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After the 2009 Jagermeister AIR Awards (now called the Jagermeister Independent Music Awards) the staff of AIR were looking back over interview footage from the night. The big winners were The Drones, taking out Best Artist and Best Album for Havilah so we paid particular attention to the words of their drummer Mike Noga.

Mike spoke with humility and passion. His pride was evident but he really warmed the cockles of our hearts when he spoke on stage about how great it was to share the winners list with people like The Nation Blue (surprise winners of the Independent Hard Rock/Punk Award that year) and later on, how they'd always known they were doing things "right" but this sort of helped to vindicate that knowledge. He was honest and humble and we loved him for it...

Noga plays the drums for The Drones like no-one else can. It's his drums that control the drastic ebb and flow of each song, they accelerate and build before slowing down the point of stalling. Every drummer who's ever had a lesson knows that it's their job to sound like a metronome, you should be consistent, solid, in control and dependable... instead Noga shows a wilful recklessness with time. It's so natural but so unusual. There's an exhilarating confidence there, he's playing by his own rules.

M'Belle by Mike Noga

This combination of confidence and humility is what defines Mike Noga as a solo perfomer. He's a man who's quite happy to let his songs speak for themselves, take 'em or leave 'em.

The old world title of his new album "The Balladeer Hunter" speaks of a performer who revels in the art and craft of songwriting. As he spins each yarn, the space, time and emotion within each performance is genuinely lovely, and while there's more than a hint of "Australiana" with a fiddle, accoustic guitar and harmonica as accompaniment, the instrumentation is always at the service of his storytelling.  The Balladeer Hunter is damned good Australian folk rock music from an artist who has a whole lot more to give to us in the future... self assured and humble.