Hilltop Hoods is an Australian hip hop group that formed in 1996 in
Blackwood,
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
,
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
. They are regarded as pioneers of the "
larrikin
Larrikin is an Australian English term meaning "a mischievous young person, an uncultivated, rowdy but good hearted person", or "a person who acts with apparent disregard for social or political conventions".
In the 19th and early 20th centurie ...
-like" style of
Australian hip hop
Australian hip hop traces its origins to the early 1980s and is largely inspired by hip hop and other urban musical genres from the United States. As the form matured, Australian hip hop has become a commercially viable style of music which i ...
. The group was founded by
Suffa
Matthew David Lambert (born 6 May 1977), better known by his stage name Suffa, is an Australian rapper and producer best known as one of the members of the hip hop group Hilltop Hoods. He has produced tracks for other artists, such as Funkoar ...
(Matthew David Lambert) and
Pressure
Pressure (symbol: ''p'' or ''P'') is the force applied perpendicular to the surface of an object per unit area over which that force is distributed. Gauge pressure (also spelled ''gage'' pressure)The preferred spelling varies by country and e ...
(Daniel Howe Smith), who were joined by DJ Debris (Barry John M. Francis) after fellow founder, DJ Next (Ben John Hare), left in 1999. The group released its first
extended play
An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record. , ''
Back Once Again
''Back Once Again'' is the six-track debut extended play by the Australian hip hop group, Hilltop Hoods. It was released as a 12" vinyl EP in 1997 and, as from September 2015, is rare. The title track contains a vocal sample from " Bring the Noi ...
'', in 1997 and have subsequently released eight studio albums, two "restrung" albums and three DVDs.
Six of their eight albums have peaked at number one on the
Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA) Albums Charts, recently setting the record for most No. 1 Albums by an Australian band or group: ''
The Hard Road
''The Hard Road'' is the fourth studio album by Australian hip hop group Hilltop Hoods. Released on 1 April 2006 by Obese Records, it debuted at number one on the Australia ARIA Albums Chart, and was the first album by Australian artists ...
'' (2006), ''
State of the Art'' (2009), ''
Drinking from the Sun'' (2012), ''
Walking Under Stars
''Walking Under Stars'' is the seventh studio album by Australian hip hop group Hilltop Hoods, released on 8 August 2014.
At the J Awards of 2014, the album was nominated for Australian Album of the Year.
Background
Prior to the release of ...
'' (2014), ''
Drinking from the Sun, Walking Under Stars Restrung
''Drinking from the Sun, Walking Under Stars Restrung'' is a 2016 remix album from Australian hip hop group, Hilltop Hoods that follows their 2014 release ''Walking Under Stars'' and their 2012 release ''Drinking from the Sun''. This is the seco ...
'' (2016) and ''
The Great Expanse
''The Great Expanse'' is the eighth studio album by Australian hip hop trio Hilltop Hoods, released on 22 February 2019 through Universal Music Australia. The album was produced by members Suffa (Matthew Lambert) and DJ Debris (Barry Francis), and ...
'' (2019). Three tracks have reached the top 10 on the ARIA Singles Chart—"
Chase That Feeling
"Chase That Feeling" a song by Australian group, Hilltop Hoods. It was released for download on 8 May 2009 and as a CD single on 22 May 2009. and is the lead single from the group's fifth studio album, ''State of the Art''.
The song features ...
" (2009), "
I Love It", featuring
Sia
Sia Kate Isobelle Furler ( ; born 18 December 1975) is an Australian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Adelaide, she started her career as a singer in the acid jazz band Crisp in the mid-1990s. In 1997, when Crisp disbanded, she rel ...
(2011) and "Higher", featuring James Chatburn (2015) — while a further two tracks — "
Cosby Sweater
"Cosby Sweater" is a song by Australian hip hop group, Hilltop Hoods. It was released as the third single from the group's seventh studio album, ''Walking Under Stars'' (2014). In Australia, "Cosby Sweater" peaked at No. 4 on the Australian ...
" (2014) and "
1955" (2016) — reached the top 5. "1955", featuring
Montaigne & Tom Thum, peaked at number 2 in the Australian charts.
Hilltop Hoods have toured both in Australia and overseas, including playing at music festivals:
T in the Park
T in the Park festival was a major Scottish music festival that was held annually from 1994 to 2016. It was named after its main sponsor, Tennents. The event was held at Strathclyde Park, Lanarkshire, until 1996. It then moved to the disused B ...
,
Oxegen
Oxegen was a music festival in Ireland, first held from 2004–2011 as a rock and pop festival and again in 2013 with dance and chart acts only. The event was regularly cited as Ireland's biggest music festival, and, by 2009, it was being ci ...
, the
Big Day Out
The Big Day Out (BDO) was an annual music festival that was held in five Australian cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Adelaide, and Perth, as well as Auckland, New Zealand. The festival was held during summer, typically in January of eac ...
,
Clipsal 500
The Adelaide 500 (also known as the VALO Adelaide 500 for sponsorship reasons) is an annual motor racing event for Supercars held on the streets of the east end of Adelaide, South Australia between 1999 to 2020 and again from 2022. It is someti ...
,
Southbound,
The Great Escape,
Splendour in the Grass
Splendour in the Grass (commonly referred to as Splendour) is an annual Australian music festival held at the North Byron Parklands in Yelgun, New South Wales. Since its inauguration, the festival has also been held in various locations near ...
,
Bassinthegrass
Bassinthegrass (styled as ''BASSINTHEGRASS'') is an Australian music festival. It is the largest music festival in the Northern Territory, and has been held annually since 2003 in the territory capital. The festival is operated by the Northern ...
,
Groovin' The Moo
Groovin the Moo is an annual music festival that is held in six regional centres across Australia. The festival is held during autumn, typically in May of each year.
Groovin the Moo was established by Cattleyard Promotions and their first fe ...
,
Falls Festival
Falls Music & Arts Festival (commonly known as Falls) is a multi-day music festival held annually in Lorne ( Victoria), Marion Bay (Tasmania), Byron Bay (New South Wales) and Fremantle (Western Australia), Australia over the New Year's Eve an ...
,
Pyramid Rock Festival
The Pyramid Rock Festival was an Australian New Year's Eve camp-out rock music festival at Ventnor on Phillip Island. The original festival in 2004 was organised by local resident, Angus Cameron, and his two cousins.
History
Beginning as a sing ...
,
Rollercoaster
A roller coaster, or rollercoaster, is a type of amusement ride that employs a form of elevated railroad track designed with tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes inversions. Passengers ride along the track in open cars, and the rides are o ...
, Come Together Festival and
Make Poverty History
Make Poverty History are organizations in a number of countries, which focus on issues relating to 8th Millennium Development Goal such as aid, trade and justice. They generally form a coalition of aid and development agencies which work togethe ...
.
The band are one of the most recurrent artists in the history of the
Triple J Hottest 100
The Triple J Hottest 100 is an annual music listener poll hosted by the publicly-funded, national Australian youth radio station, Triple J. Members of the public are invited to vote for their favourite Australian and alternative music of the y ...
, with 21 songs voted into the annual countdowns since their first appearance in 2003. At the
ARIA Music Awards of 2006 they won "Best Independent Release" and "Best Urban Album" for ''The Hard Road''. In
2007, they won "Best Urban Album" for their
remix album
A remix album is an album consisting of remixes or rerecorded versions of an artist's earlier released material. The first act who employed the format was American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson ('' Aerial Pandemonium Ballet'', 1971). As of 200 ...
, ''
The Hard Road: Restrung'' (2007). They won the same category in
2009 for ''State of the Art'' and in
2012 for ''Drinking from the Sun''. In 2009, Debris also won "
Engineer of the Year" for his work on ''State of the Art''. The band received their seventh ARIA award in 2014 when ''Walking Under Stars'' won in the Best Urban Album category at the 28th ARIA Awards.
History
1987–2001: Formation and early years
Two of Hilltop Hoods' founders first met in 1987 when MC
Suffa
Matthew David Lambert (born 6 May 1977), better known by his stage name Suffa, is an Australian rapper and producer best known as one of the members of the hip hop group Hilltop Hoods. He has produced tracks for other artists, such as Funkoar ...
(aka Matthew David Lambert) and
Pressure
Pressure (symbol: ''p'' or ''P'') is the force applied perpendicular to the surface of an object per unit area over which that force is distributed. Gauge pressure (also spelled ''gage'' pressure)The preferred spelling varies by country and e ...
(Daniel Howe Smith) attended
Blackwood High School
Blackwood High School is a co-educational secondary school located in Eden Hills, a south-eastern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia, offering an international baccalaureate middle-years programme with six nearby primary schools and diploma p ...
in
Eden Hills – a suburb of Adelaide.
In 1996 they joined up with DJ Next (Ben John Hare) through a mutual friend and formed an
Australian hip hop
Australian hip hop traces its origins to the early 1980s and is largely inspired by hip hop and other urban musical genres from the United States. As the form matured, Australian hip hop has become a commercially viable style of music which i ...
group.
Their name was supplied by fellow local MC Flak (from Cross Bred Mongrels) – the suburb of Blackwood is known by locals as the Hilltop. The band's influences include American hip hop artists:
Notorious B.I.G.,
KRS-One,
Gang Starr
Gang Starr was an American hip hop duo, consisting of Texas record producer DJ Premier and Massachusetts rapper Guru. For the entirety of their association, they were based out of Brooklyn, New York. Gang Starr was at its height from 1989 to 2 ...
,
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop group formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its original members include RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa. Close aff ...
and
Public Enemy
"Public enemy" is a term which was first widely used in the United States in the 1930s to describe individuals whose activities were seen as criminal and extremely damaging to society, though the phrase had been used for centuries to describe ...
.
At live shows DJ Next was the group's
DJ, for recording he contributed
audio engineering and all the
scratching
Scratching, sometimes referred to as scrubbing, is a DJ and turntablist technique of moving a vinyl record back and forth on a turntable to produce percussive or rhythmic sounds. A crossfader on a DJ mixer may be used to fade between two record ...
/
turntablism
Turntablism is the art of manipulating sounds and creating new music, sound effects, mixes and other creative sounds and beats, typically by using two or more turntables and a cross fader-equipped DJ mixer. The mixer is plugged into a PA sys ...
on their early works.
He regularly competed in the local
DMC World DJ Championships (DMC) tournaments, winning the South Australian
DMC championships multiple times. Hilltop Hoods recorded a demo, ''Highlanders'', which was released on
cassette tape only. As well as Pressure and Suffa on vocals, the group included MC Summit aka DJ Sum-1, but he did not appear on later Hilltop Hoods work.
The group's first official release, in 1997, was a vinyl-only, seven-track extended play, ''
Back Once Again
''Back Once Again'' is the six-track debut extended play by the Australian hip hop group, Hilltop Hoods. It was released as a 12" vinyl EP in 1997 and, as from September 2015, is rare. The title track contains a vocal sample from " Bring the Noi ...
''. Production was handled by DJ Debris (Barry John M Francis),
turntablism
Turntablism is the art of manipulating sounds and creating new music, sound effects, mixes and other creative sounds and beats, typically by using two or more turntables and a cross fader-equipped DJ mixer. The mixer is plugged into a PA sys ...
and
audio engineering by DJ Next, vocals by Pressure and Suffa. The third track, "Shades of Grey", features Debris with a verse, and was co-written by Francis, Hare, Lambert and Smith.
Fifth track, "Mankind Must Suffa" also features a guest verse from Quromystix (aka
Quro
Quro (born Andrew Michael Bradley) is an Australian hip hop MC from Adelaide, South Australia who later relocated to Sydney. He has been involved in the Australian hip hop scene Note: Transcribed and edited by Emma Masters from 1998 discussion, ' ...
, Andrew Michael Bradley) – a member of Finger Lickin' Good and later the Fuglemen. "Mankind Must Suffa" is credited to Lambert, Smith, Francis and Bradley.
''Back Once Again'' is out of print and unavailable for retail purchase.
The group's debut studio album, ''
A Matter of Time'', was released in 1999 on CD only. As with ''Back Once Again'', it is now unavailable for retail purchase. All
scratching
Scratching, sometimes referred to as scrubbing, is a DJ and turntablist technique of moving a vinyl record back and forth on a turntable to produce percussive or rhythmic sounds. A crossfader on a DJ mixer may be used to fade between two record ...
/
turntablism
Turntablism is the art of manipulating sounds and creating new music, sound effects, mixes and other creative sounds and beats, typically by using two or more turntables and a cross fader-equipped DJ mixer. The mixer is plugged into a PA sys ...
is performed by DJ Next, a track, "Let Me Show You", has no vocals – solely showcasing his turntable skills.
American MC Bukue One (Tion Torrence) appears for a guest verse on "Deaf Can Hear". The track is credited to Lambert, Smith, Francis, Hare and Torrence.
The album was released independently but with financial assistance from
Arts SA – the band were inspired, in 2005, to set up their own Hilltop Hoods Initiative, to help local artists. After the album appeared, DJ Next left the group and moved to Melbourne. In 2004 he moved to
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. In 1999 Debris, who was also a member of the Cross Bred Mongrels, replaced Next and became the Hilltop Hoods' full-time DJ.
Hilltop Hoods founded the Certified Wise Crew – a hip-hop collaborative – with local groups Terra Firma, Cross Bred Mongrels and After Hours. Certified Wise Crew has since expanded to include MCs Trauma, Blockade, Kolaps, Flea, with
Vents
Vent or vents may refer to:
Science and technology Biology
*Vent, the cloaca region of an animal
*Vent DNA polymerase, a thermostable DNA polymerase
Geology
*Hydrothermal vent, a fissure in a planet's surface from which geothermally heated water ...
and
Funkoars
The Funkoars are an Australian hip hop act from Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. The group is part of the Certified Wise crew of hip hop artists from South Australia (including the Hilltop Hoods, and Vents), who also collaborated on various ...
joining in later years. Hilltop Hoods received two nominations for the Hip Hop Act of the Year Award at the
Australian Dance Music Awards and again at the 3D World Music Awards in 2001 and 2002. In 2001 the group's second album, ''
Left Foot, Right Foot
''Left Foot, Right Foot'' is the second album by Australian hip hop group Hilltop Hoods
Hilltop Hoods is an Australian hip hop group that formed in 1996 in Blackwood, Adelaide, South Australia. They are regarded as pioneers of the " larriki ...
'', was released with Lambert, Francis and M. Veraquth producing.
2003–2007: ''The Calling'' and ''The Hard Road''
On 22 September 2003, Hilltop Hoods released their third album, ''
The Calling'', which became a commercial breakthrough. In an interview after the release of their fourth album, Suffa revealed that ''The Calling'' was recorded on his mother's computer and the simplicity of their 'studio' is the reason why some of the music on the album is in
monaural
Monaural or monophonic sound reproduction (often shortened to mono) is sound intended to be heard as if it were emanating from one position. This contrasts with stereophonic sound or ''stereo'', which uses two separate audio channels to reproduc ...
('mono') sound.
''The Calling'' entered the
ARIA Albums Chart
The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
in March 2004 and reached No. 53 before exiting the top 100 in September of the same year.
By December 2006 it was certified platinum for shipment of 70,000 units,
becoming the first Australian hip hop album to achieve platinum status. In March 2012, it re-entered the chart and peaked at No. 50 – eight-and-a-half years after its first release.
[Peak positions for releases in Australia:
* All except noted:
* "Speaking in Tongues":
* "Rattling the Keys to the Kingdom": ] It featured two singles, "
The Nosebleed Section
"The Nosebleed Section" is a song by the Australian hip hop music group Hilltop Hoods. It was released as a radio single in 2003, and was the final single release from their 2003 album '' The Calling''. The chorus and backing beat of "The N ...
" and "
Dumb Enough", which were listed in the
Triple J Hottest 100, 2003
The 2003 Triple J Hottest 100, announced on 25 January 2004, was the eleventh such countdown of the most popular songs of the year, according to listeners of the Australian radio station Triple J. As in previous years, a CD featuring 40 (not ne ...
. "The Nosebleed Section" was ranked No. 17 in the Triple J Hottest 100 of All Time in 2009. Hilltop Hoods' chart and commercial success was a turning point in the Australian Hip Hop scene because it demonstrated widespread support for the genre that reached beyond an underground fan base.
On 1 April 2006, the group followed with their fourth album, ''
The Hard Road
''The Hard Road'' is the fourth studio album by Australian hip hop group Hilltop Hoods. Released on 1 April 2006 by Obese Records, it debuted at number one on the Australia ARIA Albums Chart, and was the first album by Australian artists ...
'', which peaked at number one.
It was the first Australian hip hop album to do so. It was certified gold within a week of being released.
Its lead single, "
Clown Prince", reached the top 30 on the related ARIA Singles Chart.
It featured guest verses from New York rapper, Omni, and British MCs,
Mystro and
Braintax
Joe Christie, better known as Braintax, is a British hip hop artist and producer. Christie had also recorded or appeared under the pseudonyms Brando Flux and Joey Brains. All of his releases were on his own record label, Low Life Records.
Origi ...
.
The Hilltop Hoods received the inaugural
Australian Independent Record (AIR) Award for Independent Artist of the Year and Best Performing Independent Album for ''The Hard Road'' in 2006.
The track, "The Blue Blooded", is a collaboration with Australian MCs: Funkoars, Hau from
Koolism
''Koolism'' is an Australian hip hop duo originating from Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.
The members are lyricist Hau Latukefu (born Langomi-e-Hau Latukefu, 1976, Queanbeyan, Australia) and producer/DJ/musician Danielsan Ichiban (born ...
, Mortar, Vents,
Drapht
Paul Reid, formerly Paul Gary James Ridge, (born 4 September 1982), better known by the stage name Drapht, is an Australian hip hop artist from Perth. Drapht is a member of the Syllabolix (SBX) crew, a collective that includes fellow Perth-base ...
,
Muph & Plutonic
Muph & Plutonic is an Australian hip hop group. It is composed of MC Muphin (Dan Young, also known as "Muph") and DJ–drummer–producer Plutonic Lab (Leigh Ryan), both of whom released several solo albums before joining together to form a comb ...
,
Pegz
Tirren Staaf, otherwise known as Pegz (or MC Pegasus), is an Australian hip hop artist and producer hailing from Melbourne, Victoria. He was the CEO of Obese Records—the record label responsible for artists such as Hilltop Hoods, Downsyde, ...
and Robby Balboa.
On 27 April of the same year, Hilltop Hoods performed at the
Bass in the Grass
Bassinthegrass (styled as ''BASSINTHEGRASS'') is an Australian music festival. It is the largest music festival in the Northern Territory, and has been held annually since 2003 in the territory capital. The festival is operated by the Northern ...
music festival in
Darwin alongside fellow hip hop group,
The Herd. That same day they issued a second single,
the title track from the album. Its video includes fellow members from the Certified Wise Crew – Cross Bred Mongrels, Terrafirma and Funkoars.
Following the success of The Hard Road Tour in early 2006, the Hilltop Hoods began their second national tour for the year, The Stopping All Stations Tour, which visited more regional areas of Australia as well as the capital cities. They were supported by Koolism and Mystro. Late that year, Hilltop Hoods released their third single from the album, "What a Great Night". The video shows the group at a club with camera shots panning up and down to reveal a new location. It used special effects and is one of the most expensive video clips for an Australian hip hop group, mirroring the group's rise in success and popularity. Also late in the year the band won the
J Award
The J Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J and which are judged by the music and on-air teams from radio stations Triple J, ...
for best album of the year from Triple J.
They performed the
Homebake Festival and
Falls Festival
Falls Music & Arts Festival (commonly known as Falls) is a multi-day music festival held annually in Lorne ( Victoria), Marion Bay (Tasmania), Byron Bay (New South Wales) and Fremantle (Western Australia), Australia over the New Year's Eve an ...
before the end of the year. ''The Hard Road'' received the AIR Award for Best Independent Hip Hop/Urban Release in 2007.
2007–2009: ''The Hard Road Restrung'' and ''State of the Art''
On 12 May 2007, Hilltop Hoods released their next album ''
The Hard Road: Restrung'' which is a
remix of their previous studio album, ''The Hard Road'', featuring the
Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and Okwerdz. It peaked at No. 8 on the ARIA Albums Chart.
Like its predecessor ''The Hard Road'', it took out "Best Urban Release" at the
ARIA Awards of 2007, with the group going back-to-back in the category.
The lead single from the album "Recapturing the Vibe Restrung", its video clip was on high rotation on
rage and
jtv. That year the group performed at the
Southbound Festival
Southbound was an arts, camping and music festival. A variety of Australian and international artists performed at this event. The festival occurred annually around New Years, at the Sir Stewart Bovell Park in Busselton, Western Australia.
His ...
(WA),
The Great Escape at
Newington Armory
Newington Armory is a heritage-listed former Royal Australian Navy armament depot, now used for tourism purposes, at Holker Street, Sydney Olympic Park, Cumberland Council, New South Wales, Australia. It was built from 1897 by the Royal Austral ...
over Easter, and embarked on a UK tour with a Sydney-based string quartet. They finished the year by headlining the
Pyramid Rock Festival
The Pyramid Rock Festival was an Australian New Year's Eve camp-out rock music festival at Ventnor on Phillip Island. The original festival in 2004 was organised by local resident, Angus Cameron, and his two cousins.
History
Beginning as a sing ...
on Victoria's Phillip Island over New Year's Eve 2007.
In 2008 they performed at the
Big Day Out
The Big Day Out (BDO) was an annual music festival that was held in five Australian cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Adelaide, and Perth, as well as Auckland, New Zealand. The festival was held during summer, typically in January of eac ...
festivals, at
Glastonbury Festival and
Islington Academy
The O2 Academy Islington, formerly known as the Carling Academy Islington, is an indoor music venue situated in the N1 Shopping Centre accessible via Upper Street and Liverpool Road, in the London Borough of Islington. It is run by the Academy ...
in London. In December their DVD, ''
The City of Light'', was released and was nominated as
Best Music DVD at the
2008 ARIA Awards.
![HilltopHoodsOctober2009](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/HilltopHoodsOctober2009.jpg)
Hilltop Hoods left their longtime home of Obese Records to start their own label, Golden Era Records, to release their future material. In November 2008 Pressure announced on
Triple J
Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greater emphasis on broad ...
's breakfast program that the next studio album, ''
State of the Art'', would be recorded with session musicians: "We realised with this one after doing Restrung and having an orchestra that we were a bit less limited. So we're going to have some session musos come in on this one and stuff like that".
The album was released on 12 June, with the lead single, "
Chase That Feeling
"Chase That Feeling" a song by Australian group, Hilltop Hoods. It was released for download on 8 May 2009 and as a CD single on 22 May 2009. and is the lead single from the group's fifth studio album, ''State of the Art''.
The song features ...
", issued as a digital download on 8 May, and featured a return guest appearance by a quartet from the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. The album debuted at number one on the albums chart while "Chase That Feeling" peaked at No. 8 on the related singles chart.
By 2010 ''State of the Art'' was certified 2× platinum for shipment of 140,000 units.
In early 2009 the Hilltop Hoods performed at the Groovin the Moo festival in
Townsville
Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 180,820 as of June 2018, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland; it is unofficially considered its capital. Estimated resident population, 3 ...
,
Maitland
Maitland is an English and Scottish surname. It arrived in Britain after the Norman conquest of 1066. There are two theories about its source. It is either a nickname reference to "bad temper/disposition" (Old French, ''Maltalent''; Anglo Norm ...
and
Bendigo. They also performed at
Triple J's One Night Stand
Triple J's One Night Stand is a concert hosted in a remote town or city in Australia annually. It is promoted and organised by national radio station Triple J. In previous years, the host town was selected in the form of a competition where resid ...
in
Sale, Victoria
Sale is a city situated in the Gippsland region of the Australian state of Victoria (Australia), Victoria and the council seat of the Shire of Wellington. It had an estimated urban population of 15,682 according to the 2021 census. The total pop ...
on 30 May, and at Fat as Butter festival in
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to:
*Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England
*Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England
*Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...
on 25 October where they played several of the tracks from the album. To promote its release the band started a national tour starting on 18 July and performed at most major cities including state capitals. The second national tour that year followed on 11 November with support provided by Vents.
2010–2017: ''Drinking from the Sun'' and ''Walking Under Stars''
On 28 July 2010, Hilltop Hoods completed work on a zombie movie, ''Parade of the Dead'', that the group wrote, filmed, and starred in.
Using the title from a ''State of the Art'' track, it was released on 22 October with the eponymous single.
Filmed mostly in Adelaide, the former
Adelaide Gaol
Adelaide Gaol is a former Australian prison located in the Park Lands of Adelaide, in the state of South Australia. The gaol was the first permanent one in South Australia and operated from 1841 until 1988. The Gaol is one of the two oldest bui ...
was used as a "key location".
In late November 2011, the band premiered the single, "
I Love It", on the Triple J breakfast show. Featuring
Sia
Sia Kate Isobelle Furler ( ; born 18 December 1975) is an Australian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Adelaide, she started her career as a singer in the acid jazz band Crisp in the mid-1990s. In 1997, when Crisp disbanded, she rel ...
, the song peaked at No. 6 on the ARIA chart
and was the lead single from their sixth album, ''
Drinking from the Sun'', which was released on 9 March 2012. During December 2011, they supported
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...
and
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman, joining ...
during the Australian leg of Eminem's world tour.
The song has since been certified 4× Platinum by ARIA, denoting sales of more than 280,000 units.
Three music videos for "I Love It" were published online in December 2011 by DJ Debris. Three versions were commissioned by the band, involving three different directors:
Nash Edgerton
Nash Edgerton (born 19 January 1973) is an Australian film director, actor and stuntman, and a principal member of the movie-making collective Blue-Tongue Films.
Early life
Edgerton was born in Blacktown, New South Wales and grew up in Dural ...
of Blue Tongue Films; the Animal Logic animation company; and independent Melbourne, Australia, film-maker Carl Allison.
In January 2012, the group "leaked" a song from the sixth album following the emergence of interest on their
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Mosk ...
page: "Let's have some fun. If we get 5000 likes on this post we're going to leak a track off ''Drinking from the Sun''"—they received more than 7,500 likes within 10 minutes. Surprised with the magnitude of the response, the band subsequently posted: "Wow. Give me a minute." and posted a link to a new track, "
Rattling the Keys to the Kingdom
"Rattling the Keys to the Kingdom" is a song by Australian hip hop group Hilltop Hoods. The song was the fourth and final single from their sixth studio album, '' Drinking from the Sun'' in September 2012. The song debuted at No. 64 on the ARIA ...
", on
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
shortly afterward. "
Rattling the Keys to the Kingdom
"Rattling the Keys to the Kingdom" is a song by Australian hip hop group Hilltop Hoods. The song was the fourth and final single from their sixth studio album, '' Drinking from the Sun'' in September 2012. The song debuted at No. 64 on the ARIA ...
" was certified Gold by ARIA in 2018.
''Drinking from the Sun'' became their third number-one album in Australia and also charted on the
New Zealand Albums Chart
The Official New Zealand Music Chart ( mi, Te Papa Tātai Waiata Matua o Aotearoa) is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand). The Music ...
top 40.
In mid-April 2012, the music video for "Speaking in Tongues", the album's second single, was published online. Directed by Toby Grimes, the video features Chali 2na and graffiti murals from
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...
, Australia, artist Sofles.
On 10 May 2012, Hilltop Hoods issued a new EP, ''The Good Life in the Sun'', to celebrate the launch of the 'Speaking in Tongues Tour', which includes tracks from ''Drinking from the Sun'' remixed by Suffa. The post contained a link to their website where the EP can be downloaded for free. In July 2012, the video for the third single, "
Shredding the Balloon
"Shredding the Balloon" is a song by the Australian hip hop group, Hilltop Hoods. It was released on 20 July 2012 as the third single from their sixth studio album, '' Drinking From the Sun''.
Music video
The music video premiered on the V Mus ...
", was published on the band's YouTube channel. Directed by Selina Miles of Unity Sound and Visual, the video had received nearly 1.5 million views as of 1 October 2014. The single was released on 20 July 2012.
In August 2012, Triple J
upload
Uploading refers to ''transmitting'' data from one computer system to another through means of a network. Common methods of uploading include: uploading via web browsers, FTP clients], and computer terminal, terminals ( SCP/ SFTP). Uploadin ...
ed video footage of the group's
Cover version#Tributes.2C tribute albums and cover albums, tribute to
Beastie Boys' member,
Adam "MCA" Yauch, who died in May 2012. The group selected "
So What'cha Want
"So What'cha Want" is the second single from the album ''Check Your Head'', the third studio album by American rap rock group the Beastie Boys. Released on June 2, 1992, the song samples "Just Rhymin' With Biz", by Big Daddy Kane featuring Biz Ma ...
", from Beastie Boys' album, ''
Check Your Head
''Check Your Head'' is the third studio album by American rap rock group Beastie Boys, released by Grand Royal and Capitol Records on April 21, 1992. Three years elapsed between the releases of the band's second studio album ''Paul's Boutique'' ...
''.
In late September, the music video for "Rattling the Keys to the Kingdom" was published online. It featured numerous Australian hip-hop artists, including
Drapht
Paul Reid, formerly Paul Gary James Ridge, (born 4 September 1982), better known by the stage name Drapht, is an Australian hip hop artist from Perth. Drapht is a member of the Syllabolix (SBX) crew, a collective that includes fellow Perth-base ...
,
Urthboy
Tim Levinson, better known by the stage name Urthboy, is an Australian hip hop MC and producer from New South Wales. He is widely known for his solo music under the moniker Urthboy, as a founding member of the hip-hop group The Herd, and for ...
, Def Wish Cast, Dazastah, Layla, Maya Jupiter and Hunter. The band explained in the production notes for the video:
Not only did we want to do something unifying, we also wanted to use the platform we have to promote artists that we think deserve more exposure. Of course, not everyone involved in the filmclip needs exposure, as many of the artists involved have huge followings in their own right. But having these artists involved in the filmclip just further serves to unify and consolidate the scene ... We need to point out that this is by no means a representation of every relevant artist involved in the culture past or present. It's more a cross-section of who we have contact with, who was available and so on.
In November 2012, Hilltop Hoods performed a live show on UStream and announced that the title of the group's next album would be ''
Walking Under Stars
''Walking Under Stars'' is the seventh studio album by Australian hip hop group Hilltop Hoods, released on 8 August 2014.
At the J Awards of 2014, the album was nominated for Australian Album of the Year.
Background
Prior to the release of ...
''—this was then confirmed on the official Hilltop Hoods Twitter and Facebook pages, following their Best Urban Album win at the 2012 ARIA Awards ceremony. The band's Facebook post read:
So it’s now one year to the day since we dropped 'I Love It' and started the 'Drinking from the Sun' journey. Thanks to everyone that’s supported us over the last 12 months, it’s been amazing. We hope you join us late next year for 'Walking Under Stars'. Thankyou, Suffa, Pressure & Debris
The announcement corresponds with a sample on ''Drinking from the Sun'' that refers to a band writing with the clear intention of formulating enough material for two albums: "They were recording enough for two albums; that was premeditated." The sample appears on the track, "The Thirst Pt. 3 (Interlude)".
In April 2013, the Hilltop Hoods stated that the development of ''Walking Under Stars'' was "well underway", with the trio calling the album ''Drinking from the Sun'' "part two"—the latter received a double platinum sales certification in the same month. Additionally, American clothing company
Zoo York announced a partnership with the Hilltop Hoods in April 2013, in preparation for the brand's 20th-anniversary celebrations in 2014. Lambert explained: "We've always been fans of Zoo York, they understand hip hop culture, and that's why we can’t wait to work with them."
On 21 June 2014—after the band successfully received the 20,000 likes they requested for a Facebook post—the first preview of ''Walking Under Stars'', titled "The Art of the Handshake", was uploaded to the band's SoundCloud profile—the song is the fourth on the album's track-list. Lambert revealed on 6 August that the song was inspired by the Notes to Self song "All of the Above", which reminded him of "the ridiculous handshakes" of his youth. As part of the songwriting process, Lambert spent a day researching the status of the handshake in countries such as Sweden and India.
The album's first official single, "Won't Let You Down"—featuring Irish singer
Maverick Sabre
Michael Stafford (born 12 July 1990), better known as Maverick Sabre, is an Irish singer, songwriter, and rapper.
Early life
Sabre was born in Hackney, London. At age four, he moved with his family to New Ross, County Wexford, where he grew u ...
—was released on 27 June 2014. Writing for the Faster Louder website, Matt Shea revealed in early August that the first single was met with a mixed reaction from existing fans of the band: "While many loved it, plenty of Hoods fans at the very least declared it a radio friendly single that had little to do with hip-hop. Others outright disliked it." Lambert explained in media interviews during the week prior to the album's release that the song was recorded at the
Red Bull Studios in both London, UK and New York City, US, while the lyrical content is about the partners of the band members and the difficulties of being in a relationship with touring musicians. The single's musical content features Italian singer
Zucchero Fornaciari
Adelmo Fornaciari (; born 25 September 1955), more commonly known by his stage name Zucchero Fornaciari or simply Zucchero (), is an Italian singer, musician and songwriter. His stage name is the Italian word for "sugar", as his elementary teach ...
singing a rendition of
Ph.D's hit "
I Won't Let You Down".
During the band's performance at the 2014
Splendour in the Grass
Splendour in the Grass (commonly referred to as Splendour) is an annual Australian music festival held at the North Byron Parklands in Yelgun, New South Wales. Since its inauguration, the festival has also been held in various locations near ...
festival, held from 25 to 27 July in
Byron Bay
Byron Bay (Minjungbal: ''Cavvanbah)'' is a beachside town located in the far-northeastern corner of the state of New South Wales, Australia on Bundjalung Country. It is located north of Sydney and south of Brisbane. Cape Byron, a headla ...
, Australia, Lambert exclaimed to the audience prior to the song "Speaking in Tongues", from the ''Drinking from the Sun'' album:
The Hilltop Hoods do not give a fuck what race you are! The Hilltop Hoods do not give a fuck what religion you are! The Hilltop Hoods do not give a fuck what sex you are! The Hilltop Hoods do not give a fuck what sexuality you are! We are one people under the music!
Lambert explained that his announcement, a reaffirmation of the sentiment in "Speaking in Tongues", is "very important" to the band.
The band announced the release date for ''Walking Under Stars'' as 8 August 2014 in mid-July and, while the album is a Golden Era Records recording, Universal Music Australia acquired the exclusive licensing rights for the domestic market—Universal will also use the license to distribute the album in Canada, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Benelux, while Golden Era continues its partnership with Fontana for the US release. ''Walking Under Stars'' was conceived before ''Drinking From the Sun'' was written and Lambert referred to the former as "a companion piece" in an August 2014 interview. Lambert also explained that "I'm a Ghost" is four-years-old, while a segment of "Brainbox" originally appeared on the 2012 Golden Era mixtape.
Similar to the band's previous album releases, numerous collaborators appear on ''Walking Under Stars''. Lambert explained on 5 August that "we
illtop Hoodstry to do it in the same room" when guest artists record and, for the seventh studio album, the band worked with Sabre, New Zealand soul singer Aaradhna, Brother Ali,
Dan Sultan
Daniel Leo Sultan (born 1983) is an Australian alternative rock singer-songwriter and guitarist, actor and author. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2010 he won Best Male Artist and Best Blues & Roots Album for his second album, '' Get Out While Y ...
, Drapht, Canadian voice-over artist Dave Pettitt and One Above, the Adelaide producer who also worked on ''Drinking from the Sun''. Lambert explained to TheMusic.com.au website that Sultan is a "gifted" artist who the band loves "as a person as well", and "it was really good to work with
rother Rother may refer to:
General
*Rother (surname) (also sometimes spelled Röther)
*Rother District, a local government district in East Sussex, England
*Rother FM, an independent local radio station for Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England
*Rother Kup ...
Ali, who’s an artist that we admire so much."
''Walking Under Stars'' debuted in the number-one position of the ARIA album charts during the week beginning 11 August 2014, providing the band with their fourth chart-topping album since ''The Hard Road'' in April 2006. As of 16 August 2014, the Hilltop Hoods have garnered a total of six weeks at the top of the ARIA charts from four number-one albums, three of which are Golden Era Records releases.
During the promotion for a national Australian tour in late August 2014, the band revealed that a secret release will "manifest itself" in 2015 and will be the culmination of a multi-album creative project that began with ''Drinking From The Sun''.
"Won't Let You Down" was performed live on the Australian ''AFL Footy Show'' television program on 7 August 2014, during an episode that was filmed in Adelaide. The music video for "Won't Let You Down" was published on the Hilltop Hoods YouTube channel on 19 August 2014. Directed by Richard Coburn of the Kojo production company, the video features a narrative in which manufactured pigs heads are used.
The music video for the "Cosby Sweater" single was released on the Hilltop Hoods YouTube channel while the group was engaged in the third stage of their 2014 world tour in North America. Published on 15 September, the video was again directed by Coburn and also features Golden Era artists
Briggs, K21 and Trials. The single became the group's first top 5 ARIA single on 15 November 2014, during the fourth, Australian stage of the world tour, on the same date as the group's Melbourne performance at the
Rod Laver Arena
Rod Laver Arena is a multipurpose arena located within Melbourne Park, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The arena is the main venue for the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tennis tournament of the calendar year.
History
Replacing ...
. "Cosby Sweater" was also performed at the 28th ARIA Awards ceremony on 26 November 2014, where the band also won the Best Urban Album award.
On 30 April 2016, Hilltop Hoods performed their final concert of the 'Drinking from the Sun, Walking Under the Stars' at Perth Arena.I
2018–present: ''The Great Expanse''
On 13 July 2018, Hilltop Hoods released single "
Clark Griswold
''National Lampoon's Vacation'' film series is a comedy film series initially based on John Hughes' short story "Vacation '58" that was originally published by '' National Lampoon'' magazine. The series is distributed by Warner Bros. and consists ...
" with
Adrian Eagle
Adrian Eagle, born Adrian Naidu, is an Australian singer-songwriter. He is an ARIA Award winner and also a winner of two categories in the SA Music Awards in 2019.
Early life
He was born in Adelaide to a Maltese mother and a Fiji-Indian father ...
, an ode to the character from the ''
National Lampoon's Vacation
''National Lampoon's Vacation'', sometimes referred to as simply ''Vacation'', is a 1983 American road trip comedy film directed by Harold Ramis starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Imogene Coca, Randy Quaid, John Candy, and Christie Brink ...
'' movies.
On 23 November 2018, Hilltop Hoods released the single "
Leave Me Lonely" and announced their forthcoming 2019 album ''
The Great Expanse
''The Great Expanse'' is the eighth studio album by Australian hip hop trio Hilltop Hoods, released on 22 February 2019 through Universal Music Australia. The album was produced by members Suffa (Matthew Lambert) and DJ Debris (Barry Francis), and ...
''. The album, which features platinum single "Leave Me Lonely," gold selling ARIA Award-winning single "Clark Griswold" ft. Adrian Eagle, and new single "Exit Sign" ft.
Illy
Illycaffè S.p.A. (branded and stylised as illy) is an Italian coffee company specializing in espresso, headquartered in Trieste. Illy markets its coffee globally in silver and red pressurized, oxygen-free cans; operates a network of cafes on s ...
and
Ecca Vandal
Ecca Vandal is a South African-born, Tamil, Sri Lankan artist. She is a singer-songwriter and rapper currently living in Melbourne, Australia. To date Ecca Vandal has released one self-titled studio album and one EP: ''End of Time''.
Early lif ...
, was released on 22 February 2019 and debuted at No. 1 on the
ARIA
In music, an aria (Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompanime ...
Albums Charts. The chart debut made it the group's sixth number one, setting a new ARIA record for most No. 1 Albums by an Australian band or group.
In March 2022, the Hilltop Hoods have released a new single with US soul singer Eamon "Show Business".
On 15 May 2022, Hilltop Hoods celebrated the 15th anniversary of ''The Hard Road Restrung'' with a post on their official Facebook & Instagram pages, and announced they were working on a third installment in their 'restrung' releases, following ''The Hard Road Restrung'' (2007) and ''Drinking from the Sun'' and ''Walking Under Stars Restrung'' (2016). Accompanying photos of both of their previous restrung album covers, was an image containing songs for the third installment.
In 2022, Hilltop Hoods reunited with Montaigne and Tom Thum and released the song "A Whole Day’s Night" on 26 August 2022.
Touring
Hilltop Hoods have toured both in Australia and overseas, including playing at music festivals:
T in the Park
T in the Park festival was a major Scottish music festival that was held annually from 1994 to 2016. It was named after its main sponsor, Tennents. The event was held at Strathclyde Park, Lanarkshire, until 1996. It then moved to the disused B ...
,
Oxegen
Oxegen was a music festival in Ireland, first held from 2004–2011 as a rock and pop festival and again in 2013 with dance and chart acts only. The event was regularly cited as Ireland's biggest music festival, and, by 2009, it was being ci ...
, the
Big Day Out
The Big Day Out (BDO) was an annual music festival that was held in five Australian cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Adelaide, and Perth, as well as Auckland, New Zealand. The festival was held during summer, typically in January of eac ...
,
Adelaide 500
The Adelaide 500 (also known as the VALO Adelaide 500 for sponsorship reasons) is an annual motor racing event for Supercars held on the streets of the east end of Adelaide, South Australia between 1999 to 2020 and again from 2022. It is someti ...
,
Southbound,
The Great Escape,
Splendour in the Grass
Splendour in the Grass (commonly referred to as Splendour) is an annual Australian music festival held at the North Byron Parklands in Yelgun, New South Wales. Since its inauguration, the festival has also been held in various locations near ...
,
Bassinthegrass
Bassinthegrass (styled as ''BASSINTHEGRASS'') is an Australian music festival. It is the largest music festival in the Northern Territory, and has been held annually since 2003 in the territory capital. The festival is operated by the Northern ...
,
Groovin' The Moo
Groovin the Moo is an annual music festival that is held in six regional centres across Australia. The festival is held during autumn, typically in May of each year.
Groovin the Moo was established by Cattleyard Promotions and their first fe ...
,
Falls Festival
Falls Music & Arts Festival (commonly known as Falls) is a multi-day music festival held annually in Lorne ( Victoria), Marion Bay (Tasmania), Byron Bay (New South Wales) and Fremantle (Western Australia), Australia over the New Year's Eve an ...
,
Pyramid Rock Festival
The Pyramid Rock Festival was an Australian New Year's Eve camp-out rock music festival at Ventnor on Phillip Island. The original festival in 2004 was organised by local resident, Angus Cameron, and his two cousins.
History
Beginning as a sing ...
,
[.] Rollercoaster
A roller coaster, or rollercoaster, is a type of amusement ride that employs a form of elevated railroad track designed with tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes inversions. Passengers ride along the track in open cars, and the rides are o ...
, Come Together Festival and
Make Poverty History
Make Poverty History are organizations in a number of countries, which focus on issues relating to 8th Millennium Development Goal such as aid, trade and justice. They generally form a coalition of aid and development agencies which work togethe ...
.
On 8 December 2012, the Hilltop Hoods were one of two headlines acts (the other was American band,
Blondie) for the 2012 "Global Edition" of the popular Australian music, film, comedy and arts festival,
Homebake.
A North American "Drinking From The Sun" tour was announced in late February 2013 and the band revealed that it would perform in American cities such as Seattle (the tour's debut location), New York and San Francisco, and the Canadian cities, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary and Toronto; the tour was scheduled to end in Los Angeles on 9 May 2013. However, on 23 February 2013, the hip hop group announced the indefinite postponement of the entire tour due to a "serious family matter". The Hilltop Hoods were also one of the bands on the "Concerts" roster for the V8 Clipsal 500 Adelaide car racing event, held between 28 February 2013 and 3 March 2013—other Australian hip hop artists, such as
Drapht
Paul Reid, formerly Paul Gary James Ridge, (born 4 September 1982), better known by the stage name Drapht, is an Australian hip hop artist from Perth. Drapht is a member of the Syllabolix (SBX) crew, a collective that includes fellow Perth-base ...
and
Vents
Vent or vents may refer to:
Science and technology Biology
*Vent, the cloaca region of an animal
*Vent DNA polymerase, a thermostable DNA polymerase
Geology
*Hydrothermal vent, a fissure in a planet's surface from which geothermally heated water ...
, also performed at the event.
The group performed at the 2014 occurrence of the Australian festival Splendour in the Grass, performing alongside other musicians, such as
Illy
Illycaffè S.p.A. (branded and stylised as illy) is an Italian coffee company specializing in espresso, headquartered in Trieste. Illy markets its coffee globally in silver and red pressurized, oxygen-free cans; operates a network of cafes on s ...
,
Outkast, and
Lily Allen
Lily Rose Beatrice Allen (born 2 May 1985) is an English singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of actor Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. Her music career began in 2005 when she made some of her vocal recordings public ...
.
The band announced an August–September 2014 North American tour in June 2014—including dates in Vancouver and Toronto, Canada, and San Francisco, US—with
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, US, artist
Sims
Sims, sims or SIMS may refer to:
Games
* ''The Sims'', a life simulation video game series
** ''The Sims'' (video game), the first installment, released in 2000
** ''The Sims 2'', the second installment, released in 2004
** '' The Sims 3'', th ...
, from
Doomtree
Doomtree is an American hip hop collective and record label based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The collective has seven members: Dessa, Cecil Otter, P.O.S, Sims, Mike Mictlan, Paper Tiger, and Lazerbeak. The collective is known for incorporatin ...
.
In late August 2014, the "Cosby Sweater Australian Tour" was announced in support of the ''Walking Under Stars'' album release. The domestic tour run from October to December 2014, and the support acts were Thundamentals and K21.
Their latest national tour was in 2016. This was the "Drinking from the sun and Walking Under Stars Australian Sympthony Orchestra tour" This was the tour that followed the release of the new album which was the 2 most recent albums remastered using the orchestra.
In February 2019, the group supported
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...
's concert tour around Australia and New Zealand, performing to audiences in venues such as
ANZ Stadium
ANZ may refer to:
People
* Anz (musician), a British DJ and electronic musician
Banks
* ANZ (bank), Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited, the fourth-largest bank in Australia
** ANZ Bank New Zealand, the largest bank in New Zealand
* ...
in Sydney and the
MCG
The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), also known locally as "The 'G", is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria. Founded and managed by the Melbourne Cricket Club, it is the largest stadium in the Southern Hem ...
in Melbourne.
The Hilltop Hoods will be touring 5 states in Australia in the later part of 2022. They will begin in Brisbane on August 27, then go to Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and end in Adelaide.
Members
Current members
*
Suffa
Matthew David Lambert (born 6 May 1977), better known by his stage name Suffa, is an Australian rapper and producer best known as one of the members of the hip hop group Hilltop Hoods. He has produced tracks for other artists, such as Funkoar ...
(Matthew David Lambert) – vocals,
engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
,
mixing,
producing (1996–present)
*
Pressure
Pressure (symbol: ''p'' or ''P'') is the force applied perpendicular to the surface of an object per unit area over which that force is distributed. Gauge pressure (also spelled ''gage'' pressure)The preferred spelling varies by country and e ...
(Daniel Howe Smith) – vocals (1996–present)
* DJ Debris (Barry John M Francis) – producing, engineering, turntablism (1999–present)
Former members
* DJ Next (Ben John Hare) – audio engineering,
DJing
A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile ...
,
turntablism
Turntablism is the art of manipulating sounds and creating new music, sound effects, mixes and other creative sounds and beats, typically by using two or more turntables and a cross fader-equipped DJ mixer. The mixer is plugged into a PA sys ...
,
scratching
Scratching, sometimes referred to as scrubbing, is a DJ and turntablist technique of moving a vinyl record back and forth on a turntable to produce percussive or rhythmic sounds. A crossfader on a DJ mixer may be used to fade between two record ...
(1996–1999)
* MC Summit aka DJ Sum-1 – vocals (ca. 1996)
Discography
*''
A Matter of Time'' (1999)
*''
Left Foot, Right Foot
''Left Foot, Right Foot'' is the second album by Australian hip hop group Hilltop Hoods
Hilltop Hoods is an Australian hip hop group that formed in 1996 in Blackwood, Adelaide, South Australia. They are regarded as pioneers of the " larriki ...
'' (2001)
*''
The Calling'' (2003)
*''
The Hard Road
''The Hard Road'' is the fourth studio album by Australian hip hop group Hilltop Hoods. Released on 1 April 2006 by Obese Records, it debuted at number one on the Australia ARIA Albums Chart, and was the first album by Australian artists ...
'' (2006)
*''
State of the Art'' (2009)
*''
Drinking from the Sun'' (2012)
*''
Walking Under Stars
''Walking Under Stars'' is the seventh studio album by Australian hip hop group Hilltop Hoods, released on 8 August 2014.
At the J Awards of 2014, the album was nominated for Australian Album of the Year.
Background
Prior to the release of ...
'' (2014)
*''
The Great Expanse
''The Great Expanse'' is the eighth studio album by Australian hip hop trio Hilltop Hoods, released on 22 February 2019 through Universal Music Australia. The album was produced by members Suffa (Matthew Lambert) and DJ Debris (Barry Francis), and ...
'' (2019)
Awards and nominations
Hilltop Hoods received nominations for the 'Best Hip Hop Act' in 2001 and 2002 at the 3D World Dance Music Awards, they won the
Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) Award for 'Best Up-coming Group' as well as receiving number-one positions in independent charts all around Australia.
In December 2020, the Hilltop Hoods were listed at number 27 in ''Rolling Stone Australia''s "50 Greatest Australian Artists of All Time"'' issue.
AIR Awards
The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as
AIR Awards
The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.
History
The inaugural 2006 awards were held at ...
) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.
, -
, rowspan="3" ,
2006
, ''The Hard Road ''
, Best Performing Independent Album
,
, -
, "Clown Prince"
, Best Performing Independent Single
,
, -
, themselves
, Independent Artist of the Year
,
, -
, rowspan="3" ,
2007
, rowspan="2" , ''The Hard Road Restrung ''
, Best Independent Album
,
, -
, Best Independent Dance/Electronic Album
,
, -
, themselves
, Independent Artist of the Year
,
, -
APRA Awards
The
APRA Awards are presented annually from 1982 by the
Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), "honouring composers and songwriters".
!
, -
, rowspan="1",
2010
, rowspan="1", "Still Standing"
, Urban Work of the Year
,
,
, -
, rowspan="1",
2011
, rowspan="1", "Light You Burned"
, Urban Work of the Year
,
,
, -
,
2012
, "I Love It" (featuring Sia)
, Song of the Year
,
,
, -
, rowspan="3",
2013
, rowspan="2", "I Love It" (featuring Sia)
, Most Played Australian Work
,
, rowspan="3",
, -
, rowspan="2", Urban Work of the Year
,
, -
, "Speaking in Tongues"
,
, -
, rowspan="2",
2015
, "Cosby Sweater"
, Song of the Year
,
,
, -
, "Won't Let You Down" (featuring Maverick Sabre)
, Urban Work of the Year
,
,
, -
, rowspan="4",
2020
, rowspan="2", "Exit Sign" by Hilltop Hoods featuring Illy and Ecca Vandal
, Song of the Year
,
,
, -
, rowspan="2", Urban Work of the Year
,
, rowspan="3",
, -
, "Leave Me Lonely"
,
, -
, Hilltop Hoods (Barry Francis p.k.a. DJ Debris, Matthew Lambert p.k.a. Suffa, Daniel Smith p.k.a. MC Pressure)
, Songwriter of the Year
,
, -
,
2021
, "I'm Good"
, Song of the Year
,
,
, -
ARIA Awards
In 2006 Hilltop Hoods were nominated for five
ARIA 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 Austra ...
– the first ever for an Australian hip hop group – winning in two categories: 'Best Urban Release' and 'Best Independent Release'.
The following year they won 'Best Urban Release' at the
ARIA 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 Austra ...
for ''The Hard Road: Restrung''.
The album was also nominated for 'Best Independent Release' and 'Best Cover Art' by John Engelhardt.
The DVD ''City of Light'' was nominated as 'Best Music DVD' at the
2008 ARIA awards.
At the
2009 ARIA Awards they won 'Best Urban Album' for a third time – for ''State of the Art'' and DJ Debris won an award for 'Engineer of the Year' for his work on that album.
At the
ARIA Music Awards of 2012
The 26th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAs) were a series of award ceremonies which included the 2012 ARIA Artisan Awards, ARIA Hall of Fame Awards, ARIA Fi ...
, Hilltop Hoods won its fourth award in the 'Best Urban Album' category for ''Drinking from the Sun'';
as of November 2012, the group has won six awards from twenty nominations.
At the 2012 ARIA Awards, established Aboriginal Australian band, Yothu Yindu, was inducted into the Hall of Fame. A photograph of Suffa holding the award in the presence of the band was posted on the Hilltop Hoods'
Instagram profile, accompanied by the following comment: "A memory I'll take to the grave. Meeting Yothu Yindi and having them let me hold their Hall of Fame ARIA. What a beautiful induction."
The band was nominated in three ARIA categories in 2014: Best Group, Best Urban Album, and Engineer of the Year. In an October 2014 radio interview, Smith said that the band does not expect to win an award, but wishes the best for the winners; however, the Best Urban Album award was given to the band on 26 November 2014, providing the band with their seventh ARIA award.
As from November 2020 they have won ten awards from thirty-six nominations.
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2006 , , rowspan="3" , ''
The Hard Road
''The Hard Road'' is the fourth studio album by Australian hip hop group Hilltop Hoods. Released on 1 April 2006 by Obese Records, it debuted at number one on the Australia ARIA Albums Chart, and was the first album by Australian artists ...
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Best Independent Release , , , , rowspan="5",
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Best Urban Album , ,
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Breakthrough Artist – Album , ,
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Clown Prince" , , Breakthrough Artist – Single , ,
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The Calling Live
''The Calling Live'' is the first DVD to be released by the Australian hip hop group Hilltop Hoods. It was released in 2005, two years after their breakthrough album '' The Calling'' was released. The DVD sees the Hilltop Hoods performing these ...
'' , , Best Music DVD , ,
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2007 , , rowspan="2" , ''
The Hard Road: Restrung'' , , Best Independent Release , , , , rowspan="3",
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, Best Urban Album , ,
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Best Cover Art , ,
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2008 , , ''
The City of Light'' , , Best Music DVD , , , ,
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State of the Art'' , , Highest Selling Album , , , , rowspan="6",
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Best Group , ,
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Chase That Feeling
"Chase That Feeling" a song by Australian group, Hilltop Hoods. It was released for download on 8 May 2009 and as a CD single on 22 May 2009. and is the lead single from the group's fifth studio album, ''State of the Art''.
The song features ...
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Single of the Year , ,
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, ''State of the Art'' –
Suffa
Matthew David Lambert (born 6 May 1977), better known by his stage name Suffa, is an Australian rapper and producer best known as one of the members of the hip hop group Hilltop Hoods. He has produced tracks for other artists, such as Funkoar ...
, , Producer of the Year , ,
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, ''State of the Art'' –
DJ Debris , ,
Engineer of the Year , ,
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2012 , , rowspan="2" , ''
Drinking from the Sun'' , , Best Group , , , , rowspan="5",
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, Best Urban Album , ,
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, "
I Love It"
(featuring Sia
Sia Kate Isobelle Furler ( ; born 18 December 1975) is an Australian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Adelaide, she started her career as a singer in the acid jazz band Crisp in the mid-1990s. In 1997, when Crisp disbanded, she rel ...
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Song of the Year , ,
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, "I Love It"
(featuring Sia) –
Animal Logic
Animal Logic is an Australian animation and visual effects digital studio based at Disney Studios in Sydney, New South Wales in Australia, Vancouver in Canada, and Rideback Ranch in Los Angeles, California. Established in 1991, Animal Logic has ...
, , Best Video , ,
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, Drinking From The Sun , , Best Australian Live Act , ,
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2014 , , rowspan="3" , ''
Walking Under Stars
''Walking Under Stars'' is the seventh studio album by Australian hip hop group Hilltop Hoods, released on 8 August 2014.
At the J Awards of 2014, the album was nominated for Australian Album of the Year.
Background
Prior to the release of ...
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2015 , , Cosby Sweater Australian Tour , , Best Australian Live Act , , , ,
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2016 , , rowspan="2" , "
1955" (featuring
Montaigne and Thom Thum), ,
Song of the Year , , , , rowspan="3",
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2018 , , "Clark Griswold" (featuring Adrian Eagle) , , Best Urban Release , , , ,
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2019 , , rowspan="3" , ''
The Great Expanse
''The Great Expanse'' is the eighth studio album by Australian hip hop trio Hilltop Hoods, released on 22 February 2019 through Universal Music Australia. The album was produced by members Suffa (Matthew Lambert) and DJ Debris (Barry Francis), and ...
'' , ,
Album of the Year , , , , rowspan="7",
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Best Group , ,
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, Best Hip Hop Release , ,
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, "
Leave Me Lonely" , ,
Song of the Year , ,
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, "Exit Sign" (featuring
Illy
Illycaffè S.p.A. (branded and stylised as illy) is an Italian coffee company specializing in espresso, headquartered in Trieste. Illy markets its coffee globally in silver and red pressurized, oxygen-free cans; operates a network of cafes on s ...
and
Ecca Vandal
Ecca Vandal is a South African-born, Tamil, Sri Lankan artist. She is a singer-songwriter and rapper currently living in Melbourne, Australia. To date Ecca Vandal has released one self-titled studio album and one EP: ''End of Time''.
Early lif ...
) , , Best Video , ,
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Best Australian Live Act , ,
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Plutonic Lab
Leigh Ryan, better known by the stage name Plutonic Lab or sometimes as Pluto is an Australian music producer, engineer, artist & performer.
He is also one half of soul/pop duo “''SoundsLike FRANCO''” with vocalist Natalie Slade, one third ...
for Hilltop Hoods' ''The Great Expanse'' , ,
Engineer of the Year , ,
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2020 , , "Exit Sign" (featuring Illy and Ecca Vandal) , , Song of the Year , , , ,
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Fowler's Live Music Awards
The Fowler's Live Music Awards took place from 2012 to 2014 to "recognise success and achievement over the past 12 months
ndcelebrate the great diversity of original live music" in South Australia. Since 2015 they're known as the
South Australian Music Awards.
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, 2012
, Hilltop Hoods
, Best Hip Hop Artist
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J Awards
The
J Awards
The J Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J and which are judged by the music and on-air teams from radio stations Triple J, ...
are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by 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 ...
's youth-focused radio station
Triple J
Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greater emphasis on broad ...
. They commenced in 2005.
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,
J Awards of 2014
The J Award of 2014 is the tenth annual J Awards, established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J
Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian radio station i ...
, ''Walking Under Stars''
, Australian Album of the Year
,
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,
J Awards of 2019
The J Award of 2019 is the fifteenth annual J Awards, established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J
Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian radio stati ...
, ''A Great Expanse''
, Australian Album of the Year
,
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National Live Music Awards
The
National Live Music Awards
The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) are a broad recognition of Australia's diverse and successful live industry, celebrating the diversity and success of the Australian live scene – recognising the best vocal talents and musicians alongside ...
(NLMAs) are a broad recognition of Australia's diverse live industry, celebrating the success of the Australian live scene. The awards commenced in 2016.
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,
National Live Music Awards of 2019
The National Live Music Awards of 2019 are the 4th annual National Live Music Awards.
The nominations were announced on 22 October 2020 and the awards ceremony was held on 4 December 2020. For the first time ever, all State and Territory catego ...
, Hilltop Hoods
, Live Hip Hop Act of the Year
,
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Other projects
Hilltop Hoods Initiative
In 2005 the annual "Hilltop Hoods Initiative" was established in association with Arts SA, made possible by a donation from the Hilltop Hoods. Valued at A$10,000 (originally $3000), the Hilltop Hoods initiative helped young and emerging South Australian hip-hop artists to manufacture and distribute a CD. The initiative also included two mentorship sessions with Hilltop Hoods' former manager, PJ Murton. It acknowledges the important role South Australian government assistance played in the development of the careers of the Hilltop Hoods. In 2009, the initiative became a national grant available to entry for any emerging Australian hip-hop artist who have not issued a professional album.
In a Hilltop Hoods newsletter, released on 4 December 2012, the group communicated the following announcement:
In 2013 The Hilltop Hoods and APRA are teaming up again to give a career changing $10K to the most impressive emerging Hip Hop/Soul act in Australia. Aimed at helping fund the manufacturing and marketing of an album release, the grant is open to any act who hasn't yet released anything professionally. Applications will open in early 2013 along with details on how to enter.
Recipients are:
* General Knowledge, a three-piece group (2006)
* Subsketch, a solo artist (2007)
* Jimblah, a solo artist (2008)
* K21, a solo artist (2009)
* 1/6, a solo artist (2010)
* Koolta, a solo artist (2011)
* Run for Your Life, a musical collective (2012)
*
Chelsea Jane (2013),
Gold Coast, Queensland artist
* I AM D (2014), Brisbane, Queensland solo artist
* Sarah Connor, a solo artist (2015)
* Astro Travellers, a seven-piece group (2016)
* MC Sinks, a solo artist from Melbourne, Victoria. (2017).
Hilltop Hoods Remix Shoe
The Hilltop Hoods and
DC Shoes
DC Shoes is an American company that specializes in footwear for action sports, including skateboarding and snowboarding. The company also manufactures apparel, bags, accessories, hats, tshirts, and posters.
History
The company was founded in ...
collaborated on the production of a limited-edition shoe called "The Hilltop Hoods Remix Shoe"—it was released in stores on 1 February 2008. They are the first Australian music group to design and release their own signature-model shoe. Illustration and Design by John Engelhardt injected its unique style
Golden Era Records
Following its departure from the Obese record label, the group launched its own label in 2009, entitled Golden Era Records. The label's title is described by the band on the label website:
To some people the golden era of Hip Hop was '94. Ask someone a little older and they’ll tell you Hip Hop’s renaissance was back in '88. Ask one of our revered pioneers and they’ll tell you that the golden era came and went three decades ago, before most of today’s Hip Hop heads were born. Whatever the case these so-called golden eras weren’t only defined by the music or the fashion – they were characterised by something less tangible – an atmosphere, a movement.
This label wasn’t established to release throw-back records; instead we hope to make music that throws you back to the way you felt during the golden era of Hip Hop.
Whatever year that was for you.
The label is based in Stirling, South Australia, and, as of December 2012, its roster consists of the Hilltop Hoods, Briggs, Funkoars, Vents, Adfu, K21,
and most recently, Shadow
In January 2012, Fontana, an independent marketing, sales and distribution company under the Universal Music Group umbrella, signed an exclusive agreement with Golden Era Records for the American release of ''Drinking From The Sun'', as well as back catalogue titles.
Charity
The CanTeen youth cancer charity announced that the 2-CD fundraising album ''Australian Hip Hop Supports CanTeen'' had raised over AU$122,000 as of 15 October 2014. Released in late 2013, the album features contributions from Hilltop Hoods, as well as numerous other Australian hip-hop artists. The initiative was originally conceived of by Robert Hunter, an MC who rapped under the name "Hunter" (SBX), who died from cancer prior to the release of the album.
Through the Dark interactive film
On 11 November 2016 Hilltop Hoods released an interactive film called ''
Through the Dark'', which featured their song of the same name. The interactive film project was a collaboration with Google Play Music and was directed by Mike Daly.
See also
*
Adelaide Arts and Entertainment
*
Adelaide Hills
*
List of Australian hip hop musicians
*
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 ...
Notes
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hilltop Hoods
Australian hip hop groups
1991 establishments in Australia
APRA Award winners
ARIA Award winners
Golden Era Records artists
Musical groups established in 1991
Musical groups from Adelaide
Obese Records artists