The Chills
The Chills were formed in Dunedin 1980 from the remains of a two-year-old High School "punk" band named The Same. Initially in The Same, Martin Phillipps was taken on as the guitarist but soon became lead vocalist and then started writing the songs.
Martin’s songs began to outstrip the very rudimentary capabilities of The Same and he formed a new group The Chills. Martin had then (and still does today) a single-minded determination to take quality original N.Z.-sounding melodic rock music to the world. Martin’s requirement of band members over the years has been to meet a standard of musicianship, which is necessary to deliver The Chills' songs with essential consistent energy in the live arena.
Martin has maintained this difficult ideal through nearly all of the band's twenty incarnations and when it has been missing he has acted and changed the line-up. This determination to maintain a high-powered approach to The Chills live shows stems from the punk rock ethics of Martins musical awakening, and from the subsequent proximity to charismatic persons like Chris Knox who drove home how crucial it was to deliver music always with intensity and conviction.
This live energy is the central reason why The Chills are remembered fondly in all of the twenty-nine countries that they have thus far visited on their promotional tours. It is the combination of this AND the consistent quality of their songs which have established The Chills as one of the most well-known New Zealand groups to date - particularly in the U.S.A., U.K. and Europe.
The Chills have had a string of hits over the years and have become a NZ institution with their songs being used on TV shows, commercials, and in movie soundtracks. The Chills can be found online at www.softbomb.com www.facebook.com/thechills www.myspace.com/thechillsnz
Credits
Martin Phillipps - sang and played everything except...
James Dickson - piano on verse six, harpsichord on verse seven/outro.
Todd Knudson - drums (not included on this mix).
Recorded by David Kilgour (who did some percussion and backing vocals too!)
Mixed by Tex Houston 15 October, 2009. Dunedin, New Zealand. |
