The Drones
Encyclopedia
The Drones are an Australia
n rock group who rose to prominence during the early 2000s. They are influenced by a variety of bands and soloists including Neil Young
, The Velvet Underground
, Bad Brains
, Suicide
, Green on Red
, The Birthday Party
, Van Morrison
, Bob Dylan
and Nina Simone
.
brought to a wider audience. The Drones also explore the music of the Australia bush made popular in Australia
by Weddings Parties Anything
. The Drones left Australia in 2005 to concentrate on the European market, where a larger market would make it easier to support their unconventional sound. However, they eventually returned to Australia to find a groundswell of interest in them—generated by acclaim and publicity both at home and abroad. Lead singer Gareth Liddiard is known for his thick Australian accent and political lyrics.
in 1998 and included a varied line up over the next few years. The mainstays of the band, Rui Pereira and Gareth Liddiard, had previously played together in the 'Gutterville Splendour Six', with musicians in the original Perth incarnations including Warren Hall (Moth, Gutterville Splendour Six) on drums and guitarist James McCann (Harpoon, Nunchukka Superfly, Lowdorados, Gutterville Six). Steve Joines (The Kill Devil Hills
, Gutterville) replaced McCann when McCann relocated to Sydney. In early 2000, Liddiard and Pereira headed to the east coast to accelerate their progress. Initially they met with little success and endured tough conditions including an extended stay in a decrepit Victorian caravan park, and sleeping on an old mattress found on the roadside. Guitarist Brendan Humphries (Sweeney Todd and His Elephant Men, Gutterville Splendour Six, The Kill Devil Hills
) was included among the first of the Melbourne lineups, and later Fiona Kitschin (also from Perth) was recruited on bass. Christian Strybosch (Stunt Car Drivers) replaced Hall on drums, Humphries returned to Perth, and the lineup of Liddiard, Pereira, Kitschin and Strybosch went on to record in one day an EP
. The ‘self-titled' EP was released in mid 2001 and instantly found The Drones receiving air-play on public radio, and a considerable amount of coverage in the street press.
Voted as the “best new local talent” in 2001 by Patrick Donovan, music editor for The Age
newspaper. Sophie Best, a respected freelance journo for Beat Magazine, The Age and her own webzine Back Porch by the end of that year was talking up “The Drones” and they made her top ten as well.
The band then signed to Spooky Records, releasing their debut album, Here Come The Lies
in August 2002. Two further 7" singles, "The Cockeyed Lowlife of the Highlands" and "Bird in a Church", were released in 2002.
were undertaken during 2004. But once the album was completed, the band had legal problems that stalled the release for over a year. Influential Melbourne indie music figure Bruce Milne
's In-Fidelity label eventually released it in early 2005, to enthusiastic reviews from the underground music press. The album was also nominated for Triple J
's inaugural J Award
prize in 2005 (which was eventually won by Wolfmother
), and topped many Australian critics' end-of-year Top 10 lists. Furthermore, Triple J
put the album tracks "Shark Fin Blues" and "Baby²" on medium rotation. During an extensive six month tour encompassing Europe and the US, All Tomorrow's Parties
issued Wait Long by the River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By
outside of Australia
towards the end of 2005. Strybosch left around this time to join Dan Kelly
and the Alpha Males, and Mike Noga (Sandro) took his place.
In 2006, a record of outtakes from Here Come the Lies and Wait Long by the River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By
called The Miller's Daughter was released by Bang! Records (a Spanish label which has many other underground Australian bands on its roster). Later that April, up against other notable bands such as Wolfmother
, The Go-Betweens
, TZU
, The Devastations
, The Mess Hall
, Tex, Don & Charlie
and Ben Lee
, Wait Long by the River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By
won the inaugural Australian Music Prize
. The Drones continued to tour throughout the year, including a support slot on You Am I
's Australian tour in July.
In September 2009 Wait Long... was performed live in its entirety as part of the All Tomorrow's Parties
-curated Don't Look Back
series.
In a poll of contemporary Australian songwriters organised by Triple J
, "Shark Fin Blues
", was voted by as the greatest Australian song.
The Drones third studio album Gala Mill
was recorded in an old mill at Gala Farm in Cranbrook, Tasmania
. It was released in September, 2006. The album was also nominated for the 2006
Australian Music Prize. The Drones were also nominated as 'Most Outstanding New Independent Artist' at the 2006 inaugural AIR (Australian Independent Record Labels Association
) Chart Awards.
In late 2006, Liddiard announced that Rui Pereira had left the band, to be replaced by Dan Luscombe (The Blackeyed Susans
, Dan Kelly and the Alpha Males
, Stardust Five
). Luscombe debuted for The Drones at the 2006 Meredith Music Festival
.
On 15 November 2006 The Drones, through the American label, Spaceland Recordings, released a live album recorded at Spaceland
an alternative rock
/indie rock
nightclub
in the Silver Lake
neighborhood of Los Angeles, California
.
In 2007 The Drones toured with the Big Day Out
before undertaking a four month tour around Europe (with shows in Norway, France and Italy), commencing in April with a performance at the All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival
in the UK, curated by The Dirty Three. The band's European tour was followed by a national tour of Australia, with Snowman
. 2007 also saw the release of the band's first DVD
, Live in Madrid, a live performance by the band at the Gruta 77 club in Madrid
.
featuring new songs "The Minotaur" and "Nail It Down", the first songs from their next album, Havilah
. Havilah was released 20 September 2008 in Australia, with a worldwide release following in February 2009. The band undertook a national tour to promote the album in November, performed at the Falls Festival
in December and toured Australia in February 2009 as part of the St Jerome's Laneway Festival
.
More European and American dates are confirmed for 2009 including a performance at the All Tomorrow's Parties
New York Festival in September.
At the fourth annual AIR Awards held on 22 November 2009 The Drones won two awards, 'Best Independent Album of the Year' for Havilah
and 'Independent Artist of the Year'.
At the inaugural Australian Rolling Stone
Awards, held in Sydney in January 2010, The Drones won the 'Best Live Act' award.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n rock group who rose to prominence during the early 2000s. They are influenced by a variety of bands and soloists including Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
, The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City. First active from 1964 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists. Although experiencing little commercial success while together, the band is often cited...
, Bad Brains
Bad Brains
Bad Brains is an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1977. They are widely regarded as among the pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members objected to this term to describe their music. They are also an adept reggae band, while later recordings featured elements of...
, Suicide
Suicide (band)
Suicide is an American electronic protopunk musical duo, intermittently active since 1970 and composed of vocalist Alan Vega and Martin Rev on synthesizers and drum machines. They are an early synthesizer/vocal musical duo....
, Green on Red
Green on Red
Green on Red was an American rock band, formed in the Tucson, Arizona punk scene, but based for most of its career in Los Angeles, California, where it was loosely associated with the Paisley Underground...
, The Birthday Party
The Birthday Party (band)
The Birthday Party were an Australian rock band, active from 1973 to 1983.Despite being championed by John Peel, The Birthday Party found little commercial success during their career...
, Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
and Nina Simone
Nina Simone
Eunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
.
The Sound
Musically the band does not fit easily into conventional rock music categories. While some of their material is based on conventional rock sounds and song structures, they also venture into the noisy, atonal, blues-based music that Tom WaitsTom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
brought to a wider audience. The Drones also explore the music of the Australia bush made popular in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
by Weddings Parties Anything
Weddings Parties Anything
Weddings Parties Anything were an Australian folk rock band formed in 1984 in Melbourne and continuing until 1998. Their name came from The Clash song and musicologist Billy Pinnell described their first album as the best Australian rock debut since Skyhooks' Living in the '70s.-Formation and...
. The Drones left Australia in 2005 to concentrate on the European market, where a larger market would make it easier to support their unconventional sound. However, they eventually returned to Australia to find a groundswell of interest in them—generated by acclaim and publicity both at home and abroad. Lead singer Gareth Liddiard is known for his thick Australian accent and political lyrics.
Early history (1998–2003)
The first incarnation of The Drones formed in PerthPerth, 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 1998 and included a varied line up over the next few years. The mainstays of the band, Rui Pereira and Gareth Liddiard, had previously played together in the 'Gutterville Splendour Six', with musicians in the original Perth incarnations including Warren Hall (Moth, Gutterville Splendour Six) on drums and guitarist James McCann (Harpoon, Nunchukka Superfly, Lowdorados, Gutterville Six). Steve Joines (The Kill Devil Hills
The Kill Devil Hills
The Kill Devil Hills were formed in 2003 in Fremantle, Western Australia as an acoustic, country-tinged 3-piece, which slowly swelled its ranks to become a rambling 6-piece outfit....
, Gutterville) replaced McCann when McCann relocated to Sydney. In early 2000, Liddiard and Pereira headed to the east coast to accelerate their progress. Initially they met with little success and endured tough conditions including an extended stay in a decrepit Victorian caravan park, and sleeping on an old mattress found on the roadside. Guitarist Brendan Humphries (Sweeney Todd and His Elephant Men, Gutterville Splendour Six, The Kill Devil Hills
The Kill Devil Hills
The Kill Devil Hills were formed in 2003 in Fremantle, Western Australia as an acoustic, country-tinged 3-piece, which slowly swelled its ranks to become a rambling 6-piece outfit....
) was included among the first of the Melbourne lineups, and later Fiona Kitschin (also from Perth) was recruited on bass. Christian Strybosch (Stunt Car Drivers) replaced Hall on drums, Humphries returned to Perth, and the lineup of Liddiard, Pereira, Kitschin and Strybosch went on to record in one day an 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...
. The ‘self-titled' EP was released in mid 2001 and instantly found The Drones receiving air-play on public radio, and a considerable amount of coverage in the street press.
Voted as the “best new local talent” in 2001 by Patrick Donovan, music editor for The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
newspaper. Sophie Best, a respected freelance journo for Beat Magazine, The Age and her own webzine Back Porch by the end of that year was talking up “The Drones” and they made her top ten as well.
The band then signed to Spooky Records, releasing their debut album, Here Come The Lies
Here Come the Lies
Here Come The Lies is the debut album released by Perth band The Drones in August, 2002 on Spooky Records. The album was selected as 3PBS 106.7FM's 'Feature Album of the Week', 3RRR FM's 'Album of the Week' and Beat Magazine's 'Album of the Week'....
in August 2002. Two further 7" singles, "The Cockeyed Lowlife of the Highlands" and "Bird in a Church", were released in 2002.
Wait Long by the River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By/Gala Mill (2004–2007)
Sessions for what would become their second album Wait Long by the River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float ByWait Long by the River...
Wait Long By The River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By is the second album released by The Drones, a band formed in Perth and based in Melbourne....
were undertaken during 2004. But once the album was completed, the band had legal problems that stalled the release for over a year. Influential Melbourne indie music figure Bruce Milne
Bruce Milne
Bruce Milne is an Australian music entrepreneur closely linked to the Melbourne post-punk scene. He founded the independent record label Au-Go-Go in 1979....
's In-Fidelity label eventually released it in early 2005, to enthusiastic reviews from the underground music press. The album was also nominated for 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...
's inaugural J Award
J Award
The J Award is an award given by influential Australian youth radio station Triple J to Australian Album of the Year. It is judged by a panel of members of the music industry, led by Richard Kingsmill...
prize in 2005 (which was eventually won by 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,...
), and topped many Australian critics' end-of-year Top 10 lists. Furthermore, 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...
put the album tracks "Shark Fin Blues" and "Baby²" on medium rotation. During an extensive six month tour encompassing Europe and the US, All Tomorrow's Parties
All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)
All Tomorrow's Parties is a music festival which takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex and Butlin's holiday camp in Minehead, Somerset, England....
issued Wait Long by the River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By
Wait Long by the River...
Wait Long By The River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By is the second album released by The Drones, a band formed in Perth and based in Melbourne....
outside of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
towards the end of 2005. Strybosch left around this time to join Dan Kelly
Dan Kelly (musician)
Daniel "Dan" Kelly is an Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is the second oldest of six children and the nephew of Paul Kelly. He grew up in Queensland and learnt the guitar at thirteen, studying Environmental Science at University, in Brisbane, in 1990...
and the Alpha Males, and Mike Noga (Sandro) took his place.
In 2006, a record of outtakes from Here Come the Lies and Wait Long by the River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By
Wait Long by the River...
Wait Long By The River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By is the second album released by The Drones, a band formed in Perth and based in Melbourne....
called The Miller's Daughter was released by Bang! Records (a Spanish label which has many other underground Australian bands on its roster). Later that April, up against other notable bands such as 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,...
, The Go-Betweens
The Go-Betweens
The Go-Betweens were an indie rock band formed in Brisbane, Australia in 1977 by singer-songwriters and guitarists, Robert Forster and Grant McLennan. They were later joined by Lindy Morrison on drums, Robert Vickers on bass guitar and Amanda Brown on violin, oboe, guitar, and backing vocals,...
, TZU
TZU
For the ancient chinese military strategist and author, see Sun Tzu.TZU are an Australian hip hop group, originating from Melbourne, Victoria. They are known for live shows with significant crowd involvement, at festivals such as Big Day Out, Falls Festival, MS Fest and the Meredith Music Festival,...
, The Devastations
The Devastations
Devastations are an indie rock band from Melbourne, Australia. The band was founded in 2002 by the three friends Tom Carlyon, Hugo Cran and Conrad Standish after the end of their former band Luxedo....
, The Mess Hall
The Mess Hall
The Mess Hall are a two-piece drums and guitar combo based in Sydney, Australia specialising in "raw, edgy bluesy rock." The band consists of Jed Kurzel and Cec Condon ....
, Tex, Don & Charlie
Tex, Don and Charlie
Tex, Don and Charlie is an Australian super group formed by Tex Perkins from The Cruel Sea, Beasts of Bourbon and others, Don Walker from Cold Chisel and widely respected guitarist Charlie Owen. Their first album Sad But True was released in 1993 with the second released in 2005.The band was...
and Ben Lee
Ben Lee
Benjamin Michael "Ben" Lee is an ARIA Award winning musician and actor. Lee began his career as a musician at the age of 14 with the Sydney band Noise Addict, but focused on his solo career when the band broke up in 1995. He appeared as the protagonist in the Australian film The Rage in Placid Lake...
, Wait Long by the River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By
Wait Long by the River...
Wait Long By The River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By is the second album released by The Drones, a band formed in Perth and based in Melbourne....
won the inaugural Australian Music Prize
Australian Music Prize
The Australian Music Prize is an annual award of $30,000 given to an Australian band or solo artist in recognition of the merit of an album released during the year of award. The award made by Australian Music Prize Ltd, a sole-purpose entity sponsored by a variety of music industry figures and...
. The Drones continued to tour throughout the year, including a support slot on 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 Australian tour in July.
In September 2009 Wait Long... was performed live in its entirety as part of the All Tomorrow's Parties
All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)
All Tomorrow's Parties is a music festival which takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex and Butlin's holiday camp in Minehead, Somerset, England....
-curated Don't Look Back
Don't Look Back (concert series)
Don't Look Back is a yearly series of concerts in which London based promoters All Tomorrow's Parties ask artists and bands to play one of their seminal albums live in its entirety...
series.
In a poll of contemporary Australian songwriters organised by 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...
, "Shark Fin Blues
Shark Fin Blues
"Shark Fin Blues" is a double A-side single taken from The Drones' Australian Music Prize-winning Wait Long By The River And The Bodies Of Your Enemies Will Float By. The single was released 25 September 2006...
", was voted by as the greatest Australian song.
The Drones third studio album Gala Mill
Gala Mill
Gala Mill is the fourth album from The Drones, released in September 2006. The album peaked at #66 in the Australian album chartsRecorded in a mill on an isolated farm on Tasmania’s east coast, Gala Mill is an album full of extremes - moments of stark, ghostly beauty are set against outbursts of...
was recorded in an old mill at Gala Farm in Cranbrook, Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. It was released in September, 2006. The album was also nominated for the 2006
2006 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2006.-January:*January 10 – Eric Burdon releases his album Soul of a Man and begins touring with a new band....
Australian Music Prize. The Drones were also nominated as 'Most Outstanding New Independent Artist' at the 2006 inaugural AIR (Australian Independent Record Labels Association
Australian Independent Record Labels Association
The Australian Independent Record Labels Association is a non profit, non government association dedicated to supporting the growth and development of Australia’s independent recording sector...
) Chart Awards.
In late 2006, Liddiard announced that Rui Pereira had left the band, to be replaced by Dan Luscombe (The Blackeyed Susans
The Blackeyed Susans
The Blackeyed Susans are an Australian rock band, formed in Perth in 1989, based in Melbourne since 1992.-Perth 1989-1990:The original line-up consisted of David McComb on vocals and guitar, Alsy MacDonald on drums , Phil Kakulas on bass guitar , Rob Snarski on vocals and guitar, and...
, Dan Kelly and the Alpha Males
Dan Kelly (musician)
Daniel "Dan" Kelly is an Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is the second oldest of six children and the nephew of Paul Kelly. He grew up in Queensland and learnt the guitar at thirteen, studying Environmental Science at University, in Brisbane, in 1990...
, Stardust Five
Stardust Five
Stardust Five is five-piece surf rock/pop band based in Melbourne, Australia. The members of the band Dan Kelly, Paul Kelly, Dan Luscombe, Peter Luscombe and Bill MacDonald have played, in other bands including The Last Gasp, Dan Kelly and the Alpha Males, Max Q, The Blackeyed Susans and Michelle...
). Luscombe debuted for The Drones at the 2006 Meredith Music Festival
Meredith Music Festival
The Meredith Music Festival is a three-day outdoor music festival held every December at the Supernatural Amphitheatre, a natural amphitheatre located on private farmland near the town of Meredith in Victoria, Australia...
.
On 15 November 2006 The Drones, through the American label, Spaceland Recordings, released a live album recorded at Spaceland
Spaceland
Spaceland was an alternative rock/indie rock nightclub in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, that existed between 1995 and 2011. The club was formerly a gay disco called Dreams...
an alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
/indie rock
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...
nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
in the Silver Lake
Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California
Silver Lake is a hilly neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California east of Hollywood and northwest of Downtown Los Angeles. Silver Lake is inhabited by a wide variety of ethnic and socioeconomic groups, but it is best known as an eclectic gathering of hipsters and the creative class.The...
neighborhood of Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.
In 2007 The Drones toured with the Big Day Out
Big 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...
before undertaking a four month tour around Europe (with shows in Norway, France and Italy), commencing in April with a performance at the All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival
All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)
All Tomorrow's Parties is a music festival which takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex and Butlin's holiday camp in Minehead, Somerset, England....
in the UK, curated by The Dirty Three. The band's European tour was followed by a national tour of Australia, with Snowman
Snowman (band)
Snowman were a band originally from Perth, Western Australia. They relocated to London in 2008, and disbanded in 2011.-History:Snowman began playing together in various incarnations and under different names during their high school years. Joseph McKee and Andy Citawarman met when they were...
. 2007 also saw the release of the band's first DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, Live in Madrid, a live performance by the band at the Gruta 77 club in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
.
The Minotaur and Havilah (2008–present)
In July 2008 The Drones released a digital/12" EPExtended 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...
featuring new songs "The Minotaur" and "Nail It Down", the first songs from their next album, Havilah
Havilah (album)
Havilah is the fifth studio album by Australian band The Drones, released in September 2008 and February 2009 by ATP Recordings. The title of the album is a biblical reference to a Shangri-La-esque town with an abundance of gold. It is also the name of a valley near where the album was recorded...
. Havilah was released 20 September 2008 in Australia, with a worldwide release following in February 2009. The band undertook a national tour to promote the album in November, performed at the 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...
in December and toured Australia in February 2009 as part of the St Jerome's Laneway Festival
St Jerome's Laneway Festival
Known simply as the Laneway or St. Jerome's Festival, the music festival began in Caledonian Lane in Melbourne in 2004. Emerging as an indie music event, the Laneway Festival has grown rapidly in popularity, receiving favourable reviews in music press....
.
More European and American dates are confirmed for 2009 including a performance at the All Tomorrow's Parties
All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)
All Tomorrow's Parties is a music festival which takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex and Butlin's holiday camp in Minehead, Somerset, England....
New York Festival in September.
At the fourth annual AIR Awards held on 22 November 2009 The Drones won two awards, 'Best Independent Album of the Year' for Havilah
Havilah (album)
Havilah is the fifth studio album by Australian band The Drones, released in September 2008 and February 2009 by ATP Recordings. The title of the album is a biblical reference to a Shangri-La-esque town with an abundance of gold. It is also the name of a valley near where the album was recorded...
and 'Independent Artist of the Year'.
At the inaugural Australian Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone Australia
Rolling Stone Australia is an Australian-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published monthly, it is the Australian edition of the United States' Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone was initially released in Melbourne in May 1970 as a supplement in Revolution, an...
Awards, held in Sydney in January 2010, The Drones won the 'Best Live Act' award.
Current members
- Gareth Liddiard - vocals, guitar
- Fiona Kitschin - bass
- Dan Luscombe - guitar
- Michael Noga - drums
Albums
- Here Come the LiesHere Come the LiesHere Come The Lies is the debut album released by Perth band The Drones in August, 2002 on Spooky Records. The album was selected as 3PBS 106.7FM's 'Feature Album of the Week', 3RRR FM's 'Album of the Week' and Beat Magazine's 'Album of the Week'....
- Spooky RecordsSpooky RecordsSpooky Records is a garage and hard rock record label formed in Melbourne, Australia in 1999. Artists who have albums released under the Spooky label include The Beasts of Bourbon, The Devastations, Electric Eel Shock, King Daddy and The Drones.-Artists:...
(August 2002) - Wait Long by the River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float ByWait Long by the River...Wait Long By The River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By is the second album released by The Drones, a band formed in Perth and based in Melbourne....
- In-Fidelity/ATP RecordingsATP RecordingsATP Recordings is a record label that was started in 2001 by London concert promoter Barry Hogan of Foundation/All Tomorrow's Parties. It was originally created to bring out a compilation cd after the Tortoise-curated All Tomorrow's Parties event...
(April 2005) - The Miller's DaughterThe Miller's DaughterThe Miller's Daughter is the third album released by Perth band The Drones. The album was also released as a limited vinyl edition and included an extra track, "Well Well Well"....
- Bang! Records (2005) - Gala MillGala MillGala Mill is the fourth album from The Drones, released in September 2006. The album peaked at #66 in the Australian album chartsRecorded in a mill on an isolated farm on Tasmania’s east coast, Gala Mill is an album full of extremes - moments of stark, ghostly beauty are set against outbursts of...
- ATP RecordingsATP RecordingsATP Recordings is a record label that was started in 2001 by London concert promoter Barry Hogan of Foundation/All Tomorrow's Parties. It was originally created to bring out a compilation cd after the Tortoise-curated All Tomorrow's Parties event...
(September 2006) (No.66 AUS) - Live in SpacelandLive in SpacelandSpaceland Presents - The Drones In Spaceland November 15, 2006 is the first live album from The Drones, released in February 2007. The album is a ten track live recording, released through the American label, Spaceland Recordings, and recorded at Spaceland an alternative rock/indie rock nightclub...
- Spaceland Recordings (February 2007) - Live at the Annandale Hotel 18th, 19 October 2007 (2008)
- HavilahHavilah (album)Havilah is the fifth studio album by Australian band The Drones, released in September 2008 and February 2009 by ATP Recordings. The title of the album is a biblical reference to a Shangri-La-esque town with an abundance of gold. It is also the name of a valley near where the album was recorded...
- ATP RecordingsATP RecordingsATP Recordings is a record label that was started in 2001 by London concert promoter Barry Hogan of Foundation/All Tomorrow's Parties. It was originally created to bring out a compilation cd after the Tortoise-curated All Tomorrow's Parties event...
(September 2008)
Miscellaneous
- Self-titled DemoThe Drones (EP)The Drones is the first recording released by Perth band The Drones. It is a self titled demo EP with a limited run of 500.-Track listing:# "Six Ways to Sunday"# "Motherless Children"# "Dekalb Blues"# "The Island"...
- Independent (limited run of 500) (2001) - "Cockeyed Lowlife of the Highlands"/"Mean Streak" - Sonico Records 7" Single (2002)
- "Bird in a Church"/"Slamming on the Brakes" - In-Fidelity Records 7" Single (2002)
- "Shark Fin Blues"/"You Really Don't CareShark Fin Blues"Shark Fin Blues" is a double A-side single taken from The Drones' Australian Music Prize-winning Wait Long By The River And The Bodies Of Your Enemies Will Float By. The single was released 25 September 2006...
" - ATP RecordingsATP RecordingsATP Recordings is a record label that was started in 2001 by London concert promoter Barry Hogan of Foundation/All Tomorrow's Parties. It was originally created to bring out a compilation cd after the Tortoise-curated All Tomorrow's Parties event...
/In-Fidelity Records 7" Single (2005) - Custom Made - ATP RecordingsATP RecordingsATP Recordings is a record label that was started in 2001 by London concert promoter Barry Hogan of Foundation/All Tomorrow's Parties. It was originally created to bring out a compilation cd after the Tortoise-curated All Tomorrow's Parties event...
7" single (four songs) (28 October 2007) - Live in Madrid - Munster Records DVDDVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
(2007) - The Minotaur EP - ATP RecordingsATP RecordingsATP Recordings is a record label that was started in 2001 by London concert promoter Barry Hogan of Foundation/All Tomorrow's Parties. It was originally created to bring out a compilation cd after the Tortoise-curated All Tomorrow's Parties event...
12"/Digital (six songs) (July 2008)