Let’s talk about a record that hits like a fist to the chest. ReeToxA just dropped “Double A Side 2 (Akaroa Erica And The Stars)“, and this thing is a powerhouse. This is the sound of a man dragging himself out of hell and turning it into music.
ReeToxA is the brainchild of Jason Mckee, a Melbourne-based singer-songwriter who has lived through stuff that would break most people. We’re talking jail time, the death of his mother, a miscarriage, a full-on mental health crisis with psychosis and a suicide attempt. That’s the backdrop for these two songs. And somehow, he turned all that darkness into something beautiful. That takes guts. That’s rock and roll.
The EP is a double A-side, meaning you get two main tracks: “Akaroa” and “Erica And The Stars,” plus karaoke versions of both. Let’s dig into the songs.
“Akaroa” came from a vivid dream Jason had while he was in prison back in 2017. He saw two heads floating in space. One was a young girl who looked like a mix of his ex-wife and his late mother. The other was his mum, who said she had to go away. The little girl asked, “Dad, why won’t anyone look after me? I’m in Akaroa.” He woke up to prisoners fighting, but the melody stuck with him. He wrote it down as “ak a row a” because he’d never heard of the place. Years later, on a cruise, his ship got diverted to Akaroa, New Zealand. He stood on the beach, felt a presence, and the whole song came rushing back. He finished it in his cabin that night. That’s some spiritual, eerie, beautiful stuff. You can feel that journey in the music.
Then there’s “Erica And The Stars.” This one was born during a psychotic episode. Jason was hearing voices, having hallucinations, and one day they told him his music was rubbish and he should jump off his 24th-floor balcony. He actually got one leg over the railing. But his dog Lucy started whispering to him, and he pulled back. He saw a 7-inch vinyl of a local band on his shelf—the singer, Erica, seemed to morph out of the cover in a space suit, pointing at the stars. He called emergency services, started writing the song, and the voices went away. He wrote it in a hospital room, hearing a full orchestra in his head. And then he actually got the Budapest Orchestra to play it exactly how he heard it. That’s a miracle. That’s the power of music to save your life.
The production is top-notch. Jason pulled together a ridiculous lineup: Simon Moro producing, mixing, and mastering. James Ryan from Men at Work on guitar. Peter Martin from Jet on drums. Kit Riley, who’s played with Robbie Williams, on bass. Jessica Mcpherson-Riley from The Voice Australia on backup vocals. Terry HarT on piano. And the Budapest Orchestra on “Erica And The Stars.” That’s not a bedroom demo. That’s a full-scale assault on your emotions.
The karaoke versions are a nice touch. It gives fans a chance to step into Jason’s shoes and feel what it’s like to belt out these deeply personal songs. It’s a bold move, but it fits the DIY, resilient spirit of the whole project.
This EP is not about perfection. It’s about survival. It’s about taking the worst moments of your life and turning them into something that connects with people. Jason Mckee has been through the wringer, and he came out swinging. “Double A Side 2 (Akaroa Erica And The Stars)” is a testament to the healing power of art. It’s raw, it’s real, and it’s got a fire that most polished records can’t touch. Turn it up and let it hit you. This is music that matters.