen Lund, keyboards player Mikki Dunn, bass player Christian Young and drummer Tony Boyd.

Influenced by blues greats Albert King and Roy Buchanan, guitarist Ewen Lund has only been playing for some five years but has already worked with, among others the Mitch Anderson and Harry Brus bands.

Bass player Christian Young completed a Bachelor of Jazz Performance at The Sydney Conservatorium in 2004 and hasn’t looked back, performing extensively overseas with corporate bands and orchestras. 

Still only 23, The Arc Riders is keyboards player Mikki Dunne’s first professional outfit and cites ‘70s American keyboards wizard Edgar Winter as his main influence.

Drummer Tony Boyd has been a part of Sydney’s blues scene since moving to the Big Smoke in the late ‘80s, and has recorded with The Kate Lush Band, Christina Crofts and veteran guitarist Mal Eastick, with whom he recorded in the legendary Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee.

So, will you please welcome back The Arc Riders:

Tony Cini – vocals

Ewen Lund – guitars

Mikki Dunne – keyboards/piano

Christian Young – bass

Tony Boyd – drums

The Arc Riders, The Arc Riders

Out now on Bad Penny Records