Nick Barker And The Reptiles return with Follow You Around, a new release that reconnects the band with its pub rock roots while opening a fresh chapter via Golden Robot Records.
by Paul Cashmere
Nick Barker And The Reptiles have always understood exactly who they are. From their earliest days grinding it out in small, sticky-carpeted rooms to their reputation as one of the most reliable live draws of their era, the band’s identity has been forged on stages rather than in studios. That lineage continues with Follow You Around, a new single that looks back to the group’s formative years while arriving with a sense of hard-earned perspective.
Follow You Around is the second single lifted from a forthcoming EP and carries the DNA of the band’s original run between 1988 and 1992. Those were years defined by relentless touring, hundreds of gigs and an almost obsessive commitment to the Australian pub circuit. The new track nods directly to that period, not as an exercise in nostalgia, but as a reminder of the musical instincts that shaped Nick Barker as a songwriter and bandleader.
Barker has never been shy about drawing influence from great voices and timeless songcraft. In reflecting on Follow You Around, he explains that the song began life as a writing exercise for someone else, with a brief that initially pointed in one direction before taking a more personal turn. The result is a slow-burning piece that leans into restraint, patience and feel, qualities that only come with experience. It is a song confident enough to take its time, trusting the band to hold the space without rushing the payoff.
That sense of control is something Nick Barker And The Reptiles earned the hard way. Formed in 1988, the group quickly became synonymous with hard work. From late-night pub sets to marathon weekends on the road, they built their reputation one show at a time. Over the course of their National Pub Tour, the band is estimated to have played more than 200 shows, frequently performing five nights a week and, on occasion, multiple gigs in a single day. It was an approach that prioritised connection with audiences and forged a bond that still resonates decades later.
Recording success followed. In 1989, the band reached a wider audience with their cover of Cockney Rebel’s Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me), which cracked the ARIA Singles Chart top 30 and introduced Nick Barker And The Reptiles to listeners beyond the pub circuit. That momentum carried through to their debut album Goin’ To Pieces later that year, a record that captured the grit and camaraderie of a band in constant motion.
Their second album, After The Show, released in 1991, took the group further afield.
Recorded in Memphis, Tennessee, the album reflected a band broadening its sonic palette while staying true to its core values. The Loose EP followed in 1992, rounding out a catalogue that mirrored the intensity and honesty of their live performances.
Despite chart success and critical recognition, Nick Barker And The Reptiles remained, at heart, a live band. Stories from the road became part of their mythology, including their invention of a now-infamous card game and a crew cocktail of vodka and Staminade that achieved near-legendary status. These details, while often retold with a grin, speak to a culture built around shared experience and survival on the road.
In 1993, Barker made the decision to disband the group, closing a significant chapter in Australian rock history. The years that followed only cemented the band’s standing as champions of an era when pubs were the lifeblood of the local music scene and bands earned their stripes the old-fashioned way.
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