Since the release of his 2005 debut "Not Worth Waiting For" (Spunk Records) Ladder's sound had undergone a transformation whilst strong traces of the brooding, lovelorn balladry remain, this new album, "Love is Gone", has a distinct sense of swagger, sanguine and a touch of raunch. How to describe the sound? Imagine Leonard Cohen driving through Detroit singing along to Little Richard on the radio. Now imagine Detroit is a vast beach located somewhere north of Sydney. To capture the kind of raw, "vintage" sound heard on classic records like Bob Dylan's legendary "Highway 61 Revisited", Ladder took a group of gifted musicians, including drummer Laurence Pike (Pivot/Triosk) and bassist Ben Wapples (Triosk), into the studio where the songs were arranged and recorded "live" (with minimal overdubs) straight to tape. It was produced by Burke Reid (drones/mess hall). Jack Ladder has spent 2008 living and performing in New York and Europe. He recently performed on Fox 5's high rating breakfast show "Good Day New York". He was also invited by Will Sheff of Okkervil River to cover the track "Starry Stairs" from the "Stand Ins" LP.