The Jezabels
Encyclopedia
The Jezabels are a four-piece musical group from Sydney
. They formed after meeting at the University of Sydney
. Their music is hard to define into one specific genre, and has been described as a blend of indie pop
, indie rock
, rock
, and disco pop. The Jezabels themselves, somewhat jocularly, describe their genre to be "hipstensive".
before moving to Sydney
to attend university, where they met Nik Kaloper (drums) and Sam Lockwood (rhythm guitar), and formed the band.
As of 2011 they have released three EPs and one full-length album (see Discography).
They have received a substantial amount of airplay, including on Sydney's FBi Radio
and national youth broadcaster Triple J
. On 22 December 2009, they were the Triple J Unearthed featured artist. They have also received airplay in the United States
, where in August 2009, they debuted at #114 on the CMJ
top 200 and reached #96 for the single Disco Biscuit Love. Their She's So Hard EP was the #3 most added on US college radio.
"Disco Biscuit Love" was featured as the iTunes
(Australia) single of the week in the first week of July 2009. The single "Hurt Me" was featured as the iTunes
(Australia) single of the week in the third week of February 2010, and was Traxx Radio
's number 1 track of 2009.
The Jezabels had two songs featured in the Triple J Hottest 100, 2010
. "Easy To Love" came in at number 49, and "Mace Spray" at number 16.
They were nominated for Best Breakthrough Artist and Best Single / EP at the 2010 Independent Music Awards.
Two versions of the music video clip for "Disco Biscuit Love" were made. The "Hurt Me" clip was aired on Australian national television for a number of weeks in February 2010 by the ABC
's popular music video program, Rage
. It was also the Rage Indie Clip of the Week in March 2010. "Easy to Love" was aired on Rage in May 2010.
While not an official music video, their song "A Little Piece", is also featured in the Danny MacAskill
bicycle trials video "Way Back Home".
They have also toured the country to promote the release of their EPs. In November 2009, they did an East Coast Tour of Australia to launch their EP She's So Hard. In November and December 2010, they completely sold out all shows of a national tour launcing the EP Dark Storm.
The Jezabels have played at a number of festivals around the country. These include the Big Day Out
, Falls Festival
, Pyramid Rock
, Festival of the Sun
, Playground Weekender, Come Together
, Peats Ridge Festival
, St Jerome's Laneway Festival
and Soundwave. They are on the line-up to play Groovin' the Moo
festival 2011 and Splendour in the Grass
festival 2011.
The Jezabels have supported Canada’s Tegan & Sara
on their Australian tours, as well as some Australian acts including Regurgitator
, Bluejuice
, Dukes of Windsor
, Van She
, Sparkadia
, Josh Pyke
, Ghostwood
, Cassette Kids
, and Damn Arms.
In May 2010, they toured with Tegan & Sara around Australia. In June 2010, they toured with Katie Noonan and The Captains.
In October 2010 they played a 13 date tour of North America and Canada as the supporting act for Two Hours Traffic
, and will be returning to America for more shows in February and March 2011.
On the 11 July 2011, it was announced on the Jezabels' official Twitter site that their debut album is called Prisoner and will be released on 16 September 2011.
In November 2011, the song 'A Little Piece' was used for the Under Armour 'Are You HERE'commercial featuring basketball star Brandon Jennings.
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. They formed after meeting at the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
. Their music is hard to define into one specific genre, and has been described as a blend of indie pop
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
, 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...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, and disco pop. The Jezabels themselves, somewhat jocularly, describe their genre to be "hipstensive".
Band members
- Hayley Mary – vocals
- Heather Shannon – piano/keyboard
- Nik Kaloper – drums
- Samuel Lockwood – guitar
History
Hayley Mary (vocals) and Heather Shannon (piano/keyboard) first began playing together in Byron BayByron Bay, New South Wales
Byron Bay is a beachside town located in the far-northeastern corner of the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located north of Sydney and south of Brisbane. Cape Byron, a headland adjacent to the town, is the easternmost point of mainland Australia. At the 2006 Census, the town had a...
before moving to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
to attend university, where they met Nik Kaloper (drums) and Sam Lockwood (rhythm guitar), and formed the band.
As of 2011 they have released three EPs and one full-length album (see Discography).
They have received a substantial amount of airplay, including on Sydney's FBi Radio
FBi Radio
FBi is an independent, not-for-profit community radio station in Sydney, Australia. FBi places a heavy emphasis on local alternative music: it has a policy that at least 50 per cent of its music content is to be Australian, of which at least half comes from Sydney musicians.FBi began 'test...
and national youth broadcaster 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...
. On 22 December 2009, they were the Triple J Unearthed featured artist. They have also received airplay in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where in August 2009, they debuted at #114 on the CMJ
College Music Journal
College Music Journal, commonly known as CMJ, is a music events/publishing company which hosts an annual festival in New York City, the CMJ Music Marathon, as well as a weekly magazine of and for the music industry and college radio stations in the United States and Canada. It publishes top 30...
top 200 and reached #96 for the single Disco Biscuit Love. Their She's So Hard EP was the #3 most added on US college radio.
"Disco Biscuit Love" was featured as the iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
(Australia) single of the week in the first week of July 2009. The single "Hurt Me" was featured as the iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
(Australia) single of the week in the third week of February 2010, and was Traxx Radio
Traxx Radio
Traxx Radio, stylised as traxx, is an independent, listener supported internet radio station based in Brisbane, Australia. Its mission statement is "to support independent artists by connecting listeners to music that has meaning for them." It first started broadcasting in March 2008.The station's...
's number 1 track of 2009.
The Jezabels had two songs featured in the Triple J Hottest 100, 2010
Triple J Hottest 100, 2010
The 2010 Triple J Hottest 100 was announced and played on Australia Day, 26 January 2011. It is the eighteenth countdown of the most popular songs of the year, as chosen by the listeners of Australian radio station Triple J....
. "Easy To Love" came in at number 49, and "Mace Spray" at number 16.
They were nominated for Best Breakthrough Artist and Best Single / EP at the 2010 Independent Music Awards.
Music videos
The Jezabels have released music video clips for five of their tracks: "Disco Biscuit Love", "Hurt Me", "Easy to Love", "Mace Spray" and "Endless Summer" (see External Links).Two versions of the music video clip for "Disco Biscuit Love" were made. The "Hurt Me" clip was aired on Australian national television for a number of weeks in February 2010 by the ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
's popular music video program, Rage
Rage (TV program)
Rage is a popular all-night Australian music video program broadcast on ABC1 on Friday nights, Saturday mornings and Saturday nights. It was first screened on the weekend of Friday, 17 April 1987. With Soul Train no longer being produced, it is the oldest music television program currently still...
. It was also the Rage Indie Clip of the Week in March 2010. "Easy to Love" was aired on Rage in May 2010.
While not an official music video, their song "A Little Piece", is also featured in the Danny MacAskill
Danny MacAskill
Danny MacAskill, also known as 'Danny MegaSkill', is a Scottish trials cyclist, from Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye. He is 176 centimeters tall and works professionally as a street trials pro rider for Inspired Bicycles Ltd. He released , a five-and-a-half-minute street trials video, filmed by his...
bicycle trials video "Way Back Home".
Touring, festivals and support acts
The Jezabels state that they are predominately a live act and have been playing the indie circuit around Sydney the last few years. They have played a number of gigs at the Hopetoun and Annandale hotels, to positive reviews.They have also toured the country to promote the release of their EPs. In November 2009, they did an East Coast Tour of Australia to launch their EP She's So Hard. In November and December 2010, they completely sold out all shows of a national tour launcing the EP Dark Storm.
The Jezabels have played at a number of festivals around the country. These include 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...
, 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...
, Pyramid Rock
Pyramid Rock Festival
The Pyramid Rock Festival is a New Year's Eve camp-out rock music festival at Pyramid Rock, Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia.Beginning in 2004, it runs over two nights with two stages - the Main Stage, and the Pharaoh's Annex...
, Festival of the Sun
Festival of the Sun
Festival of the Sun is an annual outdoor music festival held in December at the Sundowner Breakwall Tourist Park[1], Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia...
, Playground Weekender, Come Together
Come Together Music Festival
Come Together is an all-ages Australian music festival performed at Luna Park Sydney. Beginning in 2005, it was originally two separate events, one in April and one in September. In 2006, a two-day festival was held in June , and the festival was again on the same long weekend in 2007...
, Peats Ridge Festival
Peats Ridge Festival
Peats Ridge Festival is a sustainable arts and music festival, held in Glenworth Valley, Peats Ridge, 1 hour north of Sydney and 90mins drive from Newcastle, New South Wales. Established in 2004, one year after the passing of the founder of the Glenworth Valley Horse Riding facility, the Festival...
, 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....
and Soundwave. They are on the line-up to play Groovin' the Moo
Groovin' the Moo
Groovin' The Moo is an annual music festival held at various 'regional centres' across Australia during the middle of the year.-History:The first incarnation of the festival occurred on the 24th of April 2005 at the Gloucester Showgrounds with crowds of over 1400, continuing to Narrandera with...
festival 2011 and Splendour in the Grass
Splendour in the Grass
Splendour in the Grass is an annual Australian music festival held in July at Woodford, Queensland, and previously held at Belongil Fields, outside Byron Bay...
festival 2011.
The Jezabels have supported Canada’s Tegan & Sara
Tegan and Sara
Tegan and Sara are a Canadian indie band composed of identical twin sisters Tegan Rain Quin and Sara Keirsten Quin . Both Tegan and Sara play guitar and keyboard and write songs.-History:...
on their Australian tours, as well as some Australian acts including Regurgitator
Regurgitator
Regurgitator are an Australian rock band from Brisbane, currently consisting of Quan Yeomans , Ben Ely and Peter Kostic . The band formed in 1994, its original line-up consisting of Yeomans, Ely and drummer Martin Lee...
, Bluejuice
Bluejuice
Bluejuice is a rock band based in Sydney, Australia. The group consists of Jake Stone, Stavros Yiannoukas, Jamie Cibej, Jerry Craib and James Hauptmann.They have released three studio albums; Problems, Head of the Hawk and Company....
, Dukes of Windsor
Dukes of Windsor
Dukes of Windsor are a Berlin-based Australian Electro/Rock group most noted for their single It's A War, released in Australia in 2008 and in Europe in early 2010, as well as their song The Others, remixed by Australian dance act TV Rock.-Biography:...
, Van She
Van She
Van She is an electropop band formed in 2005 in Sydney, Australia, with Matt Van Schie on bass guitar/vocals, Tomek Archer on drums/sequencer, Michael Di Francesco on synth/guitar and Nicholas Routledge on vocals/guitar...
, Sparkadia
Sparkadia
Sparkadia is the project of alternative pop musician Alexander Burnett. Originally a band, Sparkadia formed in Sydney, Australia, in 2004. Up until 2009, Sparkadia was a four-piece band.-History:...
, 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...
, Ghostwood
Ghostwood (band)
Ghostwood are an Alternative-Indie band formed in Sydney, Australia in 2006. They quickly established themselves on the Sydney indie scene, and signed to Modular Recordings for 1 EP in late 2006....
, Cassette Kids
Cassette Kids
Cassette Kids are a Sydney based band formed in 2007. They won the Unearthed Sydney 2008 Big Day Out competition and were nominated for a 2008 Unearthed J Award. Their song "You Take It" was a Triple J's Ausmusic Month featured track and had a video made for it which has appeared on Channel V, MTV...
, and Damn Arms.
In May 2010, they toured with Tegan & Sara around Australia. In June 2010, they toured with Katie Noonan and The Captains.
In October 2010 they played a 13 date tour of North America and Canada as the supporting act for Two Hours Traffic
Two Hours Traffic
Two Hours Traffic is a Canadian indie rock band, based in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. They are named after a line in the prologue to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Although often described as the band that Halifax guitarist Joel Plaskett took "under his wing", they have increasingly...
, and will be returning to America for more shows in February and March 2011.
On the 11 July 2011, it was announced on the Jezabels' official Twitter site that their debut album is called Prisoner and will be released on 16 September 2011.
In November 2011, the song 'A Little Piece' was used for the Under Armour 'Are You HERE'commercial featuring basketball star Brandon Jennings.
EPs
- The Man Is Dead EP (Feb 2009)
- She's So Hard EP (Nov 2009)
- Dark StormDark StormDark Storm is the third EP recorded and released by Australian four-piece musical group The Jezabels. It was released independently on the 1st of October 2010 through MGM Distribution.The EP debuted at No...
EP (Oct 2010) #40 AUS, #1 AUS iTunes Albums Chart (September 2010)
External links
- The Jezabels' official MySpace page
- The Jezabels' official Facebook page
- The Jezabels' official YouTube channel, Flash video software or a web browser supporting H.264 is necessary to see this content.
- Interview with Nik Kaloper from 'The Jezabels' on SBS Radio