Ian Moss and Charley Drayton have revealed they are forming a new band, but exactly what they are planning remains under wraps as they search for a bass player, keyboard player and lead singer.
by Paul Cashmere
THIS WAS CLEARLY A JOKE. Ian and Charley are honoured that you want to be in their band but please don’t send them any more applications :)
Ian Moss and Charley Drayton have dropped a cryptic announcement about a new band, revealing they are already putting a lineup together while giving away almost nothing about what the project will become. The two musicians say they need a bass player, keyboard player and lead singer, with the only other clue being that their current “hostage” is Nashville.
Moss posted the announcement on his social media, describing the project simply as “Drummer & guitarist forming new band” before listing the three positions still required.
The advertisement comes with a distinctly Moss and Drayton sense of humour.
“Experience preferred. Patience & the ability to find good coffee & to recognise humour essential,” the notice says, followed by “Enquire within…. and the hostage is #Nashville.”
There is no band name, no announced repertoire, no recording information and no indication yet of whether this is intended as a recording project, a live band, a touring outfit or something else entirely.
That makes the announcement an intriguing opening rather than a finished reveal.
Moss is the founding guitarist of Cold Chisel and one of the most recognisable guitarists and singers to emerge from Australian rock. His voice became a defining part of the Cold Chisel catalogue on songs including “My Baby”, “When The War Is Over”, “Saturday Night” and “Bow River”, while his 1989 solo album Matchbook established a major solo career of its own.
The album reached number one in Australia and produced “Tucker’s Daughter”, while Moss went on to win five ARIA Awards in 1990.
Drayton brings an entirely different but equally substantial musical history to the proposed band.
The American drummer and bassist has worked across rock, soul, pop and roots music with an extraordinary range of artists. His credits include Keith Richards, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Johnny Cash, Paul Simon, Iggy Pop and The Cult, as well as Australian acts including Divinyls.
But there is one particularly important connection between Moss and Drayton.
They have already been bandmates in Cold Chisel.
Drayton joined Cold Chisel in 2011 following the death of original drummer Steve Prestwich. He completed the recording of No Plans and toured with the group during the album’s 2012 campaign. Noise11’s review of the Melbourne show at Festival Hall that year noted Drayton taking the drum seat previously occupied by Prestwich.
That connection means this new project is not simply a meeting between two high-profile musicians who happen to be available at the same time. Moss and Drayton already have a shared musical history, having performed together in one of Australia’s most important rock bands.
Drayton’s career also extends well beyond Cold Chisel. He was part of Keith Richards’ X-Pensive Winos during the late 1980s and early 1990s, contributing to Talk Is Cheap and Main Offender. He also played with Divinyls, including during the band’s later activity with his late wife, Chrissy Amphlett.
For Moss, the new project comes after another busy period. In 2026 he has been performing as part of his solo work and alongside Troy Cassar-Daley, with their Together Alone partnership continuing into 2027.
The Nashville clue adds another layer. Both musicians have longstanding connections to American music, but the announcement does not explain whether Nashville is the location of rehearsals, recording, a temporary base or simply where the two musicians currently happen to be.
And that is where the story currently stops.
Moss and Drayton have told us they are forming a band. They have told us which three musicians they still need. They have told us that Nashville is involved.
Everything else is still to be revealed.
For now, the most interesting question is what happens when these two Cold Chisel alumni start filling those empty positions. The answer may be a new touring band, a recording project or something neither musician has publicly explained yet.
Noise11 will continue this story, if or when, Moss and Drayton reveal what they are actually putting together.
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