Little Birdy
Encyclopedia
Little Birdy are an Australian indie rock
band formed in Perth, Western Australia
in 2002 by singer and guitarist Katy Steele
, drummer Matt Chequer, guitarist and keyboardist Simon Leach, and bass guitarist Scott O'Donoghue. They gained public attention when their single "Relapse" gained popularity on alternative radio stations such as Triple J
, leading them to be signed with the record label Eleven: A Music Company
. To date, they have released three studio albums (all three of which entered the top ten in the ARIA charts
), two EPs, and ten singles.
's father Rick Steele is a local blues musician in various cover bands, and her brothers Jesse and Luke were both members of The Sleepy Jackson
. Jesse left the band in 2000. Steele was the singer-songwriter and guitarist in her band, The Plastik Scene. A friend of Luke's, Simon Leach, heard Steele singing at her brother's 21st birthday party. "Katy was always there... She was around 15 when I saw her sing. Three years later, Katy and I were playing together". Steele left her band and, with Leach as drummer, they performed several gigs as a duo. Scott ('Barney') O'Donoghue later offered to play bass guitar. Leach became tired of percussion and began playing guitar when Matt Chequer joined on drums. In 2002 Little Birdy was formed, named after the Ween
song of the same name
.
A demo, leaked to radio, was played on alternative stations. A friend of the band dropped a copy at band manager Phil Stevens' home (manager of The Waifs
, John Butler Trio
and The Flairz
). Stevens offered his management services. The band supported Placebo
, Morcheeba
, and The Superjesus
in Perth concerts. A home recording of one of their songs won a WAMi Award
for 'Indie-Alternative Song of the Year'. Triple J
, a national radio station, started playing an early version of "Relapse", while local Perth radio station Nova 93.7
aired a demo of "Baby Blue". As a result of independent media coverage and radio playing demos, Australian labels sought to sign the band. Little Birdy opted for the independent Eleven
label with distribution through Virgin Records
-EMI
. Steele, along with Leach, who was a graphic designer
, quit their jobs and became full-time musicians after the signing.
in October 2003, which peaked at No. 27 on the ARIA Singles Chart
. "Relapse" reached No. 16 on the Triple J Hottest 100
and "Baby Blue" attained No. 25. In September, Steele, in an interview on Whammo.com.au, described the band's progress: "I think we've already written a lot of the first album already. A lot of songs we play live would be awesome if they were recorded". The band played gigs in London
and New York
later that year, with interest from international record companies.
Their second EP, This Is a Love Song
, was issued in March 2004 and debuted at No. 22. Also in that month, Steele won the inaugural Jessica Michalik Contemporary Music Award
, presented by The Big Day Out. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2004
, "Relapse" was nominated for 'Breakthrough Artist - Single'.
In October, the band released their debut album, BigBigLove
, which was produced and engineered by Paul McKercher (The Cruel Sea
, Spiderbait
, Augie March
) and peaked at No. 5 on the ARIA Albums Chart. It contains new versions of "Beautiful" (renamed "Beautiful to Me
") and "Relapse", and includes "I Should've Known" with its original title of "Andy Warhol". The album received generally positive critical reviews. Two tracks reached the Triple J Hottest 100 of 2004
, "Beautiful to Me" at No. 8 and "Tonight's the Night
" at No. 78. Another track, "This Is a Love Song", taken from their This Is a Love Song
, attained No. 40.
In 2005, at the WAMi Awards, Steele won 'Best Female Vocalist' and "Beautiful to Me" won 'Most Popular Music Video'. Additional nominations were, Leach for 'Best Guitarist', the band for 'Best Popular Act', 'Most Popular Commercial Pop Act' and 'Best Indie/Pop Act', and BigBigLove as 'Most Popular Album'. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2005
, BigBigLove was nominated in four categories: 'Breakthrough Artist - Album', 'Best Rock Album', 'Producer of the Year" (McKercher), and 'Engineer of the Year' (McKercher). Also that year, Little Birdy's version of "Six Months in a Leaky Boat
" from the tribute album, She Will Have Her Way
, of Neil
and Tim Finn
songs performed by female Australian and New Zealand musicians, reached No. 96 on Triple J's Hottest 100 of 2005
.
During 2006, the band recorded tracks for their second album, Hollywood, which peaked at No. 9 in October. The first single was "Come on Come on
", in September, which reached No. 18 – the group's highest charting single to date. It was placed 11th on the Triple J Hottest 100, 2006
.
In 2008, the band relocated to Melbourne and started recording a third album, Confetti
, which they released in May 2009 and peaked at No. 6. A website was created for previews of new recordings and videos of studio sessions. The album was self-produced and the band worked with engineer-mixer Steven Schram. It was nominated for 'Best Adult Contemporary Album' and 'Engineer of the Year' (Schram) at the ARIA Music Awards of 2009
. In February, they issued a music video for the first song, "Brother". The song features Paul Kelly
on backing vocals and harmonica.
Confettis first official single, "Summarize", was released in April, it was followed by "Hairdo" and "Stay Wild". In February 2010, Chequer announced on the band's website that Steele moved to New York and expected to work on her debut solo album, Leach was working on solo material, O'Donoghue was working with other bands, and Chequer himself was doing production work. Steel trialled some solo material at four Australian concerts in May.
during the Australian leg of their world tour in 2005. Little Birdy appeared at national festivals in 2007, including Falls Festival
, Big Day Out, Sonic Bloom Festival, Southbound
(in Busselton, Western Australia
), and Great Escape Festival
(Sydney). The band played at the Australian Grand Prix
in Melbourne and supported Eskimo Joe
's national tour in May. They were unlisted performers at the 18th East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival
.
Little Birdy appeared at Sound Relief
at the Sydney Cricket Ground
in March 2009, which was a benefit concert for victims of Victorian bush fires
and Queensland floods. The Sydney concert included, Coldplay
featuring John Farnham
, Eskimo Joe, Hoodoo Gurus
, Icehouse
, Jet
, Josh Pyke
, The Presets
, Wolfmother
, You Am I
, Architecture in Helsinki
, Marcia Hines
, Taylor Swift
, and Barry Gibb
with Olivia Newton-John
.
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band formed in Perth, Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
in 2002 by singer and guitarist Katy Steele
Katy Steele
Katy Steele is the vocalist, guitarist and songwriter of four piece rock band Little Birdy.-Biography:Katy Steele was born Kate Elizabeth Steele in Perth, Western Australia on 9 September 1983, and has a fraternal twin brother, Jake. She and her brother are the youngest in the family...
, drummer Matt Chequer, guitarist and keyboardist Simon Leach, and bass guitarist Scott O'Donoghue. They gained public attention when their single "Relapse" gained popularity on alternative radio stations such as 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...
, leading them to be signed with the record label Eleven: A Music Company
Eleven: A Music Company
Eleven: A Music Company is an Australian record label known for its small but successful roster, including Silverchair and Missy Higgins. The company was founded on 11 November 2000 by leading artist manager John Watson.-History:...
. To date, they have released three studio albums (all three of which entered the top ten in the ARIA 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...
), two EPs, and ten singles.
Early history
Katy SteeleKaty Steele
Katy Steele is the vocalist, guitarist and songwriter of four piece rock band Little Birdy.-Biography:Katy Steele was born Kate Elizabeth Steele in Perth, Western Australia on 9 September 1983, and has a fraternal twin brother, Jake. She and her brother are the youngest in the family...
's father Rick Steele is a local blues musician in various cover bands, and her brothers Jesse and Luke were both members of The Sleepy Jackson
The Sleepy Jackson
The Sleepy Jackson are an Australian alternative rock band formed in Perth, Western Australia. The band's name was inspired by a former drummer who was narcoleptic. The band revolves around the distinctive vocal style of multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Luke Steele...
. Jesse left the band in 2000. Steele was the singer-songwriter and guitarist in her band, The Plastik Scene. A friend of Luke's, Simon Leach, heard Steele singing at her brother's 21st birthday party. "Katy was always there... She was around 15 when I saw her sing. Three years later, Katy and I were playing together". Steele left her band and, with Leach as drummer, they performed several gigs as a duo. Scott ('Barney') O'Donoghue later offered to play bass guitar. Leach became tired of percussion and began playing guitar when Matt Chequer joined on drums. In 2002 Little Birdy was formed, named after the Ween
Ween
Ween is an American alternative rock group. They formed in 1984 in New Hope, Pennsylvania when central members Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo met in an eighth grade typing class. Ween has a large cult underground fanbase despite being generally unknown in American pop music...
song of the same name
Little Birdy (song)
"Little Birdy" is a song by the rock band Ween that appeared as the opening track of their 1992 album Pure Guava. The song features voice modulation to make the vocal track first lower and higher in pitch. The lyrics express admiration of the happiness of a certain bird...
.
A demo, leaked to radio, was played on alternative stations. A friend of the band dropped a copy at band manager Phil Stevens' home (manager of The Waifs
The Waifs
The Waifs are an Australian folk rock band formed in 1992 by Josh Cunningham , and sisters Vikki Thorn and Donna Simpson...
, John Butler Trio
John Butler Trio
The John Butler Trio are an eclectic roots and jam band from Australia led by guitarist and vocalist John Butler. They formed in Fremantle in 1998 with Jason McGann on drums and Gavin Shoesmith on bass guitar...
and The Flairz
The Flairz
The Flairz were a garage rock band from Perth, Western Australia.-History:All three founding members were 10 years old and already writing their own songs when they started to get their first press in 2003. The Flairz then played their first show in December 2003...
). Stevens offered his management services. The band supported Placebo
Placebo (band)
Placebo are a British rock band from London, England, formed in 1994 by singer and guitarist Brian Molko and bass guitarist Stefan Olsdal. The band was joined by drummer Robert Schultzberg, who was later replaced by Steve Hewitt after conflicts with Molko. Hewitt left the band in October 2007 and...
, Morcheeba
Morcheeba
Morcheeba are a British band, mixing influences from trip hop, rock, R&B, and pop.They have produced 7 albums since 1995, two of which reached the UK top ten.-Biography:...
, and The Superjesus
The Superjesus
The Superjesus were an ARIA award–winning rock band from Adelaide, Australia. They are best known for their singles "Shut My Eyes", "Down Again" and "Gravity".-History:...
in Perth concerts. A home recording of one of their songs won a WAMi Award
West Australian Music Industry Awards
The Western Australian Music Industry Awards are annual awards presented to the local contemporary music industry, put on by the Western Australian Music Industry Association Inc...
for 'Indie-Alternative Song of the Year'. 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...
, a national radio station, started playing an early version of "Relapse", while local Perth radio station Nova 93.7
Nova (radio network)
Nova is a name given to a group of Australian radio stations. The group comprises five stations all owned by DMG Radio Australia, apart from the Perth station, which is a joint venture between DMG and the Australian Radio Network....
aired a demo of "Baby Blue". As a result of independent media coverage and radio playing demos, Australian labels sought to sign the band. Little Birdy opted for the independent Eleven
Eleven: A Music Company
Eleven: A Music Company is an Australian record label known for its small but successful roster, including Silverchair and Missy Higgins. The company was founded on 11 November 2000 by leading artist manager John Watson.-History:...
label with distribution through Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
-EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
. Steele, along with Leach, who was a graphic designer
Graphic designer
A graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published, printed or electronic media, such as brochures and...
, quit their jobs and became full-time musicians after the signing.
Recording career
Little Birdy released their self-titled debut EP Little BirdyLittle Birdy (EP)
Little Birdy is the debut EP by Australian indie rock band Little Birdy. The EP was co-produced by Little Birdy with Andy Lawson, Joel Quartermain, and Rodney Aravena from Perth's Debaser Studios...
in October 2003, which peaked at No. 27 on the ARIA Singles Chart
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...
. "Relapse" reached No. 16 on the Triple J Hottest 100
Triple J Hottest 100, 2003
The 2003 Triple J Hottest 100, announced on 26 January 2004, was the eleventh such countdown of the most popular songs of the year, according to listeners of the Australian radio station Triple J. As in previous years, a CD featuring 40 songs was released. A DVD, containing film clips of songs...
and "Baby Blue" attained No. 25. In September, Steele, in an interview on Whammo.com.au, described the band's progress: "I think we've already written a lot of the first album already. A lot of songs we play live would be awesome if they were recorded". The band played gigs in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
later that year, with interest from international record companies.
Their second EP, This Is a Love Song
This Is a Love Song EP
This Is a Love Song EP is the second EP by Australian indie rock band Little Birdy, and the follow-up to the highly successful Little Birdy EP. It was released on 1 March 2004 and debuted at number 22 on the ARIA Singles Chart on 8 March 2004.. "This Is a Love Song" ranked number 40 on Triple J's...
, was issued in March 2004 and debuted at No. 22. Also in that month, Steele won the inaugural Jessica Michalik Contemporary Music Award
Jessica Michalik
Jessica Anna Michalik was an Australian teenage girl from Dee Why, Sydney who died as a result of asphyxiation five days after being crushed in a mosh pit during the 2001 Big Day Out music festival during a performance by nu metal band Limp Bizkit.-Incident:The Coroner's Court of New South Wales...
, presented by The Big Day Out. At the ARIA Music Awards of 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...
, "Relapse" was nominated for 'Breakthrough Artist - Single'.
In October, the band released their debut album, BigBigLove
BigBigLove
BigBigLove is the debut studio album by Australian indie rock band Little Birdy, released in Australia on 4 October 2004. It reached number 5 in the ARIA music charts and was certified gold less than a month after its release...
, which was produced and engineered by Paul McKercher (The Cruel Sea
The Cruel Sea (band)
The Cruel Sea are an Australian indie rock band from Sydney formed in late 1987. Originally an instrumental-only band, they became more popular when fronted by vocalist Tex Perkins in addition to Jim Elliott on drums, Ken Gormly on bass guitar, Dan Rumour on guitar and James Cruickshank on guitar...
, Spiderbait
Spiderbait
Spiderbait are an Australian alternative rock band formed in Finley in 1989 by bass guitarist Janet English, singer-drummer Mark Maher , and guitarist Damian Whitty. In 2004 the group's cover version of the 1930s Lead Belly song "Black Betty" reached number one on the ARIA Singles Chart...
, Augie March
Augie March
Augie March are an Australian indie/pop rock band. Formed in 1996 in Shepparton, Victoria, the band currently consists of vocalist and rhythm guitarist Glenn Richards, lead guitarist Adam Donovan, bassist Edmondo Ammendola, drummer David Williams, and keyboardist Kiernan Box...
) and peaked at No. 5 on the ARIA Albums Chart. It contains new versions of "Beautiful" (renamed "Beautiful to Me
Beautiful to Me
"Beautiful to Me" is the first single by Australian indie rock band Little Birdy, from their debut album BigBigLove. It was released on 13 September 2004 and reached number 27 on the ARIA Singles Charts....
") and "Relapse", and includes "I Should've Known" with its original title of "Andy Warhol". The album received generally positive critical reviews. Two tracks reached the Triple J Hottest 100 of 2004
Triple J Hottest 100, 2004
The 2004 Triple J Hottest 100 was announced on 26 January 2005. It was the twelfth such countdown of the most popular songs of the year, according to listeners of the Australian radio station Triple J....
, "Beautiful to Me" at No. 8 and "Tonight's the Night
Tonight's the Night (Little Birdy song)
"Tonight's the Night" is the second single from Little Birdy's debut album BigBigLove and was released 29 November 2004 by Eleven and distributed by Virgin/EMI. The song appeared at No. 76 on the ARIA Singles Chart Top 100...
" at No. 78. Another track, "This Is a Love Song", taken from their This Is a Love Song
This Is a Love Song EP
This Is a Love Song EP is the second EP by Australian indie rock band Little Birdy, and the follow-up to the highly successful Little Birdy EP. It was released on 1 March 2004 and debuted at number 22 on the ARIA Singles Chart on 8 March 2004.. "This Is a Love Song" ranked number 40 on Triple J's...
, attained No. 40.
In 2005, at the WAMi Awards, Steele won 'Best Female Vocalist' and "Beautiful to Me" won 'Most Popular Music Video'. Additional nominations were, Leach for 'Best Guitarist', the band for 'Best Popular Act', 'Most Popular Commercial Pop Act' and 'Best Indie/Pop Act', and BigBigLove as 'Most Popular Album'. At the ARIA Music Awards of 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...
, BigBigLove was nominated in four categories: 'Breakthrough Artist - Album', 'Best Rock Album', 'Producer of the Year" (McKercher), and 'Engineer of the Year' (McKercher). Also that year, Little Birdy's version of "Six Months in a Leaky Boat
Six Months in a Leaky Boat
"Six Months in a Leaky Boat" is a single from New Zealand art rock group Split Enz's album Time and Tide. It was written by Tim Finn and released as a single in 1982....
" from the tribute album, She Will Have Her Way
She Will Have Her Way
She Will Have Her Way is a compilation album featuring female Australian and New Zealand musicians performing songs written by Neil Finn and Tim Finn , members of Split Enz and Crowded House...
, of Neil
Neil Finn
Neil Mullane Finn, OBE is a New Zealand Pop recording artist. Along with his brother Tim Finn, he was the co-frontman for Split Enz and is now frontman for Crowded House...
and Tim Finn
Tim Finn
Brian Timothy "Tim" Finn, OBE is a New Zealand singer and musician. Finn is most known for his music with New Zealand 1970s and 1980s rock group Split Enz, and later for his solo work, a temporary membership in his brother Neil's band Crowded House and his joint efforts with Neil Finn as the Finn...
songs performed by female Australian and New Zealand musicians, reached No. 96 on Triple J's Hottest 100 of 2005
Triple J Hottest 100, 2005
The 2005 Triple J Hottest 100 was announced on 26 January 2006. It was the thirteenth such countdown of the most popular songs of the year, according to listeners of the Australian radio station Triple J....
.
During 2006, the band recorded tracks for their second album, Hollywood, which peaked at No. 9 in October. The first single was "Come on Come on
Come on Come on (song)
"Come On Come On" is the first single from Little Birdy's second album Hollywood and was released on 15 September 2006. The single debuted at #18 on the Australia ARIA Singles Charts and achieved #11 on Triple J's Hottest 100 for that year....
", in September, which reached No. 18 – the group's highest charting single to date. It was placed 11th on the Triple J Hottest 100, 2006
Triple J Hottest 100, 2006
The 2006 Triple J Hottest 100 was announced on Australia Day, 26 January 2007. It is the fourteenth such countdown of the most popular songs of the year, as voted by listeners of the Australian radio station Triple J....
.
In 2008, the band relocated to Melbourne and started recording a third album, Confetti
Confetti (Little Birdy album)
Confetti is the third studio album by Australian indie rock band Little Birdy, released on 8 May 2009. It debuted at number 6 on the ARIA album charts.-Background:...
, which they released in May 2009 and peaked at No. 6. A website was created for previews of new recordings and videos of studio sessions. The album was self-produced and the band worked with engineer-mixer Steven Schram. It was nominated for 'Best Adult Contemporary Album' and 'Engineer of the Year' (Schram) at the ARIA Music Awards of 2009
ARIA Music Awards of 2009
The 23rd Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards took place on 26 November 2009 at the Acer Arena at the Sydney Olympic Park complex. The ceremony was telecast on the Nine Network at 8:30pm that night...
. In February, they issued a music video for the first song, "Brother". The song features Paul Kelly
Paul Kelly (musician)
Paul Maurice Kelly is an Australian rock music singer-songwriter, guitarist, and harmonica player. He has performed solo, and has led numerous groups, including the Dots, the Coloured Girls, and the Messengers. He has worked with other artists and groups, including associated projects Professor...
on backing vocals and harmonica.
Confettis first official single, "Summarize", was released in April, it was followed by "Hairdo" and "Stay Wild". In February 2010, Chequer announced on the band's website that Steele moved to New York and expected to work on her debut solo album, Leach was working on solo material, O'Donoghue was working with other bands, and Chequer himself was doing production work. Steel trialled some solo material at four Australian concerts in May.
Touring
Little Birdy undertook their own concerts throughout Australia in 2004 and 2005. They supported R.E.M.R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
during the Australian leg of their world tour in 2005. Little Birdy appeared at national festivals in 2007, including Falls Festival
Falls Festival
The Falls Festival is a New Year's Eve music festival, held annually in Lorne, Victoria and Marion Bay, Tasmania Australia since 1993.It lasts four days, from 29 December to 1 January each year. The headline acts play mostly over two evenings, 30 December and 31 December...
, Big Day Out, Sonic Bloom Festival, Southbound
Southbound (festival)
Southbound is an arts, camping and music festival. A variety of Australian and international artists perform at this event. The festival occurs annually, early January, at the Sir Stewart Bovell Park in Busselton, Western Australia.-History:...
(in Busselton, Western Australia
Busselton, Western Australia
-Growth and development:According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics the Shire had a permanent resident population of 25,950 in 2004 with the town of Busselton accounting for 67% or 17,400 of the total. The Shire's permanent population is expected to continue to increase significantly to...
), and Great Escape Festival
The Great Escape (festival)
The Great Escape was a music festival held at Newington Armory, located within Sydney Olympic Park that took place in 2006 and 2007. Initially held over the Easter long weekend for the first two events, in 2008 it was announced the festival would take place on the Labour Day weekend, however the...
(Sydney). The band played at the Australian Grand Prix
Australian Grand Prix
The Australian Grand Prix is a motor race held annually and is held to be the pinnacle of motor racing in Australia. The Grand Prix is the oldest surviving motor racing competition held in Australia having been held 76 times since it was first run at Phillip Island in 1928. Since 1985 the race has...
in Melbourne and supported Eskimo Joe
Eskimo Joe
Eskimo Joe is an Australian alternative rock band formed by Stuart MacLeod on guitars, Joel Quartermain on drums and guitar and Kavyen Temperley on bass guitar and vocals, in East Fremantle, Western Australia in 1997....
's national tour in May. They were unlisted performers at the 18th East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival
East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival
The East Coast International Blues & Roots Music Festival, also known as Byron Bay Bluesfest, is an annual music festival held for five days over the Easter long weekend at Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia...
.
Little Birdy appeared at Sound Relief
Sound Relief
Sound Relief was a multi-venue rock music concert held on 14 March 2009, which was announced by the Premier of Victoria, John Brumby on 24 February 2009...
at the Sydney Cricket Ground
Sydney Cricket Ground
The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian...
in March 2009, which was a benefit concert for victims of Victorian bush fires
February 2009 Victorian bushfires
The Black Saturday bushfires were a series of bushfires that ignited or were burning across the Australian state of Victoria on and around Saturday, 7 February 2009...
and Queensland floods. The Sydney concert included, Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
featuring John Farnham
John Farnham
John Peter Farnham, AO, formerly billed as Johnny Farnham , is an English-born Australian pop singer. He was a teen pop idol from 1964 to 1979, and has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer. His career has mostly been as a solo artist although he briefly replaced Glenn Shorrock as...
, Eskimo Joe, Hoodoo Gurus
Hoodoo Gurus
Hoodoo Gurus are an Australian rock band, formed in Sydney in 1981, by the mainstay Dave Faulkner and later joined by Richard Grossman , Mark Kingsmill , and Brad Shepherd...
, Icehouse
Icehouse (band)
Icehouse is an Australian rock band, formed as Flowers in 1977 in Sydney. Initially known in Australia for their pub rock style, they later achieved mainstream success playing new wave and synthpop style music and attained Top Ten singles chart success in both Europe and the U.S...
, Jet
Jet (band)
Jet are an Australian rock band formed in 2001 while attending St Bede's College Mentone in Melbourne, . The band consists of lead guitarist Cameron Muncey, bassist Mark Wilson, and brothers Nic and Chris Cester on vocals/rhythm guitar and drums respectively...
, 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...
, The Presets
The Presets
The Presets are an Australian electronic duo formed in 2003, consisting of Julian Hamilton on vocals and keyboards, and Kim Moyes on drums and keyboards. They released their debut album Beams in 2005 to positive critical response. Their 2008 release Apocalypso debuted at number-one on the ARIA...
, Wolfmother
Wolfmother
Wolfmother is an Australian rock band from Erskineville, Sydney. Formed in 2000, the group was originally a trio composed of vocalist and guitarist Andrew Stockdale, bassist and keyboardist Chris Ross and drummer Myles Heskett. Wolfmother released their self-titled debut album in October 2005,...
, 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...
, Architecture in Helsinki
Architecture in Helsinki
Architecture in Helsinki is an Australian indie pop band which consists of Cameron Bird, Gus Franklin, Jamie Mildren, Sam Perry, and Kellie Sutherland...
, Marcia Hines
Marcia Hines
Marcia Elaine Hines, AM is a vocalist, actress and TV personality who achieved success in her adopted homeland of Australia. Hines made her debut, at the age of sixteen, in the Australian version of the stage musical Hair and followed with the role of Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar...
, Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
, and Barry Gibb
Barry Gibb
Barry Alan Crompton Gibb, CBE , is a singer, songwriter and producer. He was born in the Isle of Man to English parents. With his brothers Robin and Maurice, he formed The Bee Gees, one of the most successful pop groups of all time. The trio got their start in Australia, and found their major...
with Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
.
Members
- Matt Chequer – drums, percussion
- Simon Leach – guitar, synthesiser, steel guitarSteel guitarSteel guitar is a type of guitar or the method of playing the instrument. Developed in Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a steel guitar is usually positioned horizontally; strings are plucked with one hand, while the other hand changes the pitch of one or more strings with the use...
- Scott 'Barney' O'Donoghue – bass guitar, vocals, melodicaMelodicaThe melodica, also known as the "blow-organ" or "key-flute", is a free-reed instrument similar to the melodeon and harmonica. It has a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. Pressing a key opens a hole,...
, harmonica - Katy SteeleKaty SteeleKaty Steele is the vocalist, guitarist and songwriter of four piece rock band Little Birdy.-Biography:Katy Steele was born Kate Elizabeth Steele in Perth, Western Australia on 9 September 1983, and has a fraternal twin brother, Jake. She and her brother are the youngest in the family...
– vocals, guitar - Fergus Deasy – keyboards, vocals, synthesiser, guitar
Discography
Studio albums- BigBigLoveBigBigLoveBigBigLove is the debut studio album by Australian indie rock band Little Birdy, released in Australia on 4 October 2004. It reached number 5 in the ARIA music charts and was certified gold less than a month after its release...
(2004) - Hollywood (2006)
- ConfettiConfetti (Little Birdy album)Confetti is the third studio album by Australian indie rock band Little Birdy, released on 8 May 2009. It debuted at number 6 on the ARIA album charts.-Background:...
(2009)