The Holy Sea
Encyclopedia
The Holy Sea is an Australian rock band formed around singer-songwriter Henry F. Skerritt. It formed in Perth
in 1999, before relocating to Melbourne
in 2004.
to critical acclaim, with The West Australian
declaring it a work of “provoking depth” and “moody genius”.
. Skerritt and Hoey reunited with original member Victor Utting and newly acquired drummer F. David Bower and entered Atlantis Studio to record. They were joined in the studio by cellist Gareth Skinner, bassist Andrew Fuller and vocalist Emma Frichot who would all soon join the group on a permanent basis, along with renowned pedal-steel player Garrett Costigan.
Although not a commercial success, A Beginner’s Guide to the Sea was met with critical acclaim with Drum Media
declaring it “evocative, rousing, brilliant!” Reviewers favourably compared the band to The Triffids
, The Go-Betweens
, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and The Drones
.
In 2009, The Holy Sea was invited by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds to perform at the All Tomorrow’s Parties
festival at Mount Buller in Victoria
, Australia
.
In October 2009, The Holy Sea released the double A-single 'Bad Luck/King of Palm Island'. 'King of Palm Island' recounted the death in custody of Palm Island resident Cameron Doomadgee. The singles preceded the 2010 release of the album 'Ghosts of the Horizon'. 'Ghosts of the Horizon' was The Holy Sea's most critically successful album, garnering positive reviews in most media outlets across Australia. Ghosts of the Horizon was nominated for album of the year in the annual Australian Rolling Stone magazine awards.
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 1999, before relocating to 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...
in 2004.
The Perth years: 1999-2003
The Holy Sea was formed in Perth in 1999 by singer-songwriter Henry F. Skerritt. The group originally performed under the moniker Henry F. Skerritt and the Holy Sea. In 2000, the band released their debut album Blessed UnrestBlessed Unrest (album)
-Musicians:*Henry F. Skerrit – Vocals, Guitar, Piano*David Bryceland – Drums*Cameron Knight - Bass*Kate Mathewson – Cello*Peter Thomsett – Guitar*Duncan Mah – Guitar*Matthew Ford – Rhodes*Chris Cobillis – Lap Steel*Ben Basell – Organ...
to critical acclaim, with The West Australian
The West Australian
The West Australian is the only locally-edited daily newspaper published in Perth, Western Australia, and is owned by ASX-listed Seven West Media . The West is published in tabloid format, as is the state's other major newspaper, The Sunday Times, a News Limited publication...
declaring it a work of “provoking depth” and “moody genius”.
The Melbourne years: 2003-present
In 2003, Skerritt relocated to Melbourne to indulge his passion for Australian art history - completing his Masters at the University of Melbourne before taking up a position as curator at a Melbourne gallery. Between 2003-2007, Skerrit performed sporadically around Melbourne as both a solo artist and accompanied by keyboard player Daniel Hoey. In 2007, Skerritt and Hoey decided to reform The Holy Sea to record their second album A Beginner’s Guide to the SeaA Beginner’s Guide to the Sea
-Musicians:*Henry F. Skerritt – Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica*Daniel Hoey – Piano, Rhodes, Organ, Harmonium*Victor Utting – Guitar, Percussion*F. David Bower – Drums, Percussion*Andrew Fuller – Bass*Emma Frichot – Backing Vocals...
. Skerritt and Hoey reunited with original member Victor Utting and newly acquired drummer F. David Bower and entered Atlantis Studio to record. They were joined in the studio by cellist Gareth Skinner, bassist Andrew Fuller and vocalist Emma Frichot who would all soon join the group on a permanent basis, along with renowned pedal-steel player Garrett Costigan.
Although not a commercial success, A Beginner’s Guide to the Sea was met with critical acclaim with Drum Media
Drum Media
Drum Media is a free weekly tabloid-sized music and lifestyle magazine established in 1990 and based in Sydney, Australia. It is distributed throughout Sydney, Wollongong, Newcastle and Canberra, and surrounding districts. A separate weekly issue began circulating in Perth in September 2006. The...
declaring it “evocative, rousing, brilliant!” Reviewers favourably compared the band to The Triffids
The Triffids
The Triffids were a seminal Australian alternative rock and pop band formed in Perth, Western Australia, in May 1978 with charismatic, David McComb as singer-songwriter, guitarist, bass guitarist and keyboardist. They achieved negligible success in Australia, but greater success in the U.K...
, 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,...
, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and The Drones
The Drones
The Drones are an Australian 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.- The Sound...
.
In 2009, The Holy Sea was invited by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds to perform 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....
festival at Mount Buller in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, 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...
.
In October 2009, The Holy Sea released the double A-single 'Bad Luck/King of Palm Island'. 'King of Palm Island' recounted the death in custody of Palm Island resident Cameron Doomadgee. The singles preceded the 2010 release of the album 'Ghosts of the Horizon'. 'Ghosts of the Horizon' was The Holy Sea's most critically successful album, garnering positive reviews in most media outlets across Australia. Ghosts of the Horizon was nominated for album of the year in the annual Australian Rolling Stone magazine awards.
Albums
- Blessed UnrestBlessed Unrest (album)-Musicians:*Henry F. Skerrit – Vocals, Guitar, Piano*David Bryceland – Drums*Cameron Knight - Bass*Kate Mathewson – Cello*Peter Thomsett – Guitar*Duncan Mah – Guitar*Matthew Ford – Rhodes*Chris Cobillis – Lap Steel*Ben Basell – Organ...
(2000) - A Beginner’s Guide to the SeaA Beginner’s Guide to the Sea-Musicians:*Henry F. Skerritt – Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica*Daniel Hoey – Piano, Rhodes, Organ, Harmonium*Victor Utting – Guitar, Percussion*F. David Bower – Drums, Percussion*Andrew Fuller – Bass*Emma Frichot – Backing Vocals...
(2008) - Ghosts of the Horizon (2010)
Singles/EPs
- Paddy, There’s Got to Be One More Bar Open/Ghost Town (2008)
- Bad Luck/King of Palm Island (2009)