The Hampdens
Encyclopedia
The Hampdens are a modern Australian band known for their literary lyrics, originally from Perth
, Western Australia
, but who are now based in Melbourne.
's novel "The Secret History
". The book focuses on a group of college kids embroiled in a pagan cult.
The Hampdens have played with Ben Lee
, Evermore, John Mayer
, Ray LaMontagne
, Thirsty Merc
, Sarah Harmer
, george
, Rob Thomas
, and Missy Higgins
.
Their debut independent EP
, Brightness Falls, was released independently in August, 2003 to rave reviews, with the first run sold out within two weeks. A second run was pressed and subsequently sold out. The success of the Brightness Falls lead to Sony releasing their follow up EP
, Even World, in May, 2004. Even World was recorded with Dave Parkin at Blackbird Studios in Perth
and mixed at Metropolis Studios in Melbourne. Their third EP
So Young It Hurts was released in 2005 on Rubber Records. The EP was mixed and recorded by renowned UK producer Eden, best known for his work as side-kick for Nellee Hooper
(Madonna
).
The band recently finished recording their debut album, The Last Party, in New York
. The Hampdens enlisted the services of Victor Van Vugt
(Beth Orton
, Nick Cave
and PJ Harvey
) to produce the album, with fellow Melbournian Matt Lovell
(Silverchair, Eskimo Joe) act as sound engineer. The first single from this album, "Generation Y", was released in July, 2007. The song is about beauty and hope, about white Converse sneakers and beating hearts in dark clubs, about a new generation for whom Kurt Cobain
is nostalgia
and ‘CK one’ is a cultural relic, about going back to the town you grew up in and burying your hands in the soil. "Generation Y" was also co-written by Julian Hamilton
of The Presets
.
In early, 2008 The Hampdens filmed a video for their second single, "Asleep on the Lawn", in Essendon West.
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....
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, but who are now based in Melbourne.
Biography
The band's name is taken from Hampden College in Donna TarttDonna Tartt
Donna Tartt is an American writer and author of the novels The Secret History and The Little Friend . She won the WH Smith Literary Award for The Little Friend in 2003.-Early life:...
's novel "The Secret History
The Secret History
The Secret History, the first novel by Mississippi-born writer Donna Tartt, was published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1992. A 75,000 print order was made for the first edition , and the book became a bestseller.Set in New England, The Secret History tells the story of a closely knit group of six classics...
". The book focuses on a group of college kids embroiled in a pagan cult.
The Hampdens have played with 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...
, Evermore, John Mayer
John Mayer
John Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
, Ray LaMontagne
Ray LaMontagne
Raymond "Ray" Charles Jack LaMontagne is a Grammy-award winning American singer-songwriter. LaMontagne has released four studio albums, Trouble, Till the Sun Turns Black, Gossip in the Grain and God Willin' & the Creek Don't Rise. He was born in New Hampshire and was inspired to create music after...
, Thirsty Merc
Thirsty Merc
Thirsty Merc are an Australian pop rock band formed in 2002 in Sydney, Australia. The band consists of Rai Thistlethwayte , Phil Stack , Karl Robertson , and Matt Smith ....
, Sarah Harmer
Sarah Harmer
Sarah Harmer is a Canadian singer-songwriter and activist.-Biography:Born and raised in Burlington, Ontario, Harmer gained her first exposure to the musician's lifestyle as a teenager, when her older sister Mary started taking her to concerts by the well-known Tragically Hip. At the age of 17, she...
, george
George (band)
George are a rock band from Brisbane, Australia. Their first album, Polyserena reached #1 in the Australian Charts on 17 March 2002.-History:...
, Rob Thomas
Rob Thomas (musician)
Robert Kelly "Rob" Thomas is an American rock recording artist and songwriter. He is the primary songwriter and lead singer of the band Matchbox Twenty. Thomas also records and performs as a solo artist...
, and Missy Higgins
Missy Higgins
Melissa "Missy" Morrison Higgins is an Australian pop singer-songwriter, musician and actor. Her No. 1 albums in Australia are The Sound of White and On a Clear Night , and her Top Ten singles are "Scar", "The Special Two", "Steer" and "Where I Stood". From a musical family in...
.
Their debut independent 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...
, Brightness Falls, was released independently in August, 2003 to rave reviews, with the first run sold out within two weeks. A second run was pressed and subsequently sold out. The success of the Brightness Falls lead to Sony releasing their follow up 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...
, Even World, in May, 2004. Even World was recorded with Dave Parkin at Blackbird Studios in Perth
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....
and mixed at Metropolis Studios in Melbourne. Their third 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...
So Young It Hurts was released in 2005 on Rubber Records. The EP was mixed and recorded by renowned UK producer Eden, best known for his work as side-kick for Nellee Hooper
Nellee Hooper
Nellee Hooper is a British producer/remixer/composer best known for his work with Björk, No Doubt/Gwen Stefani, Madonna, Sinéad O'Connor, Garbage, Andrea Corr, U2, Sneaker Pimps, Soul II Soul and Massive Attack...
(Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
).
The band recently finished recording their debut album, The Last Party, in 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...
. The Hampdens enlisted the services of Victor Van Vugt
Victor Van Vugt
Victor Van Vugt is an award-winning music producer, mixer and engineer. An Australian based in New York, he has had a long association with the careers of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Beth Orton. He has also worked with the likes of P.J...
(Beth Orton
Beth Orton
Beth Orton is a BRIT Award–winning English singer-songwriter, known for her 'folktronica' sound, which mixes elements of folk and electronica. She was initially recognised for her collaborations with William Orbit and the Chemical Brothers in the mid 1990s. However, these were not Orton's first...
, Nick Cave
Nick Cave
Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
and PJ Harvey
PJ Harvey
Polly Jean Harvey is an English musician, singer-songwriter, composer and occasional artist. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments including piano, organ, bass, saxophone, and most recently, the autoharp.Harvey began her career in...
) to produce the album, with fellow Melbournian Matt Lovell
Matt Lovell
Matt Lovell is a notable Australian record producer and mixer for many artists, such as; Something for Kate, The Mess Hall, Tom Morgan and Shihad...
(Silverchair, Eskimo Joe) act as sound engineer. The first single from this album, "Generation Y", was released in July, 2007. The song is about beauty and hope, about white Converse sneakers and beating hearts in dark clubs, about a new generation for whom Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
is nostalgia
Nostalgia
The term nostalgia describes a yearning for the past, often in idealized form.The word is a learned formation of a Greek compound, consisting of , meaning "returning home", a Homeric word, and , meaning "pain, ache"...
and ‘CK one’ is a cultural relic, about going back to the town you grew up in and burying your hands in the soil. "Generation Y" was also co-written by Julian Hamilton
Julian Hamilton
Julian Thomas Hamilton is a singer, song-writer and keyboardist, who, with bandmate Kim Moyes, makes up successful Sydney electronica duo, The Presets.-Biography:...
of 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...
.
In early, 2008 The Hampdens filmed a video for their second single, "Asleep on the Lawn", in Essendon West.
Discography
- Brightness Falls (August, 2003) Independent/MGM DistributionMGM DistributionMGM Distribution is the largest independent distributor of Australian music and music related merchandise and was established in April 1998 by Sebastian Chase....
- Even World (May, 2004) Sony BMG
- So Young It Hurts (August 8, 2005) Rubber Records
- The Last Party (May 17, 2008) Warner Music
External links
- Official Website
- http://www21.sbs.com.au/alchemy/index.php?pg=ct&ct=1&sc=2&id=619The Hampdens Interview with Alchemy SBS RadioSBS RadioSBS Radio is a service provided by the Special Broadcasting Service '..to inform, educate and entertain Australians, especially those of non-English speaking backgrounds'. SBS Radio originally began as two stations based in Melbourne and Sydney, set up to provide pre-recorded information about the...
2008]