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Silverchair: Bands
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Silverchair's last release Diorama was the band's grand statement. They were shedding the angst of their grunge past and launching into a new place where orchestral sounds and a full sense of space would play greater prominence. In Young Modern there's an infusive sense of joy in their transformation. Perfectly titled, the album celebrates youthfulness, discovery and romance.
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In the mid-nineties, the Australian trio Silverchair was a true boy band - very young men playing strong, original hard-rock songs on their own instruments. Drummer Ben Gillies, bassist Chris Joannou and singer-guitarist-songwriter Daniel Johns are still young (in their late twenties).
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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.
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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 which received better reviews than its predecessor yet failed to match its sales. The bland Neon Ballroom followed two years later, but ... failed to do much for their American sales. But the 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. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide', 'The Australian grunge band Silverchair quickly rose to international stardom in 1995 with their debut album, Frogstomp. Sounding like a bastard offspring of Nirvana and Pearl Jam, Silverchair...');">Expand [+]
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Silverchair was formed in 1992 as Innocent Criminals. Singer/guitarist Daniel Johns and drummer Ben Gillies started playing music together at their primary school, and when they both moved on to Newcastle High School, long time schoolmates Chris Joannou joined the band on bass. They played many shows around the Hunter Valley region in their early teens. They participated in Youthrock in 1994, a nationally recognised competition for school-based bands, although they did not win the competition[1].
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With front man Daniel Johns at the helm, Silverchair refuses to do the same thing twice. When the Australian trio released their first album, Frogstomp, in 1995, they were merely 15 years old. Each new album since has been a dramatic departure from the last, and the band eventually shed their sticky grunge image with 2002’s Diorama. A returning cast of producer Nick Launay (INXS, Talking Heads), mixer David Bottrill (Tool, Muse), and legendary composer Van Dyke Parks (U2, Beach Boys) coddled Young Modern--yet another completely different version of Silverchair. The lyrics are pensive, the melodies cathartic, and the music is distinctly refined. Having already proven his epic vocal ability, Johns appeals to more creativity and experimentation this time around.
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