Rogue Traders

Taking their name from the 1998 psychological drama Rogue Trader, which featured Ewan McGregor, the electro-rock group Rogue Traders came together in the early 2000s with longtime friends and collaborators James Ash and Steve Davis. Both accomplished musicians met in 1989 while DJing in London, and they achieved their biggest successes under the dance moniker Union State. Upon the group's relocation to Melbourne in 1992, "Out to Get You" and "Retrosexual" became international hits for Union State. A decade later, Ash and Davis' decision to reinvent themselves led to the formation of Rogue Traders. The dance-tastic new project made its debut in 2003 with We Know What You're Up To, and first single "Need You to Show Me" peaked at number 16 on the ARIA Top 40 Club Chart. Second single "Give In to Me" wasn't nearly as successful, but Rogue Traders earned their biggest props with their cover remix of INXS' "Need You Tonight." Retitled "One of My Kind," the song charted at number ten in Australia and became a club hit across the U.K. Ash and Davis also went on to win an ARIA Award for Best Dance Single for "One of My Kind" before 2003 came to a close. Aussie soap starlet Natalie Bassingthwaighte joined Rogue Traders' ranks in 2005. Best known for her portrayal of Isabelle "Izzy" Hoyland on the long-running Australian soap opera Neighbours, the same drama that brought fame to Kylie Minogue and Natalie Imbruglia, Bassingthwaighte initially met Ash and Davis in winter 2004 when she auditioned for the group and her foxy, vampy performance was more than enough to make her frontwoman. Around this time, Davis went behind the scenes to focus on Rogue Traders' songwriting. Tim Henwood (guitar) and Cam McGlinchey (drums) climbed on board, completing the lineup with Bassingthwaighte on vocals and Ash on keyboards. The new group returned with a sophomore effort entitled Here Come the Drums in 2005, and first single "Voodoo Child" became an international club smash. With its dual guitar and drums attack and Bassingthwaighte's sultry vocals on top of samples from Elvis Costello's "Pump It Up," "Voodoo Child" earned a number four spot on the Australian singles chart. Rogue Traders also earned three ARIA nominations for "Voodoo Child": Best Dance Release, Best Video, and Engineer of the Year. By December, Here Come the Drums went platinum down under and the Rogue Traders landed an opening slot on Kelly Clarkson's Breakaway Tour. Here Come the Drums found its way to the U.K. in July 2006. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide