Terepai Chalmers Richmond (born 21 February 1971) is an Australian drummer. He joined the Sydney-based rock band
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 ...
in September 1999 and formerly played in
acid jazz group
Directions in Groove (d.i.g.) (1991–1998, 2008).
Biography
Terepai Chalmers Richmond was born on 21 February 1971 to a
Scottish father and a
Cook Island mother who ran a restaurant in Sydney. He started drumming in his parents' Polynesian show band at the age of six, with his sister Jennifer dancing, where he performed several shows every week until finishing school at eighteen. After finishing school, he joined Sydney soul/funk outfit Bellydance and another well established funk band
Swoop (their song "Everybody Loves The Sunshine" contains the line "Time to boogie to the rhythm of Terepai"). He was the founding drummer and percussionist of
acid jazz group,
Directions in Groove (dig) formed in Sydney in 1991.
The original dig line-up featured keyboardist and vocalist Scott Saunders, saxophonist Rick Robertson, guitarist
Tim Rollinson, bassist Alex Hewetson and Richmond as drummer, percussionist and backing vocalist. He contributed song writing to all five dig albums including two live recordings.
With Saunders and
Samuel Dixon
Samuel Dixon (born 1973, Adelaide, South Australia) is a record producer, songwriter and musician, based in London. Dixon has produced and written with artists including Adele, Sia, Kylie Minogue, Christina Aguilera, Paloma Faith and Jack Savo ...
, Richmond went on to form Multiball (1995). Inspired by an encounter with The Roots, Multiball toured extensively and released a self-titled album before bassist
Sam Dixon relocated to London. Terepai joined rock band
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 ...
in September 1999 for the release of ''Love This City'', for which he recorded drums.
Since then, Terepai has toured and written with the Whitlams.
Richmond has also written and toured for reggae band King Tide, funk veterans Professor Groove and the Booty Affair. As a session drummer, he is regarded as one of the best in Australia.
He has worked for other artists including
Savage Garden
Savage Garden was an Australian pop duo consisting of Darren Hayes on vocals and Daniel Jones on instruments. Formed in Brisbane, Queensland, in 1993, the duo achieved international success from the mid-1990s to early 2000s with the No. ...
,
SoulDecision
soulDecision was a Canadian pop band active from 1993 to 2005. They are best known for the single, " Faded", which hit number-one in Canada in 2000, and " Ooh It's Kinda Crazy" which became a hit as well the following year in early 2001.
Caree ...
,
Max Sharam
Leanna Maree "Max" Sharam (born 1969) is an Australian interdisciplinary musician and singer-songwriter. In the mid-1990s, Sharam had three top 40 hit singles in Australia, "Coma", "Be Firm" and "Lay Down", from her top 10 album ''A ...
,
Guy Sebastian
Guy Theodore Sebastian (born 26 October 1981) is an Australian singer and songwriter who was the winner of the first '' Australian Idol'' in 2003, judge on Australia's ''The X Factor'' from 2010 to 2012 and again from 2015 to 2016, and coach ...
,
Delta Goodrem
Delta Lea Goodrem AM (born November 9, 1984) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Goodrem signed to Sony Music at the age of 15. Her debut album, '' Innocent Eyes'' (2003), topped the ARIA Albums Chart for 29 non-consecutive week ...
,
Trevor Guthrie
Trevor Guthrie (born February 11, 1973 in North Vancouver) is a Canadian singer, songwriter and the former lead singer of the now defunct pop group soulDecision.
Early years
Trevor Guthrie was born in North Vancouver, British Columbia. At age ...
and
Hawksley Workman
Hawksley Workman (Born Ryan Corrigan, March 4, 1975) is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter who has garnered critical acclaim for his blend of cabaret pop and glam rock. Workman has released eleven full-length albums throughout his career. A mul ...
.
Richmond has surfed since the age of eleven, and was once titled "King of the Island" (Shark Island). He has featured in numerous surfing movies including ''Life Like Liquid'' (Billabong) alongside Dave Rastovich, "2230" & "Square" to mention a few. He was a team surfer for
Mambo
Mambo most often refers to:
*Mambo (music), a Cuban musical form
*Mambo (dance), a dance corresponding to mambo music
Mambo may also refer to:
Music
*Mambo section, a section in arrangements of some types of Afro-Caribbean music, particular ...
in the 1990s. He won numerous surfing titles through the 1980s and 1990s before pursuing a less competitive path. Today, Terepai is renowned for his tube riding skills and can often be found hunting big waves with his eldest son "Tainui" in his local area South of Sydney. Photos of him have been published in surfing literature around the globe.
Richmond and Dixon provided the rhythm section for television and film composer,
Stephen Rae's debut solo music album, ''Feet Lift Off the Ground'' (2004).
He toured extensively with
Missy Higgins
Melissa Morrison Higgins (born 19 August 1983), known professionally as Missy Higgins, is an Australian singer-songwriter and musician. Her Australian number-one albums are ''The Sound of White'' (2004), ''On a Clear Night'' (2007) and ''The Ol ...
, both in Australia and the United States, from 2006 to 2010. He has appeared on many Australian and American television shows including "Letterman", "Earth Hour" and "Where I Stood" at the
2007 ARIA Awards. He has also recorded and toured extensively with
Guy Sebastian
Guy Theodore Sebastian (born 26 October 1981) is an Australian singer and songwriter who was the winner of the first '' Australian Idol'' in 2003, judge on Australia's ''The X Factor'' from 2010 to 2012 and again from 2015 to 2016, and coach ...
and label mate
Delta Goodrem
Delta Lea Goodrem AM (born November 9, 1984) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Goodrem signed to Sony Music at the age of 15. Her debut album, '' Innocent Eyes'' (2003), topped the ARIA Albums Chart for 29 non-consecutive week ...
.
Richmond's domestic partner is former
Sparkadia
Sparkadia is an Australian band, formed in Sydney in 2004. They were originally known as The Spark. The band is brainchild of Alexander Burnett (vocals, guitar) and Dave Hall (drums), the band became a reality with the addition of Nick Rabone ( ...
guitarist Tiffany Preece. The couple have three children, Rocket, Fin and Ochre.
References
;General
* Note: Archived
n-linecopy has limited functionality.
;Specific
{{DEFAULTSORT:Richmond, Terepai
1971 births
Australian drummers
Male drummers
Living people
Australian people of Scottish descent
Australian people of Cook Island descent
The Whitlams members
21st-century drummers
21st-century Australian male musicians
21st-century Australian musicians
Directions in Groove members