#38 - 8 Ball Aitken
8 Ball Aitken has toured the world performing his blues, soul, swamp-rock and groovy slide-guitar across twenty countries to date. He’s earned a loyal fanbase from his live shows and internet videos, while paying his dues as a singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer. He’s headed to Memphis with Taya Chani and his band in January 2026 to represent the Blues Association of South East Queensland at the International Blues Challenge.
8 Ball moved to Nashville, Tennessee, USA in 2012 and worked for nine years with many of the best in the blues business today. He won second place in the 2021 International New Orleans Cigar Box Guitar Festival.
8 Ball is back with a brand-new collaboration album ‘Nightbird’. He wrote and produced the recording with soul singer Taya Chani at his home studio in the Glass House Mountains. The title-track ‘Nightbird’ immediately hit #1 on the Australian AMRAP Regional Charts in March 2025 for two weeks in a row as did their second single ‘Miss You The Most’ in May. 8 Ball & Taya’s signature harmonies and groovy guitars have proved to be a winning combination and festival favorite.
8 Ball’s previous two self-produced albums ‘ICE CREAM MAN’ & ‘ICE CREAM MAN 2’ both hit #1 on the Australian Blues & Roots Charts. The cast of musicians include 8 Ball’s band plus Grammy winning drummer Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy) and saxophone legend Buddy Leach (George Thorogood & The Destroyers).
8 Ball regularly tours Australia and USA. Tour dates, tickets, videos, merchandise and more are all available from 8ballaitken.com
WHAT THE CRITICS SAY...
“8 Ball Aitken demonstrates that the blues are alive and well Down Under with this deep-in-the-pocket collection of modern blues and blues rock that’s built atop a swamp blues structure.” Chicago Blues Guide
“For a guy from Australia, 8 Ball Aitken really has the Delta in his bones… I wouldn’t be surprised to find Mississippi mud on the soles of his shoes.” - Gonzo Okanagan
“A lovely, enjoyable collection, start to finish, with the inevitable few songs that stand out, and invite you to hit the replay.” Blues In Britain – Graham Munn
“A mixture of balladry, wordplay, and cutting edge guitar, Swamp Blues 2 from 8 Ball Aitken deserves to be in everyone’s collection.” American Blues Scene
"Ice Cream Man is a splendid listen from start to finish. I highly recommend it.” Philly Cheeze’s Rock & Blues Reviews
"I first saw him when he was young, hairy and straight outa Brisbane. Now he’s all growed up and going global. Unstoppable!” Ross Wilson (Daddy Cool, Eagle Rock), Melbourne, Australia
"8 Ball is not an act any band wants to follow! ....even a 5 piece band will have to do some quick and serious note pounding to get 8-ball's vibe off the stage, it just hangs in the air long after he is gone.....he's a freakin solo red headed infector...!" Mitch Lind, owner/promoter of the Riverhawk and Stringbreak Music Festivals, Florida, USA
“This is outstanding. The way it should be done. You have a new fan.” Ray Wylie Hubbard, Texas, USA
#30 - Russell Morris
Russell 'The Real Thing' Morris has arrived at Ramble City showcasing his evolution in music across multiple eras, touching on the origins of some of his highest-selling albums like 'Sharkmouth' and the minds behind his Day of the Dead album 'Jack Chrome and the Darkness Waltz'.
#29 - Ian Moss
Respected as one of Australia’s iconic musicians, Ian Moss (3x time Aria winner & original member / guitarist of Australian super group 'Cold Chisel' drops by to discuss his current live tour and Rivers Run Dry' Deluxe Album Release. Brad explores the history of the term ‘album’ and have a good ol’ ramble about the changing view of full length records in the modern music business.
#27 - Marcia Hines
Australian music legend Marcia Hines stops by Ramble City to discuss starting out her career in Boston USA, moving to Australia, Gospel music, Woodstock, performing in Hair music at 16(!), what she would do starting out in the business today and lots more!
RAMBLE CITY is hosted by award wining Singer/songwriter Bradley McCaw, musing on art & life with artists & sportspeople from around the people. Welcome to RAMBLE CITY.
This interview was originally recorded in late 2021.
Follow Brad everywhere @bradleymccawofficial
Brought to by True Arts Podcast Network
Created, produced, hosted & engineered by Bradley McCaw.
Original sound design by Matt Erskine at Crosspoint Solutions
Original Video designed by Adam Shaw at Axis Productions
Theme composed by James Ryan
Ramble City is BACK!
This an announcement pod! Bradley McCaw is back with another rambling season! After a two year break ‘Ramble City’ is returning to your podcast feed.
#26 - Blake Dantier
Blake Dantier picks his TOP FIVE Australian Drinking Songs inspired by his debut album DRY SEASON. Including songs by Cold Chisel, AC/DC, Slim Dusty & more.
#25 - James Johnston
James Johnston talks parenthood and it inspiring his latest single. Brad invents a game called “ARE YOU CONCERNED?” before discussing the 2022 Tamworth Country Music Festival.
#23 - Adam Harvey
Adam Harvey discuss his TOP FIVE Adam Harvey Songs. After selling half a million records, being nominated five times for an ARIA Music Award and winning eight golden guitars at the Country Music Awards of Australia he faces his toughest test… picking five favourites from his own catalogue and sharing stories from an incredible career.
#20 - The Predators
Conversation with Australian rock band THE PREDATORS on their debut album “EVERYBODY LOVES” is out now. See episode notes for tour dates!
#13 - Mirusia
She's known to millions around the world as the "Angel of Australia" - the name given to her by that famous Dutch violinist, André Rieu. But today, she joins us for a good old Ramble Chat!
Todays guests is the one and only - Mirusia - an Australian born Soprano with Dutch heritage that made her name touring the world with Andre Rieu before a flourishing solo career put her CD’s and DVD’s at number one on the Australian ARIA charts.
We sit down in Brisbane Australia, pre-covid, to discuss her Opera career, performing stadium-size concerts all over the world… we even explore the differences between being Dutch and Australian… in a very silly game I invent called “How do I say this in Dutch” - spoilers I rarely things correctly.
#12 - Andrew Stafford
What do you love about music? What are your favourite records? Have you ever felt like a song has saved your life?
For Andrew Stafford, todays guest… music did just that… and in his words… because those who can’t play music review it, he has carved out a career writing about music instead. Andrew Stafford is a freelance journalist and the author of Pig City, a celebrated musical and political history of Brisbane. He has written for The Age, The Guardian, The Sydney Morning Herald among others.
And In 2019 we sat down in his Brisbane home, surrounded by a pretty incredible record collection to talk about his second book, a beautiful and incredibly moving memoir called SOMETHING TO BELIEVE IN.
#11 - William Barton
How does an one of Australia’s leading performer/composers in the classical world use the didgeridoo, an Indigenous Australian wind instrument, dating back over 1000 years, to navigate a more contemporary musical styles, expanding the horizons of the instrument and the culture it represents.?