Grinspoon
Encyclopedia
Grinspoon are an Australian rock band from Lismore
, New South Wales formed in 1995 and fronted by Phil Jamieson
on vocals and guitar
with Pat Davern on guitar, Joe Hansen on bass guitar
and Kristian Hopes on drums
. Also in 1995, they won the Triple J
-sponsored Unearthed competition for Lismore, with their post-grunge
song "Sickfest". Their name was taken from Dr. Lester Grinspoon
an Associate Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School
, who supports marijuana for medical use.
Grinspoon changed their sound to more mainstream rock by their 2002 album, New Detention
, gaining fans and peaking at #2 on the ARIA Albums Charts
; similarly 2007's Alibis & Other Lies
also reached #2. Their 2004 album, Thrills, Kills & Sunday Pills
, which peaked at #4, won the 2005
'Best Rock Album Award' at the ARIA Music Awards
.
The band was signed to Universal Records
in United States by late 1998, they were promoted by the songs "Champion", which featured in Gran Turismo 3; "Post Enebriated Anxiety", which was on the international version of Guide to Better Living
; "Chemical Heart
", via the internet; and a cover
of the Prong song "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck", from Grinspoon's Pushing Buttons
EP
, which was included on ECW: Extreme Music
.
), Joe Hansen (bass guitar
), Kristian Hopes(drums
) and Phil Jamieson
(vocals, guitar) met at a Lismore
hotel, The Gollan, for a jam
night—they decided to form a band and enter the Triple J
-sponsored Unearthed competition. Their name was taken from Dr. Lester Grinspoon
, an Associate Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School
, who supports marijuana for medical use. After winning the competition, with their post-grunge
song "Sickfest", they gained considerable airplay and used this to secure gigs. They developed a strong following among the Australian "alternative" and "mosh pit crowd." Their debut was the six-track EP
, Grinspoon (aka Green Album), which was released in 1995 through the independent Oracle Records. It contained the post-grunge
songs "Sickfest" and "More Than You Are" that became popular with fans and were rerecorded on later releases.
Grinspoon's second EP, Licker Bottle Cozy
, recorded in June 1996 and produced
by Phil McKellar
, was released by Grudge Records
in December. It had a slightly heavier sound than their earlier EP with five tracks including the songs "Champion" and "Pig Pen". In September 1997 they released their first full length album, Guide to Better Living
, also produced by McKellar. The album peaked at #11 on the ARIA Albums Charts
and went platinum with sales of over 70,000 in Australia. It represents the sound and variety of their early career with heavier songs like "Pressure Tested 1984" open the album, whilst in the middle are more classic rock songs like "Repeat" and "Don't Go Away" and then towards the end the ballad "Bad Funk Stripe." The Australian version of the album features five live songs—illustrating the band's sense of humour and ability to play live—and a hidden track
, the acoustic
"Protest". US branch of Universal Records
signed the band by late 1998 and released an altered version of Guide to Better Living in March 1999.
Whilst in US touring for ten months as support act for Creed
, Lit, Godsmack
and Anthrax
, Grinspoon released a six track EP, Pushing Buttons
, for their Australian market in September 1998. It featured the popular heavy song "Black Friday" and the lighter songs "Busy" and "Explain". After the intense US touring, Grinspoon released their second album, Easy
in September 1999, which peaked at #4 and went platinum in Australia. It contained the singles "Ready 1
" and "Rock Show
".
, in Sydney
's Festival Studios
in September 2001 but prior to finishing the studios were shut down and so vocals and guitars were recorded in smaller studios. Further delays occurred after Hopes injured his hand on a studio window. New Detention was released in June 2002 and was more commercial—it peaked at #2 on the ARIA Albums Charts and went platinum. The first single from the album, "Chemical Heart
", released in February had created a stir with long term fans and the media because it was different from their previous grunge sound. The band insisted the change was a natural one and was an improvement. Nevertheless, the band still performs older tracks in their live shows. They released a four track EP in March 2003, Panic Attack—containing a cover of INXS
's "Don't Change"—which reached #13 on the ARIA Singles Chart.
In August 2004, they released a new single, "Hard Act To Follow
", which reached the Top 30. It was from the September album Thrills, Kills & Sunday Pills
, which peaked at #4 and went platinum. A second single, "Better Off Alone
", issued in November, also reached the Top 30. The third single was "Hold on Me" released in February 2005. For Thrills, Kills & Sunday Pills, the band agreed that they were deliberately seeking a new audience, claiming they wrote a number of songs for the release and rejected any that sounded like earlier work. It won the 2005
'Best Rock Album Award' at the ARIA Music Awards
. They had previously been nominated 9 times.
Grinspoon had built a strong local following after their rise, they were regulars at Australian music festivals. On 26 March 2006, Grinspoon performed "Hard Act To Follow" and "Better Off Alone" at the 2006 Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony
in Melbourne
. They headlined the inaugural "Thank God It's Over" in Melbourne, at "BOBFest '06" in South Australia in October and at Odyssey 2006 at Dreamworld
for New Year's Eve
.
In February 2007, Jamieson admitted himself to rehab
due to addiction to crystal methamphetamine. On Andrew Denton
's Enough Rope
in July, Jamieson discussed his drug addictions, an extramarital affair, stealing money from bandmates, detox and rehab experiences.
The band completed, Alibis & Other Lies
in July 2007, as their final album for Universal. It was co-produced by the band and Ramesh Sathiah, who had worked with them on their earliest recordings. Earlier albums before this were pop-oriented rock, while Easy and Alibis & Other Lies were more heavy rock. The first single from the album, "Black Tattoo
", was released as a digital download
on 23 June and physically a week later. The album peaked at #2, their equal highest album chart position (with New Detention in 2002). Grinspoon released a 2-disc compilation
entitled Best in Show
. The first disc featured their hits and several older songs, like "Champion", which landed the song on Gran Turismo 3. The second disc includes a collection of covers recorded over the years. In the US, all Grinspoon albums had been released on iTunes
and other online music stores. The first four were Guide To Better Living, Best In Show, Thrills, Kills, and Sunday Pills, and New Detention. Easy and Alibis & Other Lies followed on 31 October 2007.
in late January. Grinspoon headlined the Newton's Playground festival, held atop Bathurst's famous Mount Panorama in March, with their song "Lost Control" played in advertisements for the festival. On 1 May, Grinspoon announced they would complete more shows before writing a new album.
Grinspoon recorded The Easybeats
' track "St. Louis" for a tribute album
, Easy Fever: A Tribute to The Easybeats and Stevie Wright—released in October 2008—while Jamieson's duet with The Wrights
on "Evie part 3: I'm Losing You
" from 2005 was included. The band contributed the track "Blind Lead Blind", their B side
of 2007's "Minute By Minute
", to a compilation CD for The Buttery Drug and Alcohol Rehab Centre titled Caution: Life Ahead, which included contributions from other Australian acts such as Powderfinger
, Midnight Oil
and The Living End
, and was released in November.
Grinspoon performed on 26 July 2009 at the annual Splendour in the Grass Festival
in Byron Bay. Jamieson then toured with a super group composed of The Living End’s Chris Cheney
, You Am I
’s Tim Rogers
and Josh Pyke
with a 17-piece band in August 2009. The group performed a tribute to The Beatles
' White
album for its 40th anniversary.
, was released on 11 September 2009 on the band's imprint Chk Chk Boom Records, distributed by Universal Records, which peaked at #6. Two tracks, "Dogs" and the first single, "Comeback", were released to radio earlier. For promotion of the album, the band toured in a more intimate setting than most of their previous concerts. On 6 November, Grinspoon played live on Triple J radio and confirmed that "Summer" was the second single from the album.
(ARIA) Music Award
from 13 nominations.
|-
| 1998
|| Guide to Better Living
|| Breakthrough Artist - Album ||
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2000
|| Jonathon Burnside – Easy
|| Engineer of the Year ||
|-
| | Easy || Best Rock Album ||
|-
| rowspan="5"| 2002
|| rowspan="2"| New Detention
|| Best Rock Album ||
|-
| | Best Group ||
|-
| | "Chemical Heart
" || Single of the Year ||
|-
| Phil McKellar
– New Detention || Producer of the Year ||
|-
| Phil McKellar – "Chemical Heart" || Engineer of the Year ||
|-
| 2003
|| | Grinspoon – "No Reason" || Best Group ||
|-
| 2004
|| 23 Hours of Waiting Around || Best Music DVD ||
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2005
|| rowspan="2"| Thrills, Kills & Sunday Pills
|| Best Group ||
|-
| | Best Rock Album ||
|-
| 2007
|| Alibis & Other Lies
|| Best Rock Album ||
Lismore, New South Wales
Lismore is a subtropical town in northeastern New South Wales, Australia. Lismore is the main population centre in the City of Lismore local government area. Lismore is a regional centre in the Northern Rivers region of the State.-History:...
, New South Wales formed in 1995 and fronted by Phil Jamieson
Phil Jamieson
Phil Jamieson is an Australian musician from Wauchope, New South Wales. He is the founder and frontman for the rock band Grinspoon.-Biography:...
on vocals and guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
with Pat Davern on guitar, Joe Hansen on bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and Kristian Hopes on drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
. Also in 1995, they won the Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
-sponsored Unearthed competition for Lismore, with their post-grunge
Post-grunge
Post-grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged in the mid-1990s as a derivative of grunge, using the sounds and aesthetic of grunge, but with a more commercially acceptable tone...
song "Sickfest". Their name was taken from Dr. Lester Grinspoon
Lester Grinspoon
Dr. Lester Grinspoon is Associate Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Grinspoon was senior psychiatrist at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center in Boston for 40 years. Dr. Grinspoon is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American...
an Associate Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
, who supports marijuana for medical use.
Grinspoon changed their sound to more mainstream rock by their 2002 album, New Detention
New Detention
New Detention is an album by Australian rock band Grinspoon. It was released on 3 June 2002. It peaked at #2 on the ARIA album charts. The album spawned four singles: "Chemical Heart", "Lost Control", "No Reason" and "1000 Miles"...
, gaining fans and peaking at #2 on the ARIA Albums Charts
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
; similarly 2007's Alibis & Other Lies
Alibis & Other Lies
Alibis & Other Lies is the fifth studio album by Grinspoon, which was released 21 July 2007. The first single from the album is Black Tattoo, being released as a digital download on 23 June and on Single 30 June 2007. Ramesh Sathiah, producer of Green Album and Licker Bottle Cozy, is producing the...
also reached #2. Their 2004 album, Thrills, Kills & Sunday Pills
Thrills, Kills & Sunday Pills
Thrills, Kills and Sunday Pills is the fourth studio album by Australian rock band, Grinspoon. It was released on 20 September 2004. The album represents a dramatic change in style towards a more mainstream, teen orientated image. "Hard Act to Follow" and "Hold on Me", were minor hits for the band,...
, which peaked at #4, won the 2005
ARIA Music Awards of 2005
The 19th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards were held on 23 October 2005 at the Sydney Superdome at the Sydney Olympic Park complex, thus continuing the previous year's innovation of televising the awards on Sunday evening...
'Best Rock Album Award' at the ARIA Music Awards
ARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association...
.
The band was signed to Universal Records
Universal Records
Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...
in United States by late 1998, they were promoted by the songs "Champion", which featured in Gran Turismo 3; "Post Enebriated Anxiety", which was on the international version of Guide to Better Living
Guide To Better Living
Guide to Better Living is the debut studio album by Australian rock band Grinspoon. It was released in 1998 on Universal Music. The album reached number 12 on the Australian ARIA charts and spent 26 weeks on the national charts...
; "Chemical Heart
Chemical Heart
Chemical Heart was the first single released from Grinspoon's second studio album New Detention in 2002. It was a surprising change for fans because the grunge rock band had released ballads before, but they had never released one as their first single, and most people were expecting a hard rocking...
", via the internet; and a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the Prong song "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck", from Grinspoon's Pushing Buttons
Pushing Buttons
Pushing Buttons was Grinspoon's third EP. It had a heavier sound than their earlier work with a metal inspired rerecording of "More Than You Are" , and the songs "Black Friday" and "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck". The other songs are a lot lighter and easier to listen to...
EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, which was included on ECW: Extreme Music
ECW: Extreme Music
ECW: Extreme Music is a compilation album of songs related to Extreme Championship Wrestling during the late 1990s. The album was released in 1998 through CMC International Records...
.
Early years
In July 1995, Pat Davern (guitarGuitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
), Joe Hansen (bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
), Kristian Hopes(drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
) and Phil Jamieson
Phil Jamieson
Phil Jamieson is an Australian musician from Wauchope, New South Wales. He is the founder and frontman for the rock band Grinspoon.-Biography:...
(vocals, guitar) met at a Lismore
Lismore, New South Wales
Lismore is a subtropical town in northeastern New South Wales, Australia. Lismore is the main population centre in the City of Lismore local government area. Lismore is a regional centre in the Northern Rivers region of the State.-History:...
hotel, The Gollan, for a jam
Jam session
Jam sessions are often used by musicians to develop new material, find suitable arrangements, or simply as a social gathering and communal practice session. Jam sessions may be based upon existing songs or forms, may be loosely based on an agreed chord progression or chart suggested by one...
night—they decided to form a band and enter the Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
-sponsored Unearthed competition. Their name was taken from Dr. Lester Grinspoon
Lester Grinspoon
Dr. Lester Grinspoon is Associate Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Grinspoon was senior psychiatrist at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center in Boston for 40 years. Dr. Grinspoon is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American...
, an Associate Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
, who supports marijuana for medical use. After winning the competition, with their post-grunge
Post-grunge
Post-grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged in the mid-1990s as a derivative of grunge, using the sounds and aesthetic of grunge, but with a more commercially acceptable tone...
song "Sickfest", they gained considerable airplay and used this to secure gigs. They developed a strong following among the Australian "alternative" and "mosh pit crowd." Their debut was the six-track EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, Grinspoon (aka Green Album), which was released in 1995 through the independent Oracle Records. It contained the post-grunge
Post-grunge
Post-grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged in the mid-1990s as a derivative of grunge, using the sounds and aesthetic of grunge, but with a more commercially acceptable tone...
songs "Sickfest" and "More Than You Are" that became popular with fans and were rerecorded on later releases.
Grinspoon's second EP, Licker Bottle Cozy
Licker Bottle Cozy
Licker Bottle Cozy, was the second EP by the Australian rock band Grinspoon, released in 1996. It was recorded by Phil McKellar in June of that year and was of a significantly better sound quality than their first EP...
, recorded in June 1996 and produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Phil McKellar
Phil McKellar
Phil McKellar is an Australian record producer known for his work with many top Australian rock bands including The Butterfly Effect, You Am I, The Cruel Sea, Grinspoon, Dirty Three, The Mark Of Cain, Frenzal Rhomb, Spiderbait, Silverchair, Kisschasy, Ash, The Sunpilots, Tumbleweed, Nitocris, One...
, was released by Grudge Records
Grudge Records
Grudge Records is an Australian record label. Grudge is mostly known for its rock artists, most notably Grinspoon, Skunkhour and Powderfinger. Other artists include H-Block101 and Sean Ikin.-Artists:Current*Powderfinger*Sean Ikin*H-Block 101Previous...
in December. It had a slightly heavier sound than their earlier EP with five tracks including the songs "Champion" and "Pig Pen". In September 1997 they released their first full length album, Guide to Better Living
Guide To Better Living
Guide to Better Living is the debut studio album by Australian rock band Grinspoon. It was released in 1998 on Universal Music. The album reached number 12 on the Australian ARIA charts and spent 26 weeks on the national charts...
, also produced by McKellar. The album peaked at #11 on the ARIA Albums Charts
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
and went platinum with sales of over 70,000 in Australia. It represents the sound and variety of their early career with heavier songs like "Pressure Tested 1984" open the album, whilst in the middle are more classic rock songs like "Repeat" and "Don't Go Away" and then towards the end the ballad "Bad Funk Stripe." The Australian version of the album features five live songs—illustrating the band's sense of humour and ability to play live—and a hidden track
Hidden track
In the field of recorded music, a hidden track is a piece of music that has been placed on a CD, audio cassette, vinyl record or other recorded medium in such a way as to avoid detection by the casual listener...
, the acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
"Protest". US branch of Universal Records
Universal Records
Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...
signed the band by late 1998 and released an altered version of Guide to Better Living in March 1999.
Whilst in US touring for ten months as support act for Creed
Creed (band)
Creed is an American rock band formed in 1995 in Tallahassee, Florida. Becoming popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the band has released three consecutive multi-platinum albums, one of which has been certified diamond, and has sold over 28 million records in the United States, with an...
, Lit, Godsmack
Godsmack
Godsmack is an American heavy metal band from Lawrence, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The band is composed of founder, frontman and songwriter Sully Erna, guitarist Tony Rombola, bassist Robbie Merrill, and drummer Shannon Larkin...
and Anthrax
Anthrax (band)
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
, Grinspoon released a six track EP, Pushing Buttons
Pushing Buttons
Pushing Buttons was Grinspoon's third EP. It had a heavier sound than their earlier work with a metal inspired rerecording of "More Than You Are" , and the songs "Black Friday" and "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck". The other songs are a lot lighter and easier to listen to...
, for their Australian market in September 1998. It featured the popular heavy song "Black Friday" and the lighter songs "Busy" and "Explain". After the intense US touring, Grinspoon released their second album, Easy
Easy (Grinspoon album)
Easy is the second studio album by Australian rock band Grinspoon. This album was not released in the United States due to its commercial failure in Australia and the failure of the previous album Guide to Better Living in America. Four singles were released from the album, "Secrets", "Rock Show",...
in September 1999, which peaked at #4 and went platinum in Australia. It contained the singles "Ready 1
Ready 1
"Ready 1" is a song by Grinspoon which was released as the lead single from their second studio album Easy. It peaked at #36 in Australia.-Track listing:#Ready 1#New York Picture Show#Ready 1 #Ready 1...
" and "Rock Show
Rock Show (Grinspoon song)
"Rock Show" is the second single by Grinspoon from their second studio album Easy, released in 1999. The video shows Phil Jamieson as a host on a game show similar to The Price Is Right, where the contestants are the band members and a girl....
".
Changing direction
After a break to reconsider their direction and sound Grinspoon started recording their next album, New DetentionNew Detention
New Detention is an album by Australian rock band Grinspoon. It was released on 3 June 2002. It peaked at #2 on the ARIA album charts. The album spawned four singles: "Chemical Heart", "Lost Control", "No Reason" and "1000 Miles"...
, in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
's Festival Studios
Festival Records (Australia)
Festival Records was an Australian music recording and publishing company which was founded in Sydney in 1952 and operated until 2005....
in September 2001 but prior to finishing the studios were shut down and so vocals and guitars were recorded in smaller studios. Further delays occurred after Hopes injured his hand on a studio window. New Detention was released in June 2002 and was more commercial—it peaked at #2 on the ARIA Albums Charts and went platinum. The first single from the album, "Chemical Heart
Chemical Heart
Chemical Heart was the first single released from Grinspoon's second studio album New Detention in 2002. It was a surprising change for fans because the grunge rock band had released ballads before, but they had never released one as their first single, and most people were expecting a hard rocking...
", released in February had created a stir with long term fans and the media because it was different from their previous grunge sound. The band insisted the change was a natural one and was an improvement. Nevertheless, the band still performs older tracks in their live shows. They released a four track EP in March 2003, Panic Attack—containing a cover of INXS
INXS
INXS are an Australian rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. Mainstays are Garry Gary Beers on bass guitar, Andrew Farriss on guitar/keyboards, Jon Farriss on drums, Tim Farriss on lead guitar and Kirk Pengilly on guitar/sax...
's "Don't Change"—which reached #13 on the ARIA Singles Chart.
In August 2004, they released a new single, "Hard Act To Follow
Hard Act to Follow
"Hard Act to Follow" is a song by Grinspoon and was released as the lead single from their fourth studio album Thrills, Kills & Sunday Pills...
", which reached the Top 30. It was from the September album Thrills, Kills & Sunday Pills
Thrills, Kills & Sunday Pills
Thrills, Kills and Sunday Pills is the fourth studio album by Australian rock band, Grinspoon. It was released on 20 September 2004. The album represents a dramatic change in style towards a more mainstream, teen orientated image. "Hard Act to Follow" and "Hold on Me", were minor hits for the band,...
, which peaked at #4 and went platinum. A second single, "Better Off Alone
Better Off Alone (Grinspoon song)
"Better Off Alone" is a song by Grinspoon which was released as the second single from their fourth studio album Thrills, Kills & Sunday Pills.In Australia, the song was ranked #26 on Triple J's Hottest 100 of 2004.-Track listing:...
", issued in November, also reached the Top 30. The third single was "Hold on Me" released in February 2005. For Thrills, Kills & Sunday Pills, the band agreed that they were deliberately seeking a new audience, claiming they wrote a number of songs for the release and rejected any that sounded like earlier work. It won the 2005
ARIA Music Awards of 2005
The 19th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards were held on 23 October 2005 at the Sydney Superdome at the Sydney Olympic Park complex, thus continuing the previous year's innovation of televising the awards on Sunday evening...
'Best Rock Album Award' at the ARIA Music Awards
ARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association...
. They had previously been nominated 9 times.
Grinspoon had built a strong local following after their rise, they were regulars at Australian music festivals. On 26 March 2006, Grinspoon performed "Hard Act To Follow" and "Better Off Alone" at the 2006 Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony
2006 Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony
The Closing Ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games was held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 26 March 2006 to mark the closing of the 18th Commonwealth Games.-Performances:The ceremony began with a fireworks show...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. They headlined the inaugural "Thank God It's Over" in Melbourne, at "BOBFest '06" in South Australia in October and at Odyssey 2006 at Dreamworld
Dreamworld
Dreamworld is a large theme park situated on the Gold Coast in Queensland. It is currently Australia's largest theme park with over 27 rides including 4 roller coasters. The park is made up of several themed lands: Ocean Parade, Kid's World, Wiggles World, Gold Rush Country, Rocky Hollow, Tiger...
for New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
.
Drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...
due to addiction to crystal methamphetamine. On Andrew Denton
Andrew Denton
Andrew Christopher Denton is an Australian television producer, comedian, Gold Logie-nominated television presenter and former radio host, and was the host of the ABC's weekly television interview program Enough Rope. He is known for his comedy and interviewing technique...
's Enough Rope
Enough Rope
Enough Rope with Andrew Denton is a television interview show originally broadcast on ABC Television in Australia...
in July, Jamieson discussed his drug addictions, an extramarital affair, stealing money from bandmates, detox and rehab experiences.
The band completed, Alibis & Other Lies
Alibis & Other Lies
Alibis & Other Lies is the fifth studio album by Grinspoon, which was released 21 July 2007. The first single from the album is Black Tattoo, being released as a digital download on 23 June and on Single 30 June 2007. Ramesh Sathiah, producer of Green Album and Licker Bottle Cozy, is producing the...
in July 2007, as their final album for Universal. It was co-produced by the band and Ramesh Sathiah, who had worked with them on their earliest recordings. Earlier albums before this were pop-oriented rock, while Easy and Alibis & Other Lies were more heavy rock. The first single from the album, "Black Tattoo
Black Tattoo
"Black Tattoo" is the first single by Grinspoon from their fifth studio album Alibis & Other Lies. It debuted on the ARIA Singles chart at #45. The video shows the band being dragged along a prairie while one of the members drives the car that's dragging them....
", was released as a digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
on 23 June and physically a week later. The album peaked at #2, their equal highest album chart position (with New Detention in 2002). Grinspoon released a 2-disc compilation
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
entitled Best in Show
Best in Show (album)
Best in Show is a compilation of Australian band Grinspoon's best-ofs, and was released to co-incide with the ten-year anniversary of the band. The first song, "Sweet as Sugar", was recorded for the purpose of the best-of and appropriately is a return to the classic style of the band...
. The first disc featured their hits and several older songs, like "Champion", which landed the song on Gran Turismo 3. The second disc includes a collection of covers recorded over the years. In the US, all Grinspoon albums had been released on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
and other online music stores. The first four were Guide To Better Living, Best In Show, Thrills, Kills, and Sunday Pills, and New Detention. Easy and Alibis & Other Lies followed on 31 October 2007.
Hiatus
On 5 February 2008, Jamieson announced, via the band's official website, that Grinspoon were on hiatus following their appearance at Big Day OutBig Day Out
The Big Day Out is an annual music festival held in several cities in Australia and New Zealand in late January. It started in Sydney in 1992, spread to Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth by 1993, with the Gold Coast and Auckland joining in 1994...
in late January. Grinspoon headlined the Newton's Playground festival, held atop Bathurst's famous Mount Panorama in March, with their song "Lost Control" played in advertisements for the festival. On 1 May, Grinspoon announced they would complete more shows before writing a new album.
Grinspoon recorded The Easybeats
The Easybeats
The Easybeats were an Australian rock and roll band. They formed in Sydney in late 1964 and broke up at the end of 1969. They are regarded as the greatest Australian pop band of the 1960s, and were the first Australian rock and roll act to score an international pop hit with their 1966 single...
' track "St. Louis" for a tribute album
Tribute album
A tribute album is a recorded collection of cover versions of songs or instrumental compositions. Its concept may be either various artists making a tribute to a single artist, a single artist making a tribute to various artists, or a single artist making a tribute to another single artist.There...
, Easy Fever: A Tribute to The Easybeats and Stevie Wright—released in October 2008—while Jamieson's duet with The Wrights
The Wrights
The Wrights were a one-off Australian rock music "supergroup". They consisted of Nic Cester , Bernard Fanning , Phil Jamieson , Kram , Chris Cheney , Davey Lane and Pat Bourke...
on "Evie part 3: I'm Losing You
Evie (song)
Evie is an Australian rock song released as a single in 1974 by Australian music legend and former frontman of The Easybeats, Stevie Wright.It was written by Harry Vanda and George Young...
" from 2005 was included. The band contributed the track "Blind Lead Blind", their B side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
of 2007's "Minute By Minute
Minute By Minute (Grinspoon song)
"Minute by Minute" is a song by Grinspoon and is the third single from the studio album Alibis & Other Lies. The single is a digital release only. The track Blind lead blind also features on a compilation CD titled "Caution: Life Ahead", making the song available on hard disk...
", to a compilation CD for The Buttery Drug and Alcohol Rehab Centre titled Caution: Life Ahead, which included contributions from other Australian acts such as Powderfinger
Powderfinger
Powderfinger was an Australian rock band that formed in Brisbane in 1989. From 1992 until their breakup the band lineup consisted of vocalist Bernard Fanning, guitarists Darren Middleton and Ian Haug, bassist John Collins, and drummer Jon Coghill....
, Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil , were an Australian rock band from Sydney originally performing as Farm from 1972 with drummer Rob Hirst, bass guitarist Andrew James and keyboard player/lead guitarist Jim Moginie...
and The Living End
The Living End
The Living End are an Australian rock band from Melbourne, Victoria, formed in 1994. The current lineup consists of Chris Cheney , Scott Owen and Andy Strachan...
, and was released in November.
Grinspoon performed on 26 July 2009 at the annual Splendour in the Grass Festival
Splendour in the Grass
Splendour in the Grass is an annual Australian music festival held in July at Woodford, Queensland, and previously held at Belongil Fields, outside Byron Bay...
in Byron Bay. Jamieson then toured with a super group composed of The Living End’s Chris Cheney
Chris Cheney
Christopher John Cheney is the guitarist, main songwriter and lead vocalist in the Australian rock band, The Living End. His trademark guitar is a Gretsch White Falcon and he uses mainly distortion and modulation effects...
, You Am I
You Am I
You Am I are an Australian alternative rock band, fronted by vocalist/guitarist and main songwriter Tim Rogers. They were the first Australian band to have three albums successively debut at #1 on the ARIA Charts, and are renowned for their live performances.-History:Tim Rogers formed the first...
’s Tim Rogers
Tim Rogers
Tim Rogers is the frontman of Australian rock band You Am I. He is also a solo artist, as well as having fronted and released albums with bands The Twin Set and The Temperance Union.-History:...
and Josh Pyke
Josh Pyke
Josh Pyke is an Australian singer-songwriting musician.-Beginnings and Feeding the Wolves :Josh Pyke was in his first band by age 12 and played his first performance in front of 650 parents and students at his primary school graduation. Playing guitar and initial song writing efforts came aged 14...
with a 17-piece band in August 2009. The group performed a tribute to The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' White
The Beatles (album)
The Beatles is the ninth official album by the English rock group The Beatles, a double album released in 1968. It is also commonly known as "The White Album" as it has no graphics or text other than the band's name embossed on its plain white sleeve.The album was written and recorded during a...
album for its 40th anniversary.
Six to Midnight
Grinspoon's next album, titled Six to MidnightSix to Midnight
Six to Midnight is the sixth studio album by Australian post-grunge band Grinspoon, released through Chk Chk Boom Records and Universal Music on 11 September 2009. "Dogs" was the first song made available to the public, being released for free over the internet before the album's release...
, was released on 11 September 2009 on the band's imprint Chk Chk Boom Records, distributed by Universal Records, which peaked at #6. Two tracks, "Dogs" and the first single, "Comeback", were released to radio earlier. For promotion of the album, the band toured in a more intimate setting than most of their previous concerts. On 6 November, Grinspoon played live on Triple J radio and confirmed that "Summer" was the second single from the album.
ARIA Awards
Grinspoon has won an Australian Recording Industry AssociationAustralian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
(ARIA) Music Award
ARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association...
from 13 nominations.
|-
| 1998
ARIA Music Awards of 1998
The 12th Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 20 October 1998 at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre...
|| Guide to Better Living
Guide To Better Living
Guide to Better Living is the debut studio album by Australian rock band Grinspoon. It was released in 1998 on Universal Music. The album reached number 12 on the Australian ARIA charts and spent 26 weeks on the national charts...
|| Breakthrough Artist - Album ||
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2000
ARIA Music Awards of 2000
The 14th Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 24 October 2000 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre...
|| Jonathon Burnside – Easy
Easy (Grinspoon album)
Easy is the second studio album by Australian rock band Grinspoon. This album was not released in the United States due to its commercial failure in Australia and the failure of the previous album Guide to Better Living in America. Four singles were released from the album, "Secrets", "Rock Show",...
|| Engineer of the Year ||
|-
| | Easy || Best Rock Album ||
|-
| rowspan="5"| 2002
ARIA Music Awards of 2002
The 16th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards were held on 15 October 2002 at the Sydney SuperDome.-ARIA Awards:...
|| rowspan="2"| New Detention
New Detention
New Detention is an album by Australian rock band Grinspoon. It was released on 3 June 2002. It peaked at #2 on the ARIA album charts. The album spawned four singles: "Chemical Heart", "Lost Control", "No Reason" and "1000 Miles"...
|| Best Rock Album ||
|-
| | Best Group ||
|-
| | "Chemical Heart
Chemical Heart
Chemical Heart was the first single released from Grinspoon's second studio album New Detention in 2002. It was a surprising change for fans because the grunge rock band had released ballads before, but they had never released one as their first single, and most people were expecting a hard rocking...
" || Single of the Year ||
|-
| Phil McKellar
Phil McKellar
Phil McKellar is an Australian record producer known for his work with many top Australian rock bands including The Butterfly Effect, You Am I, The Cruel Sea, Grinspoon, Dirty Three, The Mark Of Cain, Frenzal Rhomb, Spiderbait, Silverchair, Kisschasy, Ash, The Sunpilots, Tumbleweed, Nitocris, One...
– New Detention || Producer of the Year ||
|-
| Phil McKellar – "Chemical Heart" || Engineer of the Year ||
|-
| 2003
ARIA Music Awards of 2003
The 17th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards were held on 21 October 2003 at the Sydney Superdome.-ARIA Awards:*Album of the Year**Powderfinger – Vulture Street...
|| | Grinspoon – "No Reason" || Best Group ||
|-
| 2004
ARIA Music Awards of 2004
The 18th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards were held on 17 October 2004 at the Sydney Superdome within the Sydney Olympic Complex...
|| 23 Hours of Waiting Around || Best Music DVD ||
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2005
ARIA Music Awards of 2005
The 19th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards were held on 23 October 2005 at the Sydney Superdome at the Sydney Olympic Park complex, thus continuing the previous year's innovation of televising the awards on Sunday evening...
|| rowspan="2"| Thrills, Kills & Sunday Pills
Thrills, Kills & Sunday Pills
Thrills, Kills and Sunday Pills is the fourth studio album by Australian rock band, Grinspoon. It was released on 20 September 2004. The album represents a dramatic change in style towards a more mainstream, teen orientated image. "Hard Act to Follow" and "Hold on Me", were minor hits for the band,...
|| Best Group ||
|-
| | Best Rock Album ||
|-
| 2007
ARIA Music Awards of 2007
The 21st Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards were held on 28 October 2007 at the Acer Arena at the Sydney Olympic Park complex. Rove McManus was the host of the event...
|| Alibis & Other Lies
Alibis & Other Lies
Alibis & Other Lies is the fifth studio album by Grinspoon, which was released 21 July 2007. The first single from the album is Black Tattoo, being released as a digital download on 23 June and on Single 30 June 2007. Ramesh Sathiah, producer of Green Album and Licker Bottle Cozy, is producing the...
|| Best Rock Album ||
Discography
- Guide to Better LivingGuide To Better LivingGuide to Better Living is the debut studio album by Australian rock band Grinspoon. It was released in 1998 on Universal Music. The album reached number 12 on the Australian ARIA charts and spent 26 weeks on the national charts...
(1997) - EasyEasy (Grinspoon album)Easy is the second studio album by Australian rock band Grinspoon. This album was not released in the United States due to its commercial failure in Australia and the failure of the previous album Guide to Better Living in America. Four singles were released from the album, "Secrets", "Rock Show",...
(1999) - New DetentionNew DetentionNew Detention is an album by Australian rock band Grinspoon. It was released on 3 June 2002. It peaked at #2 on the ARIA album charts. The album spawned four singles: "Chemical Heart", "Lost Control", "No Reason" and "1000 Miles"...
(2002) - Thrills, Kills & Sunday PillsThrills, Kills & Sunday PillsThrills, Kills and Sunday Pills is the fourth studio album by Australian rock band, Grinspoon. It was released on 20 September 2004. The album represents a dramatic change in style towards a more mainstream, teen orientated image. "Hard Act to Follow" and "Hold on Me", were minor hits for the band,...
(2004) - Alibis & Other LiesAlibis & Other LiesAlibis & Other Lies is the fifth studio album by Grinspoon, which was released 21 July 2007. The first single from the album is Black Tattoo, being released as a digital download on 23 June and on Single 30 June 2007. Ramesh Sathiah, producer of Green Album and Licker Bottle Cozy, is producing the...
(2007) - Six to MidnightSix to MidnightSix to Midnight is the sixth studio album by Australian post-grunge band Grinspoon, released through Chk Chk Boom Records and Universal Music on 11 September 2009. "Dogs" was the first song made available to the public, being released for free over the internet before the album's release...
(2009)
External links
- Official website
- Grinspoon at Open Directory ProjectOpen Directory ProjectThe Open Directory Project , also known as Dmoz , is a multilingual open content directory of World Wide Web links. It is owned by Netscape but it is constructed and maintained by a community of volunteer editors.ODP uses a hierarchical ontology scheme for organizing site listings...