Even | |
---|---|
Origin | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
Genres | Indie rock, rock |
Years active | 1994 | –present
Labels | Rubber/Shock, BMG, El Reno |
Members |
|
Website | even |
Even are an Australian indie rock three-piece fronted by singer-songwriter-guitarist, Ashley Naylor with Matthew Cotter on drums and Wally Kempton (also known as Wally Meanie) on bass guitar and backing vocals. They formed in March 1994 and played regularly around the live music scene and toured both nationally and internationally. They have released eight studio albums, Less Is More (1996), Come Again (1998), A Different High (2001), Free Kicks (2004), Even (2007), In Another Time (2011), Satin Returns (2018), and Reverse Light Years (2021).
Future members of Even, Matthew Cotter on drums and Ashley Naylor on lead vocals and lead guitar, played music together at a high school in Melbourne. [1] They formed an indie band, The Swarm, with Francis Leach on vocals and David Rowland on bass guitar. [2] [3] [4] The Swarm issued three independent singles between November 1988 and April 1991 before disbanding. [2] In March 1994 Cotter and Naylor were joined by Roderick "Wally" Kempton (also a member of The Meanies, as Wally Meanie) on bass guitar to form an indie guitar pop group, Even. [2] [5] Even played their first gig in March 1994 at the Empress of India Hotel in Fitzroy. [5] Ten years later Naylor told Michael Dwyer of The Age that "It was very exciting, because we did a soundcheck and people were applauding us... We were bristling to play, absolutely bursting with energy. Flaming youth, Kiss would have called it." [5]
Even signed to an independent label, Rubber Records. [2] [6] In May 1995 Even issued a six-track extended play, In Stereo, distributed by Shock Records. [1] [2] [7] It was produced by Andy Baldwin, Andy O'Beirne, Lindsay Gravina and Bruce Mowson. National youth radio station, Triple J, added the track, "24 Hour Cynic", to high rotation. [2] In late 1996 they provided a live-in-the-studio version of "24 Hour Cynic" for a various artists' compilation, Triple J – Live. [8] Even followed in November 1995 with a five-track EP, Ten to Forty-Six, which included the lead track, "Stupid Dream". [1] [2] [9]
Even released their debut studio album, Less Is More on 10 June 1996 via Rubber Records/Shock Records. [2] It was co-produced by Even with Greg Wales (Drop City) and mixed by Wales with Nick Launay. [10] Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, felt it was "brimming with exceptional tunes ('Karmic Flop', 'Stop and Go Man', 'Dear Morris', 'She Told Me So' and 'Eternal Teen' to name but a handful), a timeless feel and pop hooks by the truckload." [2] He declared that the group had released "one of the best Australian debut albums of 1996." [2] Less Is More provided three singles, "Don't Wait" (June), "Stop and Go Man" (September) and "Peaches and Cream" (February 1997). [2] After supporting international acts, The Presidents of the United States, The Posies, Ash and Everclear, in Australia; Even toured the United States and then Europe from March 1997. [2] At the ARIA Music Awards of 1997 in September Less Is More was nominated for Best Independent Release. [11]
In November 1997 they issued a third EP, One Side Not, with four tracks. [2] [12] It was recorded at Seed Studios by Wales with Tim Johnston. [13] The group issued their second studio album, Come Again, on 28 September 1998, which was produced by Tony Lash (The Dandy Warhols, Eric Matthews). McFarlane felt it "fulfilled the promise of the debut with its full quota of bright guitar melodies and top-flight songs." [2] AllMusic's James Damas described it as "one of the most overlooked and consistent rock & roll albums of the late '90s." [14] Tim Rogers of fellow Australian group, You Am I, quipped that it was his "favourite Beatles album". [1] [5] It provided three singles, "No Surprises" (August 1998), "Black Umbrella" (November) and "Sunshine Comes" (September 1999). [2]
From early 1999 Naylor collaborated with alternative country artist, Sherry Rich, to form a folk pop duo, The Grapes. [1] They issued a self-titled album in October which McFarlane observed was "full of rich sixties melodies, catchy guitar hooks, perfect harmonies, jangling guitars and country influences." [2] Even's third studio album, A Different High, was issued on 14 May 2001, which peaked at No. 48 on the ARIA Albums Chart, [15] and reached No. 10 on the ARIA Alternative Albums Chart. [16] Guesting on the album were Renée Geyer on vocals, Graham Lee (ex-The Triffids) on pedal steel guitar and Bruce Haymes (of Paul Kelly Band) on organ, piano and Wurlitzer. [1] [17]
Damas opined that for A Different High, "the scales begin to tip more heavily toward the more bloated side of '70s classic rock and away from modern pop." [17] David Simons of OnStage Magazine noticed that it "finds Naylor sharpening the hooks, tightening the grooves, and multiplying the guitar sounds like never before. The result is an album's worth of the most tuneful pop you're likely to find on any continent." [18] The album's lead single, "Shining Star" (April 2001), peaked at No. 21 on the ARIA Alternative Singles Chart. [19]
Their fourth studio album, Free Kicks, was released on 6 June 2004 on their own label, El Reno Records. [5] They had recorded some of the tracks in the United Kingdom in 2002. [20] Dwyer declared that it "spearheads a new lease of life for Even... it features a couple of guest appearances by former Small Faces/Faces keyboard player Ian McLagan and follows a watershed London adventure." [5] For the Hoodoo Gurus tribute album, Stoneage Cameos (August 2005), Even covered "Arthur", [21] with Kempton as co-executive producer with Jason Evans. [22]
Ned Raggett of AllMusic reviewed their self-titled, fifth studio album which showed they "love their Beatles, their ELO, their power pop, their hints of roots music appreciation. It's all in there and they're not only not hiding it; they revel in it." [23] Even was issued in 2007, which the group co-produced with Wayne Connolly (You Am I).
In June 2008 Even's debut album Less Is More was voted number 30 of the greatest Australian albums ever in a poll by The Age readers. [24]
Even released their sixth studio album, In Another Time, on 9 December 2011. [25] Mess+Noise's Patrick Emery felt it displayed how "a celebration of the glorious riffs, melodies and elegant style of the '60s and '70s doesn’t need to be an exercise in turgid nostalgia." [26] Edouard Morton of theDwarf.com.au caught their live gig in May 2012 at The Tote, where they "made an all out attempt to burst every eardrum with their endlessly popular, and recognisably Melbourne power rock." [27]
In December 2014 the group celebrated their 14th annual Xmas Even at the Gasometer Hotel (in Collingwood) with Jasmin Kaset as their support act. [28] [29]
In May 2018, Even released their seventh studio album, Satin Returns. [30] Even's eighth studio album, Reverse Light Years was released in October 2021 and peaked at number 18 on the ARIA charts; the band's highest charting album. [31]
Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
---|---|---|
AUS [15] | ||
Less Is More |
| 85 |
Come Again |
| 57 |
A Different High |
| 48 |
Free Kicks |
| - |
Even |
| - |
In Another Time |
| - |
Satin Returns |
| - |
Reverse Light Years |
| 18 [32] |
Title | Details |
---|---|
Salthill |
|
The Street Press Years |
|
First XVIII |
|
Down the Shops |
|
Title | Details |
---|---|
In Stereo |
|
Ten to Forty-Six |
|
One Side Not |
|
Return to Stardust |
|
Title | Year | Peak positions | Album |
---|---|---|---|
AUS [15] | |||
"Black Umbrella" | 1998 | 85 | Come Again |
The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987.
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
ARIA Music Awards of 1997 | Less Is More | Best Independent Release | Nominated | [11] |
Air Supply is a soft rock duo formed in Melbourne, Australia, in 1975, consisting of Englishman Graham Russell and Australian Russell Hitchcock (vocals). With record sales of 100 million worldwide, they had a succession of hits worldwide, including eight top-five hits on the US Billboard Hot 100, "Lost in Love" (1979), "All Out of Love", "Every Woman in the World", "The One That You Love", "Here I Am", "Sweet Dreams", "Even the Nights Are Better" and "Making Love Out of Nothing at All" (1983). In Australia, they had four top ten placements with "Love and Other Bruises" (1976), "All Out of Love", "Every Woman in the World" and "The One That You Love". Their highest charting studio album, The One That You Love (1981) reached number ten in both Australia and the US. The group, which relocated to Los Angeles in the late 1970s, has included many members, with Hitchcock and Russell at the core. The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) inducted Air Supply into their Hall of Fame on 1 December 2013, at the annual ARIA Awards.
Edmund "Ed" Kuepper is a German-born Australian guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. He co-founded the punk band The Saints in 1973, the experimental post-punk group Laughing Clowns and the grunge-like The Aints!. He has also recorded over a dozen albums as a solo artist using a variety of backing bands. His highest charting solo album, Honey Steel's Gold, appeared in November 1991 and reached No. 28 on the ARIA Albums Chart. His other top 50 albums are Black Ticket Day, Serene Machine and Character Assassination. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1993 he won Best Independent Release for Black Ticket Day and won the same category in 1994 for Serene Machine.
Killing Heidi are an Australian rock band, formed in Violet Town, Victoria in 1996, initially as a folk-pop duo by siblings Ella and Jesse Hooper. The band has released three studio albums: Reflector, which reached No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart, Present and Killing Heidi. Their top 20 singles are "Weir", "Mascara", "Live Without It", "Outside of Me" and "I Am". At the ARIA Music Awards of 2000 they were nominated in seven categories and won four trophies: Album of the Year, Best Group, Breakthrough Artist – Album and Best Rock Album for Reflector. At the APRA Music Awards of 2001 Ella and Jesse Hooper won Songwriter of the Year. The group disbanded in 2006, with Ella and Jesse taking a lower profile with an acoustic folk duo, The Verses. In 2016, it was announced that the band would be reforming to celebrate its 20th anniversary, and the band have continued to tour since.
Gerling were an Australian electronica, alternative rock trio formed in 1993. From early 1997 the members were Darren Cross on guitar and lead vocals, Presser on drums and Burke Reid on guitar and vocals. Their second album, When Young Terrorists Chase the Sun, reached the ARIA Albums Chart top 50. It provided a top 50 single, "Dust Me Selecta". The group disbanded in 2007.
You Am I are an Australian power pop band, fronted by its lead singer-songwriter and guitarist, Tim Rogers. They formed in December 1989 and are the first Australian band to have released three successive albums that have each debuted at the number-one position on the ARIA Albums Chart: Hi Fi Way, Hourly, Daily and #4 Record. Nine of their tracks appeared on the related ARIA Singles Chart top 50 with "What I Don't Know 'bout You", their highest charting, at No. 28. You Am I have received ten ARIA Music Awards from thirty-one nominations. The band have supported international artists such as the Who, the Rolling Stones, Sonic Youth and Oasis.
Pseudo Echo are an Australian new wave band that were formed in 1982 by Brian Canham, Pierre Gigliotti, and Tony Lugton (keyboards). Later members included Anthony Argiro (drums), James Leigh (keyboards), and Vince Leigh (drums). In the 1980s, Pseudo Echo had multiple Australian top 20 hits with "Listening", "A Beat for You", "Don't Go", "Love an Adventure", and "Living in a Dream". Their 1986 cover of "Funky Town" was an international success, peaking at No. 1 in Australia and New Zealand and becoming a top ten hit in Sweden, Canada, the United States, and in the United Kingdom.
Ratcat are an Australian indie rock band from Sydney who formed in 1985. The band is fronted by mainstay vocalist and guitarist, Simon Day. Their combination of indie pop song writing and energetic punk-style guitar rock won them fans from both the indie and skate-punk communities. They found mainstream success with their extended play, Tingles, album Blind Love and the single, "Don't Go Now" (April), which all reached No. 1 on the ARIA Charts during 1991. The band released two subsequent albums that did not match their earlier chart success. Ratcat ceased performing live regularly in the late 1990s; however, they continue to perform sporadically. During their career, much of Ratcat's albums and singles artwork was created by Simon Day.
Boxcar were an Australian electronic dance pop group formed in Brisbane in 1986. Their founding mainstay was David Smith on vocals, guitar and keyboards. Three of their singles appeared on the Billboard dance chart top 20, "Freemason ", "Insect" and "Gas Stop ". They released two albums on Volition Records/Sony Music Australia, Vertigo (1990) and Algorhythm (1994), before disbanding in 1997. They briefly reformed in 2010 and in 2014.
Tumbleweed are an Australian rock group formed in 1990 in Tarrawanna. Three of their studio albums appeared on the ARIA top 50: Tumbleweed (1992), Galactaphonic (1995), and Return to Earth (1996).
Mark Jeremy Seymour is an Australian singer-songwriter and musician. He was the frontman and songwriter of rock band Hunters & Collectors from 1981 until 1998. Seymour has carved a solo career, releasing his debut solo album in 1997 and winning an ARIA Award in 2001 for One Eyed Man in the category of Best Adult Contemporary Album.
The Meanies are an Australian punk rock band formed in 1988 by D.D. Meanie on lead guitar, Link Meanie on vocals and guitar, Ringo Meanie on drums, and VB Meanie on bass guitar and vocals. As from September 2015 the line-up is Link, Ringo and Wally Meanie on bass guitar and backing vocals. The Meanies had a hiatus from 1996 to 2006.
1927 are an Australian pop rock band formed in 1987 with James Barton on drums, Bill Frost on bass guitar, his brother Garry Frost on guitar and keyboards, and Eric Weideman on vocals, guitar and keyboards. They were popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s with major hit songs. Their multi-platinum number-one album, ...ish (1988) was followed by The Other Side (1990). At the ARIA Music Awards of 1989 they won two categories: Breakthrough Artist – Album for ...ish and Breakthrough Artist – Single for "That's When I Think of You". At the 1990 ceremony they won Best Video for "Compulsory Hero", which was directed by Geoff Barter. In 1992 the group released a third studio album, 1927, which reached the top 40; but they disbanded the following year. Weideman reformed 1927 in 2009 with a new lineup.
The Mavis's were an Australian rock band formed in Ballarat, Victoria, in 1987. Founding mainstays are Becky Thomas on vocals and keyboards, her brother Matt Thomas on guitar and vocals, and Andrea Vendy on drums. They were joined by Nick Gill on guitar in 1990, and Josh Alexander on bass guitar in 1994. They released three studio albums: Venus Returning, Pink Pills – which reached No. 12 on the ARIA Albums Chart – and Rapture. Their synth-driven single, "Cry", peaked at No. 13 on the ARIA Singles Charts and was listed on the Triple J Hottest 100 for 1998. The band also performed the song on Hey Hey It's Saturday. They disbanded in December 2001 after a farewell tour of Australia.
The Badloves are an Australian R&B, soul band that formed as DC3 in 1990 by founding mainstay member Michael Spiby on guitar and lead vocals. They changed their name after a year. Their debut studio album, Get on Board, was issued in July 1993, which peaked at No. 5 on the ARIA Albums Chart. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1994 they won Best New Talent and Breakthrough Artist – Album for Get on Board and Breakthrough Artist – Single for its first single, "Lost" (1993). The Badloves' second album, Holy Roadside, reached the top 20. Their highest-charting single, "The Weight" (1993), is a cover version of the Band's 1968 single and features Jimmy Barnes on co-lead vocals. It reached the ARIA singles chart top 10.
Ashley John Naylor is an Australian musician, best known for his guitar and vocals in Melbourne-based band Even.
Savage Garden were an Australian pop duo consisting of Darren Hayes on vocals and Daniel Jones on guitar, keyboards, and vocals; they formed in Brisbane, Queensland, in 1993. They were signed to John Woodruff's talent agency and achieved international success with their No. 1 hit singles "I Want You", "To the Moon and Back", "Truly Madly Deeply" (1997), and "I Knew I Loved You" (1999).
"Accidently Kelly Street" is the debut single of Australian indie pop group Frente!, released in October 1992 ahead of their debut studio album, Marvin the Album. The title includes an unintentional misspelling of "accidentally" that the band decided to keep. The song peaked at No. 4 on both the Australian and New Zealand singles charts, and it was a minor hit in the United Kingdom in 1994, peaking at No. 80 on the UK Singles Chart.
Swoop were an Australian seven-piece rock, funk and disco band established in 1991 by mainstays by Joshua Beagley on guitar and keyboards and Roland Kapferer on lead vocals. They released three studio albums, Thriller, The Woxo Principle and Be What You Is. Their most popular single, "Apple Eyes" (1995), reached No. 9 in Australia on the ARIA singles chart, and was certified gold by ARIA.
The Merri Soul Sessions or Paul Kelly Presents: The Merri Soul Sessions is the twentieth studio album by Australian musician, Paul Kelly, which was issued on 12 December 2014 on his own label, Gawdaggie Records, and distributed by Universal Music Australia. Kelly provided lead vocals on two of its eleven tracks, the rest featured vocals by either Clairy Browne, sisters Vika and Linda Bull, Kira Puru, or Dan Sultan. The album debuted at No. 17 on the ARIA Albums Chart.
The Bootleg Family Band were an Australian folk, R&B and rock band formed in 1973 by Brian Cadd on lead vocals with Geoff Cox on drums, Tony Naylor on lead guitar, Penny Dyer on backing vocals, Gus Fenwick on bass guitar, Brian Fitzgerald on keyboards, Angela Jones on lead and backing vocals, Louise Lincoln on backing vocals and Russell Smith on trumpet. The group became the in-house band for Cadd's label, Bootleg Records. They also released their own material and had chart success with cover versions of "Your Mama Don't Dance" and "The Shoop Shoop Song ", which both reached the top 10 on Australian singles charts. The group toured the United States and performed on the TV shows, The Midnight Special and Don Kirshner's Rock Concert in 1974. Early in the following year they trimmed back to a five-piece line-up as The Bootleg Band. Late that year, Cadd left to work in the US and the remaining members renamed themselves as Avalanche. That group issued a self-titled album in September 1976 and had a further name change to Front Page disbanded in 1978. Cadd reassembled the Bootleg Family Band in 2015 to release a studio album, Bulletproof, which was supported by a short tour.