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''For the American band with a similar name, see Blackeyed Susan.'' The Blackeyed Susans are an Australian rock band, which formed in
Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
in 1989. Long serving members are Phil Kakulas on bass guitar, guitar and vocals; and Rob Snarski on vocals and guitar. They have released seven studio albums, ''
Welcome Stranger The Welcome Stranger is the biggest alluvial gold nugget that has ever been found, which had a calculated refined weight of .Potter, Terry F. (1999) ''The Welcome Stranger: a definitive account of the worlds largest alluvial gold nugget''. I ...
'' (August 1992), '' All Souls Alive'' (December 1993), '' Mouth to Mouth'' (July 1995), ''
Spin the Bottle Spin the bottle is a kissing party game commonly played by teenagers. The game was very popular among teenagers during the second half of the 20th century because it fostered "sexual" interactions between boys and girls. It has even been describe ...
'' (July 1997), ''
Dedicated to the Ones We Love ''Dedicated to the Ones We Love'' is the fifth studio album by the Australian folk rock group The Blackeyed Susans and was released on 23 April 2001. It is the first issued on their own label, Teardrop, and was distributed through Shock Records. ...
'' (23 April 2001), ''
Shangri-La Shangri-La is a fictional place in Asia's Kunlun Mountains (昆仑山), Uses the spelling 'Kuen-Lun'. described in the 1933 novel ''Lost Horizon'' by English author James Hilton. Hilton portrays Shangri-La as a mystical, harmonious valley, ge ...
'' (21 July 2003) and ''Close Your Eyes and See'' (3 March 2017).


Perth 1989–90

The original line-up of the Blackeyed Susans consisted of
Ross Bolleter Ross Bolleter (born 1946, Subiaco, Western Australia) is a composer and musician whose work is focused on ruined pianos. His recordings are available on Emanem (London), Pogus (New York), New Albion (San Francisco) and Tall Poppies (Sydney), as w ...
on organ and accordion, Phil Kakulas on bass guitar, guitar and vocals (from
Martha's Vineyard Martha's Vineyard, often simply called the Vineyard, is an island in the Northeastern United States, located south of Cape Cod in Dukes County, Massachusetts, known for being a popular, affluent summer colony. Martha's Vineyard includes the s ...
and ex-
the Triffids The Triffids were an Australian alternative rock and pop band, formed in Perth in Western Australia in May 1978 with David McComb as singer-songwriter, guitarist, bass guitarist and keyboardist.McFarlane (1999). Encyclopedia entry fo"The Triff ...
),
Alsy MacDonald Alan MacDonald (born 14 August 1961) is an Australian musician and lawyer, best known as the drummer of the 1980s band The Triffids, where he performed under his nickname 'Alsy'. He was born on 14 August 1961 to Prof. Bill MacDonald, a professo ...
on drums, David McComb on vocals and guitar (both from the Triffids), and Rob Snarski (ex- Chad's Tree) on vocals and guitar. Initially they were formed as the Bottomless Schooners of Old in late 1988 in Perth as a side project and loose collective to perform cover versions of "countrified alternative rock" music. Early in the next year they adopted their name from the Triffids track, "Blackeyed Susan", which is on that group's fifth studio album, '' The Black Swan'' (April 1989); the track was co-written by Kakulas and McComb. They played eight gigs and recorded four songs before their main bands' reactivations forced them to put the project on hold. The tracks became their first extended play, ''
Some Births Are Worse than Murders ''Some Births Are Worse Than Murders'' is the debut EP by The Blackeyed Susans, released in March 1989 on Waterfront Records. The Blackeyed Susans was formed in Perth in 1989 as a side project for Martha's Vineyard, Chad's Tree and the Triffids m ...
'', which was released in 1990 on
Waterfront Records Waterfront Records was an independent record label based in Sydney that released recordings by Australian bands during the 1980s and 1990s. History Waterfront records was started in 1982 by Steven Stavrakis who at the time was an employee of ...
. The group had used Perth's Planet Sound Studios in March 1989, with the band members co-producing alongside James Hewgill. A music video was released for the second track, "Enemy Mine". The record spent several weeks at number one on the independent charts in Australia. By the time the EP was released the band's membership underwent several changes. Not everyone took their holidays at the same time, so a floating line-up became part of the band's character and appeal. Kakulas left for Sydney with Martha's Vineyard. He was replaced by Martyn Casey (the Triffids). Bolleter relocated to Japan, where he played piano in cocktail bars and restaurants. He was replaced by Adrian Wood. McComb was present in the second line-up in 1989 before departing for England. He was replaced by
Kim Salmon Kim Leith Salmon (born 24 January 1957) is an Australian rock musician and songwriter from Perth. He has worked in various groups including The Scientists, Beasts of Bourbon, Kim Salmon and the Surrealists, Kim Salmon and the Business, and Darli ...
(ex-
the Scientists The Scientists is a post-punk band from Perth, Western Australia, led by Kim Salmon, initially known as the Exterminators and then the Invaders. The band had two primary incarnations: the Perth-based punk band of the late 1970s and the Sydney/ ...
,
Beasts of Bourbon Beasts of Bourbon were an Australian blues rock band formed in August 1983, with James Baker on drums (ex-Hoodoo Gurus, The Scientists), Spencer P. Jones on guitar (The Johnnys), Tex Perkins on vocals (Dum Dums), Kim Salmon on guitar and Boris ...
,
Kim Salmon and the Surrealists Kim Salmon and the Surrealists are an Australian indie rock band formed by Kim Salmon in 1987 when he was living in Perth between the final two tours by The Scientists. When the Scientists stopped, Salmon continued the Surrealists as his main ...
) on guitar and vocals in the summer of 1990. Casey departed shortly after to join
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are an Australian rock music, rock band formed in 1983 by vocalist Nick Cave, multi-instrumentalist Mick Harvey and guitarist-vocalist Blixa Bargeld. The band has featured international personnel throughout its care ...
.


Sydney 1990–91

In mid-1990 Snarski travelled to London and recorded an album's worth of material with McComb and Kenny Davis Jnr (of
the Jackson Code The Jackson Code are an Australian rock band, formed in Perth in 1989. Biography 1989-1991: Formation The Jackson Code were formed in 1989, following the breakup of Mark Snarksi's earlier band, Chad's Tree. For the band's debut album, Snarsk ...
) on keyboards. Upon returning to Australia, Snarski moved to Sydney and, with Davis aboard, formed the next line-up of the Blackeyed Susans. Soon after Kakulas rejoined, having worked with
Grant McLennan Grant William McLennan (12 February 19586 May 2006) was an Australian alternative rock singer-songwriter-guitarist. He co-founded the Go-Betweens with Robert Forster in Brisbane in 1977. In addition to his work with the Go-Betweens (1977–89, ...
(ex-
the Go-Betweens The Go-Betweens were an Australian indie rock band formed in Brisbane, Queensland, in 1977. The band was co-founded and led by singer-songwriters and guitarists Robert Forster and Grant McLennan, who were its only constant members throughout it ...
) after the demise of Martha's Vineyard, six months earlier.
Kathy Wemyss Kathy Wemyss (pronounced 'Weemz') is an Australian rock musician. A multi-instrumentalist, she was a member of Chad's Tree (1989) and The Jackson Code.McFarlane (1999). Encyclopedia entry fo'Chad's Tree' Retrieved 1 February 2010.Spencer et al ...
(of the Jackson Code) on vocals and trumpet, and Tim Rollinson (of
DIG Digging, also referred to as excavation, is the process of using some implement such as claws, hands, manual tools or heavy equipment, to remove material from a solid surface, usually soil, sand or rock (geology), rock on the surface of Earth. Di ...
) on guitar, were recruited whilst on hiatus from their inner city cabaret band, Pressed Meat and the Smallgoods. James Elliott on drums and
James Cruickshank James George Watson, who performed as James Cruickshank (1962 – 8 October 2015), was an Australian musician. He was the long-term guitarist and keyboardist for indie rock group, the Cruel Sea. As a solo artist he released three albums, ''Hym ...
on organ took leave from the Cruel Sea to play in the band. This line-up remained intact for most of 1991 and, in March, they recorded another four-track EP, '' Anchor Me'' (August 1991). It had been recorded at Electric Avenue Studios, Sydney and was co-produced by Kakulas and the band. They also contributed a live version of the EP's song, "Glory, Glory", from a broadcast on the national youth radio station,
Triple J Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian Radio in Australia, radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greate ...
programme, ''Live at the Wireless'', on the related compilation album, '' Live at the Wireless 2'' (1991). Despite playing shows in Sydney and Melbourne, the Blackeyed Susans were still an occasional ensemble, coming together when it suited them for the pleasure of playing. They created a backdrop for Snarski's honey-laden vocals, which were gaining more attention from press and public alike. At the
West Australian Music Industry Awards The Western Australian Music Industry Awards (commonly known as WAMis) are annual awards presented to the local contemporary music industry, put on by the Western Australian Music Industry Association Inc (WAM). The WAMi Awards are Western Aust ...
he was awarded Best Male Vocalist in 1991. In late 1991 four tracks from "the London Sessions", with the line-up of Davis, McComb, Snarski and Joanne Alach on backing vocals, were released as the group's third EP, ''...
Depends on What You Mean by Love ''...Depends On What You Mean By Love'' is an EP by The Blackeyed Susans, released in late 1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 S ...
'', which was produced by McComb.


Melbourne 1992–present

The Blackeyed Susans reassembled in Melbourne early in 1992, where Kakulas and Snarski had relocated. McComb returned to Australia after releasing two solo singles and playing a few shows in London with his band the Red Ponies; he settled in Melbourne and rejoined the group. Former Sydney resident, Graham Lee (ex-the Triffids, Dave Graney and the White Buffaloes), joined on guitar, pedal steel guitar, lap-steel guitar and backing vocals. While living in Melbourne, Lee had been a member of the Paradise Vendors (1990–91), the Pub Dogs (1991), and Crown of Thorns (1991). Two locals,
Warren Ellis Warren Girard Ellis (born 16 February 1968) is a British comic book writer, novelist, and screenwriter. He is best known as the co-creator of several original comics series, including ''Transmetropolitan'' (1997–2002), ''Global Frequency'' ( ...
(ex-These Future Kings) on violin, organ and piano accordion, and Jim White (ex- Venom P Stinger, Conway Savage and the Deep South) on drums completed the line-up. Ellis and White also formed their own band,
Dirty Three Dirty Three is an Australian instrumental rock band, consisting of Warren Ellis (violin and bass guitar), Mick Turner (electric and bass guitars) and Jim White (drums), which formed in 1992. Their 1996 album ''Horse Stories'' was voted by ''Ro ...
, with
Mick Turner Mick Turner (born 1960) is an Australian musician and artist. He is the founding mainstay guitarist for Dirty Three and has had art exhibitions around Australia and internationally. Previously he was a member of the Sick Things, the Moodists ( ...
in 1992. A compilation CD, ''
Welcome Stranger The Welcome Stranger is the biggest alluvial gold nugget that has ever been found, which had a calculated refined weight of .Potter, Terry F. (1999) ''The Welcome Stranger: a definitive account of the worlds largest alluvial gold nugget''. I ...
'', was released via Waterfront Records in August of that year. It incorporated all twelve tracks from their three EPs plus two extra tracks from "the London Sessions" and a live version of a Triffids' song, "In the Pines" (from their 1986 album of the same name). The line-up of Ellis, Lee, Kakulas, McComb, Snarski and White toured to promote ''Welcome Stranger'' before recording their debut studio album, '' All Souls Alive'', in July 1993 at Fortissimo Studios, Melbourne with Kakulas producing. It was released in December via Torn & Frayed Records/
Shock Records Shock Records (now part of Shock Entertainment) is an Australian independent record label. History The three founding members had all previously worked in music retail or distribution: Williams for a Melbourne distribution company called "Musi ...
. Its lead track, "A Curse on You", was described by Australian musicologist,
Ian McFarlane Ian McFarlane (born 1959) is an Australian music journalist, music historian and author, whose best known publication is the '' Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop'' (1999), which was updated for a second edition in 2017. As a journalist ...
, as "a piece of gothic high-drama-set-in-song that recalled a William Faulkner novel." ''All Souls Alive'' has ten tracks, four co-written by Kakulas and McComb, a cover version of
Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...
and
Phil Spector Harvey Phillip Spector (born Harvey Philip Spector; December 26, 1939January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter, best known for his innovative recording practices and entrepreneurship in the 1960s, followed decades later by ...
's "Memories" (from Cohen's album, '' Death of a Ladies' Man'', November 1977) and a version of
Johnny Paycheck Johnny Paycheck (born Donald Eugene Lytle; May 31, 1938 – February 19, 2003) was an American country music singer and Grand Ole Opry member notable for recording the David Allan Coe song "Take This Job and Shove It". He achieved his greates ...
's song, "Apartment No. 9" (1966). Nine tracks had lead vocals by Snarski and one by McComb, the album showed the inspired chaos of Ellis and the majesty of White, pedal steel by Lee and mandolin and harmony vocals by Mark C. Halstead (ex-the Paradise Vendors, the Disappointments). After supporting American alternate rockers,
Concrete Blonde Concrete Blonde was an American alternative rock band from Hollywood, California. They were initially active from 1982 to 1995, and reunited twice: first from 2001 to 2004, and again from 2010 to 2012. They were best known for their album ''Bloo ...
, for a gig in Adelaide, Snarski spoke to Nicole Leedham of ''
The Canberra Times ''The Canberra Times'' is a daily newspaper in Canberra, Australia, which is published by Australian Community Media. It was founded in 1926, and has changed ownership and format several times. History ''The Canberra Times'' was launched in ...
'' in December 1993, "It was an odd choice but it was good exposure for us... Although our influence's are quite different from theirs, we do share a love of Leonard Cohen." He went on to describe his group's other influences, "Graham eeis immersed in country music and Phil's favourite album at the moment is a record of the uterus and a baby's heartbeat set against classical music, "Dave cKone and Graham are also ex-members of the Triffids, so they like that music and people tend to put Warren llisand Jim
hite Hite or HITE may refer to: *HiteJinro, a South Korean brewery **Hite Brewery *Hite (surname) *Hite, California, former name of Hite Cove, California *Hite, Utah, a ghost town * HITE, an industrial estate in Pakistan See also *''Hite v. Fairfax ...
in the jazz category – which I don't really understand." Leedham felt the album was "full of hard-luck tales... It is a tribute to the downtrodden, the lovelorn, the suicidal... which, after just one listen, make the world seem a much sadder place. It would have been nice if they'd included just one positive song." During 1993 McComb left the group to return to the Red Ponies, while Ellis and White resumed their work with Dirty Three. Meanwhile Lee, Kakulas and Snarski toured as the Blackeyed Susans Trio. Kakulas explained the offshoot, "We use it as something to do when the Susans aren't playing... It gives us the opportunity to strip down the music. We have fun with it, delving into the Susans' back catalogue more than the full band does. We also work on new material through the trio. The acoustic set is also such a great vehicle for Rob's voice. The audience gets to listen to the voices more than is possible when the band's making a racket." ''All Souls Alive'' was released in the United States on
Frontier Records Frontier Records is an independent record label, started in 1980 in Sun Valley, Los Angeles by Lisa Fancher, a former employee of Bomp! Records and writer of the liner notes for the first album by The Runaways. History Frontier Records first ...
in April 1994 receiving positive reviews: Ned Raggett of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
opined that Snarski's "combination of rock forcefulness and just-twangy-enough brooding also suit the lyrics, courtesy mostly of Kakulas and McComb, quite well. Images of emptiness, forlorn hope, romantic bitterness, and religious iconography litter the songs, but rather than amping things up á la countryman Nick Cave, the Susans coat everything with just enough honey in the arrangements." It was also released in Europe in July 1994. The album was reviewed in the UK press and received airplay on Radio One. Two singles were lifted off the album, both in July 1994, "
Dirty Water "Dirty Water" is a song by the American rock band The Standells, written by their producer Ed Cobb. The song is a mock paean to the city of Boston, Massachusetts, and its then-famously polluted Boston Harbor and Charles River. History Accordi ...
" and " This One Eats Souls". Each included four bonus tracks from a
cassette Cassette may refer to: Technology * Cassette tape (or ''musicassette'', ''audio cassette'', ''cassette tape'', or ''tape''), a worldwide standard for analog audio recording and playback ** Cassette single (or "Cassingle"), a music single in th ...
-only album, '' Hard Liquor, Soft Music'' (March 1994) by the Blackeyed Susans Trio. The cassette was sold at their gigs, as an album's worth of late night melancholy that has since become a sought after rarity. The Blackeyed Susans commenced working on their third album, '' Mouth to Mouth'', in August 1994. For recording the line-up of Lee, Kakulas and Snarski were joined by Jen Anderson (ex-
Black Sorrows The Black Sorrows are an Australian blues rock band formed in 1983 by mainstay vocalist Joe Camilleri (ex-Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons), who also plays saxophone and guitar. Camilleri has used various line-ups to record 17 albums, with five reachi ...
) on violin, Kiernan Box on piano, organ and harmonica, Ashley Davies (ex-White Cross, Wild Pumpkins at Midnight) on drums,
Dan Luscombe Daniel Francis Luscombe is an Australian guitarist, producer and composer. He has been a member of The Blackeyed Susans, The Drones, Dan Kelly and the Alpha Males, Stardust Five, Spencer P. Jones & the Last Gasp and Paul Kelly and the Boon ...
on guitars, Helen Mountfort on cello and Wemyss on trumpet and string arrangements. It was recorded at Fortissimo Sound Studios, with production by Kakulas, Snarski,
Victor Van Vugt Victor Van Vugt is a 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. Harvey, Depeche Mo ...
, Andy Parsons and
Tony Cohen Anthony Lawrence Cohen (4 June 19572 August 2017) was an Australian music record producer and sound engineer. He worked with Nick Cave's groups the Birthday Party, and then the Bad Seeds from 1979 to 2001. In mid-1986 he had followed Cave to ...
. The album was released in mid-July 1995 via Hi Gloss/ MDS. " Let’s Live", the first single from ''Mouth to Mouth'', was released in June 1995. It contained several bonus tracks not available on the album, including a
Suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...
-styled reworking of the
Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originato ...
track, "State Trooper". " Mary Mac" (September) was the album's second single, again with bonus tracks not previously available, including a version of the Go-Betweens track, "Dive for Your Memory". It is the band's most successful thus far and an essential part of their set list. After recording the album the line-up of Box, Luscombe, Kakulas, Snarski were joined by a new drummer, Mark Dawson (ex- John Kennedy's Love Gone Wrong, Ed Kuepper Band). They toured nationally from late in 1994 and throughout 1995, and ended the year with a tribute show to Elvis Presley on New Year's Eve. This became an annual event: they returned to The Corner Hotel, Melbourne, to play the best and the worst of the Presley's back catalogue each year, concluding in 1998. A national tour supporting Australian musician, Paul Kelly, occurred in 1996. They signed with American Recordings, which issued ''Mouth to Mouth'' in May for the North American market. The band travelled to New York to play with Johnny Cash, at
CMJ CMJ Holdings Corp. is a music events and online media company, originally founded in 1978, which ran a website, hosted an annual festival in New York City, and published two magazines, ''CMJ New Music Monthly'' and ''CMJ New Music Report''. Th ...
in September, before touring the US and Canada. In December a live extended play, ''
Some Night, Somewhere ''Some Night, Somewhere'' is a live album by The Blackeyed Susans, given away with copies of '' Mouth To Mouth'' sold around December, 1996 as a Christmas bonus disc. It was recorded live at the Continental Café in Melbourne Melbourne ( ...
'', was released and was also included as a Christmas bonus disc for an expanded version of ''Mouth to Mouth''. It provides eight tracks from a gig at the Continental Café, Melbourne, in Easter of that year. The relationship with American Recordings was short lived: the label dropped the group from their roster, along with most of their other international acts, in 1997. During 1997 the band recorded their fourth studio album, ''
Spin the Bottle Spin the bottle is a kissing party game commonly played by teenagers. The game was very popular among teenagers during the second half of the 20th century because it fostered "sexual" interactions between boys and girls. It has even been describe ...
'', which was released in July via Hi Gloss. It was co-produced by Kakulas and Van Vugt, with ten new songs and a cover version of
Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop si ...
's "You're My Thrill". The lead single, " Smokin' Johnny Cash", was issued ahead of the album in May. It was listed on the
Triple J Hottest 100, 1997 The 1997 Triple J Hottest 100, was a countdown of the most popular songs of the year, according to listeners of the Australian radio station Triple J, and was broadcast on Australia Day 1998. A CD featuring 31 of the songs was released. A countd ...
. On 9 July 1997 they performed on the
RMITV RMITV is a not-for-profit, community access television production facility based at RMIT University City Campus in Melbourne, Australia. It is a full member of the Melbourne Community Television Consortium, a not-for-profit consortium that ...
show, ''
Under Melbourne Tonight ''Under Melbourne Tonight'' was a weekly live variety hour television program produced by RMITV that broadcast on C31 Melbourne. Reaching a weekly viewership of 55,000 people each week, the show was reviewed in ''The Age''s Green Guide by Jim Sch ...
'', "Episode 5". ''Spin the Bottle'' provided two more singles, " Spin the Wheel" (September 1997) and " Blue Skies, Blue Sea" (February 1998). A busy touring schedule saw the Blackeyed Susans occupied for almost a year, concluding in March 1998 with a national tour with
the Whitlams The Whitlams are an Australian indie rock band formed in late 1992. The original line-up was Tim Freedman on keyboards and lead vocals, Andy Lewis on double bass and Stevie Plunder on guitar and lead vocals. Other than mainstay Freedman, the l ...
. The album was nominated for Best Independent Release at the
ARIA Music Awards of 1998 The 12th Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as the ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAS) was held on 20 October 1998 at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre. Presenters, including Democrats deputy l ...
. The group's members turned to other projects including the W Minc Productions' various artists' compilation album, ''Where Joy Kills Sorrow'' (1997), which was produced by Lee and included Dawson and Kakulas playing on several tracks, Snarski collaborated with Matt Walker on "If You Don't Want My Love". Box' band, the Disappointments, released an album, ''Wet Your Beak'', which included Halstead on vocals. After a respite the Blackeyed Susans reconvened in August 1998 to record another EP, '' La Mascara'', which was released in November. According to McFarlane, "In keeping with the theme of Mexican masked wrestlers, the band was billed on cover as 'las Blackeyed Susans'." Its five tracks include "Oh Yeah, Oh Yeah, Oh No" and "To Skin a Man". Both received airplay on Triple J's and other Australian youth orientated stations. A video for "To Skin a Man" was commissioned: it was produced and directed by Adam Kyle and Holly Shorland, depicting images of flesh and blood which were too much for the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...
(ABC), where it was screened only in black and white. A tour ensued through the summer and well into 1999. In February 1999 their co-founder, David McComb, died at his Northcote home. In the 1990s his ill health resulted in a heart transplant in 1995. From May to July 1999 the Blackeyed Susans prepared thirteen songs on a four-track machine in the living room of Snarski's flat. Their proposed album, ''
Shangri-La Shangri-La is a fictional place in Asia's Kunlun Mountains (昆仑山), Uses the spelling 'Kuen-Lun'. described in the 1933 novel ''Lost Horizon'' by English author James Hilton. Hilton portrays Shangri-La as a mystical, harmonious valley, ge ...
'', was due to be recorded and released in the next year. However, in May 2000, the group left their record company, MDS, after it was bought out by
Festival Records Festival Records (later known as Festival Mushroom Records) was an Australian recording and publishing company founded in Sydney, Australia, in 1952 and operated until 2005. Festival was a wholly owned subsidiary of News Limited from 1961 to ...
, consequently ''Shangri-La'' was delayed until July 2003. In April 2001 the group issued a new album, ''
Dedicated to the Ones We Love ''Dedicated to the Ones We Love'' is the fifth studio album by the Australian folk rock group The Blackeyed Susans and was released on 23 April 2001. It is the first issued on their own label, Teardrop, and was distributed through Shock Records. ...
'', on their own label, Teardrop Records, which was distributed through
Shock Records Shock Records (now part of Shock Entertainment) is an Australian independent record label. History The three founding members had all previously worked in music retail or distribution: Williams for a Melbourne distribution company called "Musi ...
. It was co-produced by Lee and the group. The record was a tribute to the influences and aspirations of the band – including songs from Presley, Frank Sinatra,
Big Star Big Star was an American rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1971 by Alex Chilton (vocals, guiar), Chris Bell (vocals, guitar), Jody Stephens (drums), and Andy Hummel (bass). The group broke up in early 1975, and reorganized with a new l ...
, and
the Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1964. The original line-up consisted of singer/guitarist Lou Reed, multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer Angus MacLise. MacLise w ...
. It was well received by the public and lauded by critics, a national tour followed until the end of the year. ''Undercover News'' Hector the Rock Dog felt the album was full "of covers and not really aiming at any particular era. This one if full of wild cards... Nearly ever song is an obscure cover, highlighting the song over the original artist." Early in 2002 the band members resumed solo and side projects. Luscombe and Snarski released an album, ''There Is Nothing Here That Belongs to You'', later that year on the Quietly Suburban label. The duo followed with national tours supporting
Marianne Faithfull Marianne Evelyn Gabriel Faithfull (born 29 December 1946) is an English singer and actress. She achieved popularity in the 1960s with the release of her hit single " As Tears Go By" and became one of the lead female artists during the British I ...
and then Paul Kelly. The Blackeyed Susans returned to Sing-Sing Studios in
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...
late in 2002 to finally record ''Shangri-La''. They augmented their sound with op-shop instruments and old vinyl – it was finally released 21 July 2003 on Teardrop Records/Shock Records. ''Shangri-La'' was nominated for Best Adult Contemporary Album at the
ARIA Music Awards of 2003 The 17th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as ARIA Music Awards) were held on 21 October 2003 at the Sydney Superdome. The ceremony aired on Network Ten. Awards ''Winners highlighted in bold, with n ...
, missing out to
John Farnham John Peter Farnham Officer of the Order of Australia, AO (born 1 July 1949) is a British born Australian singer. Farnham was a Teen idol, teen pop idol from 1967 until 1979, billed then as Johnny Farnham, but has since forged a career as an Adu ...
's '' The Last Time''. After its release they played sporadically. Luscombe and Box perform with other artists but are still band members and continue to play with them when possible. In 2001 Box joined
Augie March Augie (sometimes spelled Auggie) is a nickname for variations of the name August, which derives from the Latin name Augustus. It may refer to: People *Augie Auer (1940–2007), meteorologist *Augie Galan (1912–1993), Major League Baseball play ...
while Luscombe joined Paul Kelly's backing band in 2003, then the Drones in 2006. A four-disc retrospective box set, ''Reveal Yourself'', was released on 30 October 2009. On 3 March 2017 the group issued their seventh studio album, ''Close Your Eyes and See'', via Teardrop Records. They announced an associated tour for April to July to promote the album. Graham Blackley of ''Beat'' magazine opined that "On this enticing album, which was elegantly produced by Dan Luscombe, the band create a richly textured sound that embraces light and shade while managing to be both atmospheric and memorably melodic... tis the assured work of a confident and inspired band still at the top of their game."


Personnel


Current members

* Phil Kakulas – double bass, bass guitar, bazouki, vocals, guitar, percussion (1989, 1991–present) * Rob Snarski – lead vocals, guitar (1989–present) * Dan Luscombe – guitar (1994–present) * Kiernan Box – piano, organ, harmonica (1994–present) * Mark Dawson – drums, percussion (1995–present) * Jonathan Paul "J.P." Shilo – guitar, accordion, violin (2005–present)


Past members

*
Ross Bolleter Ross Bolleter (born 1946, Subiaco, Western Australia) is a composer and musician whose work is focused on ruined pianos. His recordings are available on Emanem (London), Pogus (New York), New Albion (San Francisco) and Tall Poppies (Sydney), as w ...
 – hammond organ, accordion (1989) *
Alsy MacDonald Alan MacDonald (born 14 August 1961) is an Australian musician and lawyer, best known as the drummer of the 1980s band The Triffids, where he performed under his nickname 'Alsy'. He was born on 14 August 1961 to Prof. Bill MacDonald, a professo ...
 – drums, percussion (1989–90) * David McComb – lead vocals, guitar, percussion, bass guitar, keyboards (1989–90, 1992–93, died 1999) * Will Akers – backing vocals, percussion (1989) *
Martyn P. Casey Martyn Paul Casey (born 10 July 1960) is an English-born Australian Rock music, rock bass guitarist. He has been a member of the Triffids, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Grinderman. Casey plays either his Fender Precision Bass or Fender Jazz Ba ...
 – bass guitar (1990) *
Kim Salmon Kim Leith Salmon (born 24 January 1957) is an Australian rock musician and songwriter from Perth. He has worked in various groups including The Scientists, Beasts of Bourbon, Kim Salmon and the Surrealists, Kim Salmon and the Business, and Darli ...
 – guitar (1990) * Adrian Wood – keyboards (1990) * James Cruickshank – organ (1991) * Kenny Davis Jr. – keyboards, piano accordina, samples (1991) * James Elliott – drums (1991) * Tim Rollinson – guitar (1991) *
Kathy Wemyss Kathy Wemyss (pronounced 'Weemz') is an Australian rock musician. A multi-instrumentalist, she was a member of Chad's Tree (1989) and The Jackson Code.McFarlane (1999). Encyclopedia entry fo'Chad's Tree' Retrieved 1 February 2010.Spencer et al ...
 – vocals, trumpet (1991) * Ashley Davies – drums (1994) *
Warren Ellis Warren Girard Ellis (born 16 February 1968) is a British comic book writer, novelist, and screenwriter. He is best known as the co-creator of several original comics series, including ''Transmetropolitan'' (1997–2002), ''Global Frequency'' ( ...
 – violin, organ, piano accordion (1992–93) * Graham Lee – guitar, lap-steel guitar, backing vocals,
pedal steel The pedal steel guitar is a console-type of steel guitar with pedals and knee levers that change the pitch of certain strings to enable playing more varied and complex music than any previous steel guitar design. Like all steel guitars, it can p ...
, vocals (1992–93) * Jim White – drums (1992–93) * Mark C. Halstead – mandolin, backing vocals (1993–94) * Matthew Habben – clarinet, saxophone (2001–05)


Discography

* ''
Welcome Stranger The Welcome Stranger is the biggest alluvial gold nugget that has ever been found, which had a calculated refined weight of .Potter, Terry F. (1999) ''The Welcome Stranger: a definitive account of the worlds largest alluvial gold nugget''. I ...
'' (1992) * '' All Souls Alive'' (1993) * '' Hard Liquor, Soft Music'' (1994) * '' Mouth To Mouth'' (1995) * ''
Spin The Bottle Spin the bottle is a kissing party game commonly played by teenagers. The game was very popular among teenagers during the second half of the 20th century because it fostered "sexual" interactions between boys and girls. It has even been describe ...
'' (1997) * ''
Dedicated To The Ones We Love ''Dedicated to the Ones We Love'' is the fifth studio album by the Australian folk rock group The Blackeyed Susans and was released on 23 April 2001. It is the first issued on their own label, Teardrop, and was distributed through Shock Records. ...
'' (2001) * ''
Shangri-La Shangri-La is a fictional place in Asia's Kunlun Mountains (昆仑山), Uses the spelling 'Kuen-Lun'. described in the 1933 novel ''Lost Horizon'' by English author James Hilton. Hilton portrays Shangri-La as a mystical, harmonious valley, ge ...
'' (2003) * ''Close Your Eyes And See'' (2017)


Awards and nominations


ARIA Music Awards

The
ARIA Music Awards The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...
are a set of annual ceremonies presented by
Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...
(ARIA), which recognise excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of the
music of Australia The music of Australia has an extensive history made of music societies. Indigenous Australian music forms a significant part of the unique heritage of a 40,000- to 60,000-year history which produced the iconic didgeridoo. Contemporary fusions of ...
. They commenced in 1987. ! , - ,
1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...
, ''Spin the Bottle'' ,
ARIA Award for Best Independent Release The ARIA Music Award for Best Independent Release, is an award presented at the annual ARIA Music Awards, which recognises "the many achievements of Aussie artists across all music genres", since 1987. It is handed out by the Australian Recording ...
, ,


References


General

* Note: Archived n-linecopy has limited functionality.


Specific


External links

*
Blackeyed Susans
at Shock Records
AMO website - Blackeyed Susans
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blackeyed Susans, The Australian indie rock groups Western Australian musical groups Musical groups established in 1989