Strange Tenants, who became known as the Godfathers of Australian ska, were founded in late 1981 in Melbourne, Victoria by brothers Bruce and Ian Hearn.

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Raised with working class values and left wing politics, the Hearns were committed to making music with meaning. They began performing folk and protest songs at demonstrations, May Day events and Young Socialist League gatherings in their early teens. Bruce went on to form blues-oriented bands; Ian experimented with new wave, punk and reggae before being captivated by the sound and the meaning of 2Tone ska. He convinced Bruce that ska was the means to express their politics and passions.

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Strange Tenants’ first line-up included: Bruce on lead vocals, harmonica and trumpet; Ian on lead vocals, rhythm guitar and keyboard; John Holmes on lead guitar; Norman McCourt on bass; Dave Lennon on drums, and; Graham Sullivan on saxophone. The Tenants played their first gig at the Lygon Street Festa in Carlton on November 7, 1981. Shortly afterwards, Chris Rogers took over on bass and Jeff Denny on drums, cementing the line-up. Within weeks, the Tenants had a long-term residency at the Aberdeen Hotel in Fitzroy North. This was thanks to promoter Carole Baxter who became their first, and only, manager for the next year or so. Soon the Tenants were playing several times a week, up to two and three times some nights, at venues around Melbourne. They quickly became known for their passionate live shows, and the authenticity and quality of their music.

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The Tenants generated a new scene and lifestyle in inner-city Melbourne[i]  which snowballed into a nation-wide following of fans who became known as the Tenants’ Army[ii]. The skins, rudes and mods were soon joined by lovers of alternative music. Hundreds of them took to stages to skank along to songs, cementing a bond between band and fans. And many travelled between cities and states for gigs, creating a family of fans that endures to this day. As happened in the UK, however,  2Tone’s message of unity was disregarded by some in the Australian ska scene. At some gigs, the Tenants were confronted by unwelcome thugs and racists. They didn’t let violence hijack their principles or their shows – Bruce was renowned for interrupting gigs to call out troublemakers and Ian for leaping off stage to deal with them personally. As well as building a fan base, the Tenants wanted to create a ska community. So, healthy rivalry notwithstanding, they assisted other emerging ska bands with support gigs, advice and encouragement.

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From the first, the Tenants’ songbook was packed with originals, as Ian was a prolific songwriter. The original tunes and Ian’s constant experimentation, coupled with Jeff’s powerful drumming, gave the Tenants a distinctive sound. They melded ska with reggae, afro, funk, soul, soca, juju and rock to create vignettes of Australia and Australians that are delivered in a unique, powerhouse style. The Tenants are the most political of Australia’s ska bands and their catalogue includes songs against poverty, racism, oppression and war, in the 2Tone tradition. Hard Times perfectly captured the anger and desperation felt by many young people cast adrift during an economic recession while Soldier Boy was a tub thumping, floor stomping, anti-war anthem. The Tenants displayed their diversity with bittersweet odes like Grey Skies (Over Collingwood), love songs such as She Asked Me and good time dance tunes like fan favourite One Thirty.

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Strange Tenants released their first record, a self-titled EP, in 1982. The record had good airplay on community radio around the country which led to a spot on a popular national television show, supports for local acts like INXS and Midnight Oil, and interstate tours. Their first, the BlueBeat Bus Tour, was a handful of dates around Sydney. No Nonsense, another Melbourne ska outfit, joined them as support and about 35 fans rode along in the tour bus. During the next five years, the Tenants played hundreds of gigs at packed venues in cities and towns around Australia. During the ‘summer of ska’ in 1985-86, playing as the BlueBeat Allstars, they performed 62 ska-only gigs over 78 days, up and down the east coast. Over the years, Strange Tenants also performed at benefits for the likes of Rock Against Racism and Friends of the Earth, and at free gigs for unionists on building sites. And they supported big international acts including UB40, U2 and The Style Council.

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​The seminal 1985 album, We Are Stronger, earned critical praise for its empathetic politics, strongly crafted songs and embrace of African music. “No-one else in Australia makes music like this,” said respected music writer, Jon Casimir. “Indeed, very few bands worldwide have succeeded with such an idea.”[iii] Yet the Tenants were never supported by mainstream record labels or radio stations. Instead, they became fiercely independent. They released a total of four singles, three EPs and two full albums on their own self-funded BlueBeat label and self-financed all their tours. They relied on airplay from community radio, favourable reviews from a handful of music critics, and the loyalty of their fans. Independence delivered artistic freedom and integrity. The Tenants never sold out for money or fame. But independence also came at a cost. Self-funded recording and production meant that quality was sometimes compromised, and near-constant, low-budget touring around a country as vast as Australia was exhausting. When they finally had an offer to work with a well-established and like-minded manager – Gary Morris of Midnight Oil fame – they were too burnt out to take full advantage of the opportunity. In late 1986, Strange Tenants stopped playing regularly but never broke up.

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Since then, Strange Tenants have performed and recorded intermittently, along the way welcoming front of house sound engineer, Ian Cail, and second-generation Tenants in Bruce’s son, Alex, and John’s son, Dan. In 2013, Strange Tenants joined The Caribs, who helped shape early ska in Jamaica[iv], and Ska Vendors, purveyors of traditional ska and rocksteady, for a ‘Celebration of Melbourne ska’. The following year, the Tenants realised a long-held dream of a tour of the UK which included a gig as support to Jamaican ska and reggae superstar Jimmy Cliff. They twice supported UK ska legends, The Selecter, during tours of Australia. In 2016, they delighted the still-loyal Tenants’ Army with gigs in four states of Australia for the BlueBeat Allstars 30th Reunion Tour. The following year, sadly, both Jeff and Norman passed away; each of them warmly remembered by bandmates and the broader music community.

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​​Since 1986, Strange Tenants have issued twelve recordings. Notable among these was the 2013 single Who Mines The Riches, the video for which won several Australian and international awards, and the 2018 Militant Style album, which was produced by the Grammy Award-winning Roger Lomas. Strange Tenants celebrated their 40th anniversary with a three-date tour in 2021. Since then, they’ve played once or twice a year, including a pre-Christmas show at The Curtin Hotel in Melbourne, always pulling a full house.

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​Strange Tenants are acknowledged as original and authentic musicians, passionate about their politics, and pioneers in the Australian ska scene. The band’s story has been told in the 2018 book Strange Tenants: Godfathers of Australian Ska[v] and the 2019 documentary Strange Tenants: Ska’d For Life[vi].