The Herd (Australian band)

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The Herd
The Herd onstage Metro Theatre 22 October 2005.jpg
Performing live on stage at the Metro Theatre, October 2005.
Background information
OriginAustralia
Genres Australian hip hop
Years active2001–2013
(Reunions: 2018, 2019)
Labels Elefant Traks
Members Traksewt (Kenny Sabir)
Rok Poshtya (Dale Harrison)
Ozi Batla (Shannon Kennedy)
Urthboy (Tim Levinson)
Unkle Ho (Kaho Cheung)
Toe-Fu (Byron Williams)
Sulo (Richard Tamplenizza)
Jane Tyrrell
Past membersBezerkatron (Simon Fellows)
Alejandro (Alex Swarbrick)
Flatmax (Matt Flax)
Website Official site

The Herd is an Australian hip hop group formed in Sydney. The group employs a "full band" format and is recognised for its live shows. The Herd is composed of Ozi Batla, Urthboy, Berzerkatron (MCs), Unkle Ho (beats), Traksewt (piano accordion, clarinet and beats), Sulo (beats and guitar), Toe-Fu (guitar), Rok Poshtya (bass) and singer Jane Tyrrell. The band's songs often feature politically oriented lyrics. [1] The group has been largely inactive since 2013, reuniting for select performances.

Contents

History

2001–2004: The Herd & An Elefant Never Forgets

The Herd released their debut single "Scallops" in 2001. The song attracted radio airplay on Australian station Triple J. The song combines hip hop culture with Australian "fast food" descriptions including "Like a $3.40 bag of fresh hip hop, From your local fish n' chip shop, Ah Scallops! With dollops of flavour on top, When we do what we do we give heads the bops" [2]

The band's second album, An Elefant Never Forgets was released in 2003. The first single "Burn Down the Parliament", was released the same week as the Canberra bushfires of 2003, despite the unfortunate coincidence, the song's lyrical content was completely unrelated to the natural disaster. [3] The second single "77%", became a prominent song featuring the line: "77% of Aussies are racist"—the lyric is a reference to 2001 Australian survey results regarding the response of the Australian Federal Government, led by then-prime minister John Howard, to the Tampa affair. "77%" was voted into position 46 of the Triple J Hottest 100 of 2003 and, as of October 2004, the album remained in the Australian alternative charts for over 80 weeks. [1]

In a 2004 interview with Dr Tony Mitchell from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Ozi Batla explained:

I think the big challenge for Australian hip-hop is for it to expand on those 3000 people who will always buy the CD. The question people have to ask themselves is, who are the other 35000 odd people who bought the Hilltop Hoods album? It's such a small insular and at times disturbingly ignorant little slice of Australia that I think we'd just be banging our heads against the wall trying to get through to those 15-year-old kids. Yeah, I don't know. There's always that responsibility of just trying to keep it true, even though we don't focus on that as much as a lot of acts do, I think it's always in the back of everyone's mind – probably whatever art form it is – that if they really love the art form that they're attempting or drawing influences from then, you know, everyone is always really quite sensitive about other people's perceptions in that culture or community. I think that's the only responsibility, and obviously not to sell out is the other one. But that is pretty unlikely. And I'd say to hopefully bring more people in and that'll change the culture of it, or it'll make that more ignorant style of the culture a bit more isolated. I don't know, to tell you the truth, sometimes I don't feel like we're part of the community that's there at all. And neither are a lot of the artists we know, and even the artists that are respected in that community just throw their hands up and go 'Look, I stopped trying to deal on that level with those fans a long time'". [1]

2005–2007: The Sun Never Sets

The Herd released their third album The Sun Never Sets in 2005, featuring the single "We Can't Hear You". Their subjects ranged from their well-known anti-war stance and anti-corporatism to more personal topics like divorce and the slow death of the Australian outback/country.

In October 2005, The Herd featured live on Triple J's 'Like a Version' (acoustic covers) segment. They performed their own version of the famous Australian 1983 song "I Was Only Nineteen (A Walk in the Light Green)" by Redgum. The song was so well received by fans that it received regular Triple J airplay and was voted #18 in the 2005 Triple J Hottest 100 countdown. They have since recorded a studio version which was included on the 2006 re-release of The Sun Never Sets, and they have also created a video clip for the song. The Herd performed at The Big Day Out 2007. Simon Fellows (Bezerkatron) left the group in late 2006.

In February 2008 the group performed a song about recycled water on the ABC's Sleek Geeks programme. [4]

2008–2010: Summerland

In May 2008, The Herd released its fourth studio album, Summerland. [5] [6] The first single from the album, "The King Is Dead", is a celebration of Australia's change in government with John Howard being replaced after 11 years as prime minister by Kevin Rudd.

The album debuted at number 7 on the ARIA Albums Chart, [7] and is the first album by The Herd to feature singer Jane Tyrell as full-time member of the group. Previously, Tyrell had provided vocals for a few songs on The Herd's previous album, The Sun Never Sets.

2011–present: Future Shade, Soul of my Soul

In celebration of 10 years since the group debuted, the band performed its first live shows in two years in April 2011. [8] The Herd released "The Sum of it All", the first single from the band's fifth album, Future Shade, on 21 March 2011, [9] The album was released in August 2011.

Better Live EP, a follow-up to Future Shade, was released the following year in March 2012.

The Herd performed at the WOMADelaide Festival, held at Botanic Park in Adelaide, Australia, in March 2013 [10] and at the tenth anniversary of the Australian hip hop festival Come Together in June 2013. [11]

In June 2024, after nearly 12 years of inactivity as a group, (outside the few reunions they did) The Herd released "Soul of my Soul", [12] a protest song against the Israel-Palestine war which features vocal contributions from Palestinian artists Sereen, Mo and Big Rigs. All proceeds from the song go towards Olive Kids, an Australian foundation dedicated to funding support for Palestinian youth.

Activism

In September 2009, The Herd was involved in a controversy regarding the act's inclusion in the line-up for Coal to Coast, a regional youth festival held in Mackay, Queensland, with the local coal industry acting as the event's primary funding source. Concerned fans brought the issue of the Herd's involvement in the festival to the group's attention and the story received national coverage in the mainstream media and debate occurred on Hack , a popular program on national radio station Triple J. As a response, Urthboy released a statement of apology and declared the urgency of global warming; he explained that the group's booking agent, in addition to the Mackay Regional Council, failed to inform the band of the complete nature of the festival. The band proceeded to donate profits from the performance to Greenpeace, as part of the apology.

Twenty-nine hours before the band was due to perform, The Herd pulled out of the festival entirely, as the band members had discovered information—in multiple sources—that the festival was conceived of by Andrew Garratt, the Community Relations Officer at the Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal. Ozi Batla appeared on 'Hack' to discuss the band's decision to withdraw from the festival, alongside the Queensland Young Liberals leader, who disagreed with the group's decision, and the organiser of the festival. [13] [14] [15] [16]

In response to the proposed dumping of around 3 million cubic metres of dredged seabed onto the Great Barrier Reef, [17] a legal team was formed by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)-Australia and the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) in late 2013/early 2014. [18] The legal team received further support in April 2014, following the release of the "Sounds for the Reef" musical fundraising project. Produced by Straightup, the digital album features The Herd, in addition to artists such as John Butler, Sietta, Missy Higgins, The Cat Empire, Fat Freddys Drop, The Bamboos (featuring Kylie Auldist) and Resin Dogs. Released on 7 April, the album's 21 songs were sold on the Bandcamp website. [19] [20]

Side projects

In April 2005, Unkle Ho released his debut solo album Roads to Roma. [21] The album samples music from a wide variety of international musical genres, such as tango, mariachi, dixieland and blues rock. [22] According to the Elefant Traks website, "[Unkle Ho's] strategy for world peace is to write a song that has every culture in the world represented, so people will drop their guns and dance 'till they can't dance no more." [23] Roads to Roma was acclaimed as "bewitchingly beautiful" by Rolling Stone magazine. [24] Unkle Ho's second album Circus Maximus was released in May 2007. [25]

In 2004, Urthboy released his first solo album, Distant Sense of Random Menace, [26] followed by The Signal (2007), [27] Spitshine (2009), [28] Smokey's Haunt (2012), [29] Smokey's Homies Remix EP (2013) [30] Live at the City Recital Hall Angel Place (2013), [31] The Past Beats Inside Me Like a Second Heartbeat (2016) and Savour (2023).

In 2010, Ozi Batla released his debut album Wild Colonial, [32] while Tyrrell released her debut album Echoes in the Aviary in the second half of 2014. [33]

Discography

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected chart positions
TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positions
AUS
[34] [35]
The Herd -
An Elefant Never Forgets
  • Released: February 2003
  • Label: Elefant Traks (ACE009)
-
The Sun Never Sets
  • Released: 3 October 2005 [36]
  • Label: Elefant Traks (ACE021)
69
Summerland
  • Released: May 2008 [37]
  • Label: Elefant Traks (ACE039)
7
Future Shade
  • Released: 26 August 2011 [38]
  • Label: Elefant Traks (ACE062)
22

Live albums

TitleDetails
Better Alive
  • Released: May 2012 [39]
  • Label: Elefant Traks (ACE075)

Remix albums

TitleDetails
Trampled – The Elefant Traks Remix Album
  • Released: 1 August 2006
  • Label: Elefant Traks (ACE023)

Single

TitleYearPeak chart positions Certifications Album
AUS
[40]
"Scallops"2001—The Herd
"Burn Down the Parliament"2003-An Elephant Never Forgets
"77%"—
"We Can't Hear You"2005—The Sun Never Sets
"I Was Only Nineteen (A Walk in the Light Green)"
(featuring John Schumann)		—
"Unpredictable"2006—
"The King is Dead" [42] 200858Summerland
"2020" [44] —
"Sings of Life" [45] 2011—Future Shade
"Better Alive" [39] 2012—
"Soul of my Soul"
(featuring Sereen, Mo and Big Rigs) [12] 		2024—TBA

Awards and nominations

The song "A Thousand Lives" from "Future Shade" was a finalist in the International Songwriting Competition, where it received an honourable mention. [46]

AIR Awards

The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.

YearNominee / workAwardResult
2006 [47] The Sun Never SetsBest Performing Independent AlbumNominated
themselvesIndependent Artist of the YearNominated
2008 [48] SummerlandBest Independent Urban/Hip Hop AlbumWon
themselvesBest Independent ArtistWon
2012 [49] Future ShadeBest Independent Urban/Hip Hop AlbumNominated

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. [50]

YearNominee / workAwardResult
2008 Summerland Best Urban Album Nominated
2012 [47] Future ShadeBest Urban AlbumNominated

J Award

The J Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J. They commenced in 2005.

YearNominee / workAwardResult
2005 [51] The Sun Never SetsAustralian Album of the YearNominated
2008 [52] "2020"Australian Video of the YearWon

Related Research Articles

<i>The Sun Never Sets</i> (album) 2005 studio album by The Herd

The Sun Never Sets is the third album by Australian hip hop band The Herd and was released on 3 October 2005.

Kenneth Spencer Sabir, is an Australian musician, computer programmer, record label founder and event organiser. In 1998 Sabir co-founded an independent record label, Elefant Traks. In 2001, he founded the hip-hop collective The Herd along with fellow Elefant Traks manager Urthboy, Australian MCs Ozi Batla and Berzerkatron, fellow producers Sulo, Unkle Ho, guitarist Toe-Fu and bassist Rok Poshyta. As of August 2011, The Herd have released five studio albums including Summerland (2008) which peaked at No. 7 on the ARIA Albums Chart and Future Shade (2011) which reached the top 30.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elefant Traks</span> Australian hip hop record label

Elefant Traks was a record label based in Sydney, Australia, founded by Kenny Sabir (p.k.a.Traksewt) in 1998. The label predominantly released Australian hip hop music, and founded its own hip-hop collective, The Herd, as well as managing acts like Horrorshow and Hermitude. The label was distributed in Australia by Inertia Distribution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Urthboy</span> Musical artist

Tim Levinson, better known by the stage name Urthboy, is an Australian hip hop MC and producer from New South Wales. He is widely known for his solo music under the moniker Urthboy, as a founding member of the hip-hop group The Herd, and for co-founding and managing the Elefant Traks record label. Levinson has released six solo albums: Distant Sense of Random Menace (2004), The Signal (2007), Spitshine (2009), Smokey's Haunt (2012), The Past Beats Inside Me Like a Second Heartbeat (2016) and Savour (2023); as well as five studio albums with The Herd.

Joelistics is an Australian MC, producer and multi-instrumentalist, who was a member of the Melbourne-based Australian hip hop group TZU and a solo artist on the Elefant Traks music label.

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<i>The Signal</i> (Urthboy album) 2007 studio album by Urthboy

The Signal is the second album from The Herd member Urthboy and was released on 14 July 2007. The album features production from Australian artists El Gusto of Hermitude fame and Count Bounce from TZU. It also features collaborations from several prominent Australian MCs and Musicians. The album was released on CD and double vinyl.

<i>Distant Sense of Random Menace</i> 2004 studio album by Urthboy

Distant Sense of Random Menace is the debut album from Australian hip-hop artist Urthboy. It was released on 9 August 2004. The album was features the production of Elgusto (Hermitude), Count Bounce (TZU) and The Herd. An extended 12” vinyl was also released featuring an exclusive remix by Hermitude. The album was mastered in Los Angeles by Dave Cooley.

Astronomy Class are an Australian hip-hop / reggae group from Sydney. The group comprises Ozi Batla, Sir Robbo and Chasm.

<i>Alleys to Valleys</i> 2003 studio album by Hermitude

Alleys to Valleys is the debut album from Australian hip-hop artists Hermitude. It was released on 25 August 2003.

Hermitude are an Australian electronic-hip hop duo, originating from the Blue Mountains, New South Wales.

<i>Tales of the Drift</i> 2005 studio album by Hermitude

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<i>Trampled – The Elefant Traks Remix Album</i> 2006 compilation album by Various Artists

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Combat Wombat is an Australian hip-hop group from Melbourne. The group comprises Monkey Marc, DJ Wasabi, Elf Tranzporter and MC Izzy.

<i>Spitshine</i> 2009 studio album by Urthboy

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Tongue</span> Musical artist

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<i>Smokeys Haunt</i> 2012 studio album by Urthboy

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimblah</span> Musical artist

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References

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  52. ↑ "The J Award 2008". Triple J . Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2009. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
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