Men With Day Jobs’ latest album Musical Differences
Out August 1 on Apple Music and streaming services
Album launch: Gasoline Pony, Marrickville Rd Marrickville, Thurs Aug 7 from 7pm
Also at Humph Hall, Allambie Rd Allambie Heights, Friday Sept 26
A lifetime of work by a veteran Northern Beaches musical partnership has led to perhaps their finest album yet – celebrating their Musical Differences.
Acclaimed songwriter-singer-musicians Rod Crundwell and Stafford Sanders co-founded local group Men With Day Jobs. They’ve sampled a wide range of genres, moods, tempos and lyrical inspirations for the new album, just released.
Rod and Stafford were both born and raised on the Manly to Barrenjoey peninsula and live in the area. They met at Pittwater High School, Mona Vale – where, says Rod, “We realised we shared a passion for two things: music, and Not Paying Attention.” They became well-known at the school for doing both.
Continuing their musical friendship through university, in the late ‘70s their group Winter scored a brief contract with EMI - and they ignored the age-old wisdom “Don’t give up your day jobs”, going on the road full-time. Says Stafford: “We did all the Dumb Things, and crashed and burned for all the usual reasons.”
They released just one single, nautical novelty I Am the Captain – the clip played on Countdown and other pop programs, showing the group in mullets, moustaches and sailor suits! The song was chosen in October 2024 by ABC’s Rage for inclusion in a special of the best songs from 1978 - the clip is on YouTube.
In 1979 the group disbanded and they returned to the Day Jobs. But Rod and Stafford never lost their love of music and creative writing - Rod going on to play with several other bands and backing big names - John Swann, Frankie J Holden, Wilbur Wylde and more; Stafford writing radio and TV satire and acclaimed musicals for stage, radio and schools.
In 2000 they reunited to form Men With Day Jobs – the name a chuckling allusion to their determination not to repeat that old mistake. With collaborators at various points, Paul Fenton, Ken Stephenson and Kim Constable, the group made five albums before joining forces with Sydney duo Dennis Aubrey and Pete Purton to form Baggage & Stuff for a 2021 album. Rod has also produced fine solo albums and played on others’. This further MWDJ offering completes their discography.
Rod and Stafford have written a stream of quality songs – some covered worldwide, like their climate satire Denial Tango - popular on YouTube and performed by acts across Australia, in the US and Canada. More recently they penned Let’s Not Forget for Melbourne Aboriginal group Blackfire. Together or separately, the two have won major awards, published other writings, written and played with topline acts and done countless live gigs at venues and festivals around Sydney and NSW.
Musical Differences - unlike their other albums, almost entirely written and performed by Rod and Stafford - runs the gamut from serious to satirical, bright and breezy to dark and intense.
“The album title”, says Rod, “refers to a phrase often used as a reason for band breakups – but it’s just as often the life-blood of a productive musical collaboration.”
And Stafford adds: “Ours has been going for over fifty years - and despite our own musical differences it doesn’t look like ending anytime soon.”
The album draws on their diverse musical influences – from pop-rock through folk, country, classical, jazz, bluegrass and more.
Says Stafford, “We’re shameless dabblers in the melting pot of popular music.”
Lyrical inspirations range from serious issues of environment and gun crime through to hilarious takes on Australian 007 George Lazenby and ageing boy bands – plus personal whimsies on old records, ghost stories, romantic obsessions, The Band’s musical legacy, loving tributes, and acting from the heart. There’s even an instrumental, with an array of stringed instruments. Long-time collaborators Jim Manzie, Kim Constable, Dennis Aubrey and Pete Purton chip in with some co-writing, singing and playing.
After years living in various other places, both Rod and Stafford have moved solidly back to the peninsula – Rod at Fairlight, Stafford at nearby Balgowlah. “It makes it easier to annoy each other at short notice” says Rod.
Pete and Kim now having firmly joined (or rejoined) the Men, further live and recorded projects are in the pipeline. Their recorded works are available on Apple Music and streaming services - and numerous clips are on You Tube.
MEN WITH DAY JOBS Musical Differences, 2025 cover
MEN WITH DAY JOBS Musical Differences*
SONG MUSICAL DIFFERENCE LYRICAL INFLUENCE
1. SOUL OF A POET Folk-rock Confessions of a whole heart
2. A GOOD OL’ COUNTRY LOVE SONG Country ballad 3+ chords and the truth
3. STRING THEORY All-in finger-pickin’ bluegrass (Instrumental)
4. THE SILENT POOL Baroque ballad Spooky story from Surrey
5. PESTS Hard rock The ultimate feral threat
6. THEM BEATNIKS WAS TOUGH Country-rock Levon recalls Bob & The Band
7. SILVER LADY Pop ballad Reviving our 1977 idolatry
8. THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS Country-folk High calibre crocodile tears
9. ‘BOY’ BAND Vocal pop It’s never too late to wannabe
10. GEORGE LAZENBY Spy swing Here’s to the Oz Bond
11. LOVE AND MEMORY Groove ballad On art and never forgetting**
Personnel
ROD CRUNDWELL: Voices / keyboards / bass / electric guitar / programming / production
STAFFORD SANDERS: Voices / acoustic & electric guitars / mandolin / PR design
and:
DENNIS AUBREY: acoustic guitar (3), voice (9)
KIM CONSTABLE: bass (2), voice (9)
JIM MANZIE: voices (2)
PETE PURTON: 8-string ukulele (3), voice (9)
Writing
All songs written by R.Crundwell/S.Sanders except:
(2) K.Constable/R.Crundwell/J.Manzie/S.Sanders
(6) R.Crundwell/P.Purton/S.Sanders
(8) S.Sanders
(9) D.Aubrey/K.Constable/R.Crundwell/P.Purton/S.Sanders
Production
Produced by Rod Crundwell at Rodwell Studios, 2024-25. Cover design by Stafford Sanders.
* “Musical differences”: often cited as a reason for band breakups, but just as often the life-blood of a creative partnership. Ours began in 1965, and kicks on.