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Silverchair

Biography

Silverchair quickly rose to international stardom in 1995 by mining a mix of Nirvana and Pearl Jam on their debut album, Frogstomp. Buoyed by the angst-ridden single "Tomorrow," Frogstomp topped the Australian charts and cracked the Top Ten in America, making Silverchair the first Australian act since INXS to enjoy such success in the States. The three bandmates gained just as much notoriety for their age; at the time Frogstomp was recorded, they were all 15 years old. While grunge's popularity decreased as the '90s progressed, Silverchair grew and continued to enjoy a wide audience, with both Freak Show and Neon Ballroom reaching platinum status at home and gold status abroad. By the time the group shed its post-grunge beginnings in favor of an expansive, imaginative sound (including string sections and progressive rock tendencies) in the 2000s, Silverchair had become one of Australia's most successful bands ever.

Originally called the Innocent Criminals, Silverchair was formed in 1992 in Newcastle, Australia, by three schoolmates: guitarist/vocalist Daniel Johns, bassist Chris Joannou, and drummer Ben Gillies. Two years later, their demo tape was chosen as the winner out of 800 entries in an Australian talent contest conducted by Nomad, an Australian music television show, and a local radio station, 2JJJ-FM. Included in the prize was a day in the radio station's recording studio, as well as a video for their winning song, "Tomorrow." 2JJJ-FM and Nomad began playing the video before the Innocent Criminals had signed a record contract, which helped the band earn a following of fans. It also began a bidding war among Australian record labels. By the end of the year they had a deal with Murmur, a subsidiary of Sony.

Before the release of their debut single, "Tomorrow," in September 1994, the group changed its name to Silverchair; the name was derived from Nirvana's "Sliver" (which was accidentally misspelled as "Silver") and You Am I's "Berlin Chair." "Tomorrow" became a major hit in Australia, reaching number one; it would eventually become the country's fourth-biggest-selling single ever, as well as the most played song of 1995 on U.S. modern rock radio. In January 1995, Silverchair released a second single, "Pure Massacre," which also hit number one. That same month, the band recorded their debut album, Frogstomp, in just over a week. Upon its release, Frogstomp became the first album to enter the Australian charts at number one, and it went platinum within a week; it would soon go multi-platinum and spend six weeks in a row at number one.

Silverchair's success in the United States was nearly as quick. Released in America in summer 1995, Frogstomp began climbing the U.S. charts quickly, thanks to heavy MTV exposure and modern rock airplay for "Tomorrow." Soon, the album went platinum in America as well, and by the end of 1995, "Pure Massacre" had become a radio/MTV hit in the U.S.

Silverchair toured throughout the first half of 1996, recording their second album in the second half. The band returned in early 1997 with Freak Show, a record that received better reviews than its predecessor yet failed to match its sales. The guys graduated from high school that same year, toured the world a few times, and looked ahead to their next album. Neon Ballroom followed two years later, and though songs like "Ana's Song (Open Fire)" (a track about Johns' struggle with an eating disorder) and "Anthem for the Year 2000" did moderately well on the charts, they also failed to do much for Silverchair's American sales. They toured extensively over 1999 in the U.S. and Europe before taking a year or so off to regroup. Their next album, 2002's Diorama, was a shockingly creative and impressive step forward that showed the band shedding their grunge past and adding horns, strings, and mature lyrics to their arsenal. It sold quickly in Australia and Silverchair picked up multiple ARIA Awards that year, including Best Rock Album and Best Group.

A year later, the band went on an indefinite hiatus, and Johns collaborated with Paul Mac as the Dissociatives, releasing a gold-selling album with him in 2004. Silverchair regrouped early the next year to put on a benefit concert for victims of the prior year's devastating tsunami. They soon began work on a new album, funding the recording themselves to remove the added label pressures from the past. The resulting Young Modern surfaced in early 2007 and debuted at the top of the Australian albums chart, making Silverchair the only Aussie band to enjoy five number one albums. Later that year, the band set another national record when they swept the ARIA Awards, bringing their total to 19 and eclipsing John Farnham's previous record. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine & Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide

Continued…

Selected Discography

Young Modern
2007

Diorama
2002

Neon Ballroom
1999

Freak Show
1997

Frogstomp
1995

Similar Artists

Foo Fighters
Pearl Jam
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Bush
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haasthebaas says:

11-16-2009

I have to say it is incredibly refreshing to know there are bands out there who can grow. They have come so far from their original sound, unlike so many others who continue to release the same sounding albums over and over and over and over and over and over.... Thank you silverchair for all the years of awesome and creative music.

wendel321 says:

10-25-2009

first off they had no grunge records and all they did was dress like kurt cobain and tried to be pearl jam and nirvana. I can sum it up in 2 words Post- Grunge

James Edwards says:

10-13-2009

Freak show is probably my favorite. Very moody, depressing. But brilliantly written. And then there's Spawn again. Great freakin song!

spencer says:

08-24-2009

Frog stomp may have been one of the best albums of its time. Its to bad they went the way of the so many good bands. they could have kept the same sound and kept on rockin'

Gabreil Blackshire says:

08-20-2009

I personally was into their first 3 'Grunge' records, songs like 'Anthem for the year 2000' kept me interested. However, they totally lost me with 'Diorama' and when I first heard 'Young Modern' it was quite apparent that this band does not want to truly 'ROCK' anymore and are happy making poppy crap made for Radio ears. Now with their credability shot and no longer able to tour with bands like Pearl Jam and the Screaming Trees they find themselves selling more albums but touring on pop tours.

sirenia1313 says:

07-02-2009

I haven't heard anything since neon ballroom. I also listened to them through middle school and high school and i am curious to know what they sound like now.

-Asphyxia- says:

06-10-2009

This came up on my Jesu Radio Station?! lol...

I didn't know they came out with anything after Diorama...I was a fan of them in high school (I'm 24 and have moved on to heavier things/haven ' t listened to them in ages...), and I've always thought Daniel and Co. were great musicians. He has a beautiful voice and is a great lyricist...S o m e of the melodies on Neon Ballroom and Diorama break my heart.

Is "Young Modern" similar to Diorama?

Tera Tenuta says:

05-18-2009

AMAZING..... until Younge Modern... not soo good

Bigun says:

04-27-2009

I don't think they should be talking about a "fat boy" in the song tomorrow. Hurts my feelings even though I'm hot and lean.

mardaque says:

04-10-2009

These guys are awesome live. I am glad that their music has evolved over time instead of them just recreating the same thing over and over. We now have a larger spectrum of emotions to experience when listening to Silverchair.

kgomez323 says:

03-18-2009

They are a true band! sure they "sounded" grunge when they were kids. But as real musicians, they progressed and are masters of what they do. I feel this band will never go away, they are just to damn great! listen and learn. The real fans stuck around! like moi :) They also throw a great live show. A must see.
Their heavy break downs=pure genius! fckkkkkkkk :)

THAT GUY says:

03-18-2009

pretty sure they havent been teenagers since about 1997. move on with that argument. dudes got chops. theyve changed alot in 15 years. good for them. go check your photo from 15 years ago and see if youre the same guy.

mike says:

12-15-2008

pure massacre is by far there best song. such raw aggression for such young lads at the time.

Weezie says:

12-09-2008

"Coming from teens???" What's that supposed to mean? I am no teenager, but cannot under estimate what some teenagers have. I believe that a younger mind or heart is sometimes more creative than an experienced one. People have less imagination when they get older.

Crowned and Conquering77 7 - says:

12-09-2008

No, they are awful. It is obviously music coming from teens.

zeroaffex says:

edited on 10-28-2008

Silverchair is the s**t, dont let anyone fool you. Best CD's to check out if your new to the chair is Frogstomp, Freakshow, and Neon Ballroom. Since Daniels annarexia went out of control, he became very ill and they canceled alot of tours. Thier music also changed to a softer light, Diorama and Young Modern. Some expect its Daniels disease that brought on the change others believe maturity. Either way, Silverchair kicks a**, and didnt have to abuse drugs and kill themselves in process. Nuff Said

karuspex says:

edited on 09-29-2008

I was wondering what happened to these guys. I never knew they released anything after Neon Ballroom. The music seems to have calmed down a lot in recent years. It's a much different sound than most of their earlier work, but I still like it.

Kevin says:

07-03-2008

I haven't heard a lot of their newer stuff but I love frogstomp, When you listen to the music on that cd its hard to believe that its coming from kids in their early teens. That isn't why I like it though, I actually bought and listened to the whole cd before finding out that they were so young. Just had such a cool sound, I can still listen to just about the whole cd and be entertained song after song.

greyghost says:

07-01-2008

I can only take so much of this band...like halfway thru a song...it just sounds no good after listening to Bush and Nirvana.

Mushroomhead Kev says:

06-01-2008

This guitar riff for "Leave Me Out" - sounds like Black Sabbath big time...Sweet Leaf.

dargis49 says:

05-31-2008

God the comment under me couldn't be any more wrong. Remember, these guys were 15 yrs old, signed at 14, when they made Frogstomp. Daniels Johns was named one of the 25 most underrated guitarist by Rolling Stone magazine.

But I guess you're entitled to your own opinion. Even if it is s**t.

Crowned and Conquering77 7 - says:

05-29-2008

probably one of the worst bands to ever come out of the 90's. I am worse off for having to hear this again. No offense.

ltredin says:

05-07-2008

I agree about them being the best live band. I saw them YEARS ago when they opened for the Red Hot Chili Peppers: I was BLOWN AWAY. They had to be 16 at the time as Frog Stomp was still out. They have evolved dramatically , but I still think they are great. If you like them, check out The Panic Channel: second best band I've ever seen live and Steve Isaacs has similar melodic vocals to Daniel Johns.

Ashley says:

05-03-2008

I've been in love with silverchair since forever and I love every album they've put out. I finally got to see them live (charolette, N C ) and it was probably the most amazing show I have ever seen.Not because of some flashy lights and speical effects but because of their amazing musicianship and stage presence. They are so talented, innovative and creative. Young Modern is a fantastic album and all should listen!

longhairedhi p p i e m f says:

04-25-2008

"ruiner" and "lady" - it's in the biography above how they got thier name.

lady_l2007 says:

03-15-2008

ruiner-That' s what I thought too-So, did they?

Alex Gallner says:

03-02-2008

Great band and inspiration to young musicians.

ruiner213117 says:

02-23-2008

Awesome band. But didn't they get their name from the C.S. Lewis novel "The Silver Chair"?

sellarsranda l l says:

02-18-2008

I saw this band perform pure massacre on either david letterman or leno, and it f-ing rocked!@!@!@ ! @ ! @ ! one of the best performances I've seen on television.

keep on keepingon says:

02-09-2008

lame city

valton stroud says:

11-19-2007

love it

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