The Basics ( ) are an Australian band, formed by
Wally De Backer
Wouter André "Wally" De Backer (born 21 May 1980), better known by his stage name Gotye ( ), is a Belgian Australians, Belgian-Australian multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter. The name "Gotye" is a pronunciation respelling of "Gauthier" ...
and Kris Schroeder in 2002, later joined by Tim Heath. Their style has been described as anything from 'indie-pop' to 'rock'n'roll', though their records show they span a wide range of genres, including reggae, pop-rock, folk, country, and electro-pop. They are "recognised as one of Australia's hardest-working bands".
With well over 2500 shows under their belt, their live performances are well known for their energy, sense of humour and proto-punk sensibilities.
Formation
The Basics were formed after Kris met Wally at the March 2002 "going away party" in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
of now LA-based engineer/producer Chris "Tek" O'Ryan.
[smh.com.au](_blank)
/ref> The event was to see off the young aspiring producer, who was about to depart for Los Angeles, and together with a number of musician friends, the two jammed on some blues-rock standards. Later that night, they bonded over a mutual love of The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
, 70s and 80s cartoon theme songs and old Sierra adventure games.
Initially, they played around Melbourne as an acoustic guitar/drums combo, starting at The Opposition in Frankston and the House of Fools in Footscray, where in late 2002 they met Michael Hubbard and later invited him to join them on electric guitar.[PBS FM](_blank)
/ref> Though lacking any real experience with the instrument, Kris willingly purchased his first bass guitar, and the trio was born. During this time, the group start performing songs with more complicated three-part harmony.
During late 2002 and early 2003, The Basics recorded and released an album called ''Get Back
"Get Back" is a song recorded by the British rock band the Beatles and Billy Preston, and written by Paul McCartney though credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. It was originally released as a single on 11 April 1969 and credited to ...
'' through MGM Distribution
MGM Distribution (Metropolitan Groove Merchants) is the largest independent distributor of Australian music and music related merchandise and was established in April 1998 by Sebastian Chase.
MGM Distribution was specifically set up as a dis ...
. They began what was to become regular tours of the East and West coasts of Australia.
2004–2005: Current lineup
Tim Heath joined the group in June 2004, after Michael decided to pursue his solo career, which has included being one half of Down Hills Home. Tim was reportedly the only person to reply to an advertisement in Melbourne's Beat Magazine looking for a new guitarist. Tim apparently answered the advertisement – which said the applicant "must have a love of 50s and 60s rock'n'roll" – thinking that he would be meeting "a couple of old guys to play with on the weekends over some beers". They soon recorded ''For Girls Like You''.
The Basics in 2005 continued to tour and play small festivals, and after releasing ''For Girls Like You'' through MGM Distribution, they departed for a national tour of Australia, which lasted for two months and took them to every Australian state and territory. Stuart Padbury, a young Melbourne sound engineer, joined them on much of this tour. On returning, the band began demonstrating songs for a new album.
2006–2009: Touring and soundtracks
In 2006, The Basics began recording what was to become known as ''Stand Out/Fit In''. Taking several months, it was not completed until the end of the year, despite intentions to have it released in June. Instead, they held a successful 'album preview', where each of the tracks was demonstrated in 'rough form' accompanied by a music video for each (produced by Melbourne photographic artist James Bryans). The band also talked about the origins of the songs. This event brought a lot of attention to the band for the idea's originality. They pre-released a radio single 'Just Hold On' from the album. The band were invited to play the hugely popular Homebake Festival in Sydney, where they received a great response, after being introduced onto the stage by a short stocky Asian guy with big calves ("one of the highlights" wrote ''The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was fo ...
'').
In 2007, the band departed on a tri-state residency which saw them play Melbourne, Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
and Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
every week for the month of April – a bold move which brought further attention to the band for its original idea. Riding on the wave of this tour, Schroeder, De Backer and Heath departed on their first overseas tour which saw them performing 26 shows around Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
and the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
. They also toured twice more up the East Coast, one of which was with popular Japanese band The Bawdies
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
. Their song 'Rattle My Chain' was used in a series of commercials for Volvo
The Volvo Group ( sv, Volvokoncernen; legally Aktiebolaget Volvo, shortened to AB Volvo, stylized as VOLVO) is a Swedish multinational manufacturing corporation headquartered in Gothenburg. While its core activity is the production, distributio ...
Australia. The song 'Hey There!' featured in the British film ''The Bank Job
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'' – starring Jason Statham
Jason Statham (; born 26 July 1967) is an English actor. He is known for portraying characters in various action-thriller films who are typically tough, hardboiled, gritty, or violent.
Statham began practising Chinese martial arts, kickboxing ...
– and was used as the backing for a February 2007 short film directed by Tim Longhurst called The Rip. Their song 'Better' was featured in a surfing documentary about the invention of the shortboard
A surfboard is a narrow plank used in surfing. Surfboards are relatively light, but are strong enough to support an individual standing on them while riding an ocean wave. They were invented in ancient Hawaii, where they were known as ''papa he' ...
in 1967.
In 2008, the band appeared on Australia's Channel 9 for Australia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove and raising of the Union Flag by Arthur Phillip following days of exploration of Port Ja ...
celebrations, performing two of their songs – 'Just Hold On' and 'Hey There!' – to an estimated audience of 2 million. Securing an Australian Government grant, they embarked on a two-month tour of Australia, specifically targeting "culturally underprivileged groups" in rural and regional schoolchildren and Indigenous communities. The programme had them holding masterclasses and performing alongside Indigenous groups in the remote Northern Territory and Queensland. Their initiative also had them raising money for the charity Lifeline, their contribution to which was recognised with a plaque at the end of the tour. Season two of ''Californication Californication may refer to:
*Californication (word)
''Californication'' is a portmanteau of California and fornication, appearing in ''Time'' on May 6, 1966 and written about on August 21, 1972, additionally seen on bumper stickers in the U.S. ...
'' starring David Duchovny
David William Duchovny ( ; born ) is an American actor, writer, producer, director, novelist, and singer-songwriter. He is known for portraying FBI agent Fox Mulder on the television series ''The X-Files'' (1993–2002, 2016-2018) and as write ...
featured their cover of the classic 'Have Love, Will Travel
"Have Love, Will Travel" is a 1959 song written and recorded by Richard Berry. While the song may have been recorded before the end of 1959, the correct release date appears to be January, 1960. The title is based on a popular television/radi ...
', most famously covered by 'The Sonics
The Sonics are an American garage rock band from Tacoma, Washington, Tacoma, Washington (state), Washington that formed in 1960. Their aggressive, hard-edged sound has been a major influence on Punk rock, punk and Garage rock, garage music worl ...
'.
In 2009, The Basics for the first time enjoyed the support of Australian radio network 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 ...
, which had reportedly snubbed the band's previous material. The singles 'With This Ship' and 'Like A Brother' were added to the station's playlist, and momentum carried The Basics overseas for a second tour of the United Kingdom and Norway, and also a series of shows in Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
, Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
. They were joined by the longtime front-of-house engineer Stuart Padbury, who had been mixing them since 2005. The band was often seen in the Grafton Street Mall in Dublin, busking
Street performance or busking is the act of performing in public places for gratuities. In many countries, the rewards are generally in the form of money but other gratuities such as food, drink or gifts may be given. Street performance is pr ...
to promote their concerts there. Their second show in Oslo
Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
, Norway, saw the band perform with Hot Tub, one of the members of the Norwegian boy band " Boyzvoice", in his first performance for several years. Season Eight of ''Scrubs
Scrub(s) may refer to:
* Scrub, low shrub and grass characteristic of scrubland
* Scrubs (clothing), worn by medical staff
* ''Scrubs'' (TV series), an American television program
* Scrubs (occupation), also called "scrub tech," "scrub nurse," o ...
'' featured the song 'Lookin' Over My Shoulder'.
Despite all this promise, the band's album ''Keep Your Friends Close'' – produced and part-recorded by Peter Cobbin at London's Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music c ...
– though enjoying many favourable reviews, failed to impress Richard Kingsmill
Richard Kingsmill (born 29 January 1954) is an Australian radio announcer, music journalist and currently Group Music Director of triple j, triple j Unearthed, Double J and ABC Local Radio.
Career
His career at triple j started in 1988 as a p ...
, music director of Triple J. This effectively ended the band's apparent upward spiral and the resulting album launch tour was reportedly "trying".
2010: live album
In 2010, following the band's fourth stint at the Tamworth Country Music Festival
The Tamworth Country Music Festival is an annual Australian music festival held for 10 days from Friday to Sunday in mid to late January each year, sometimes including Australia Day, in Tamworth, New South Wales. The festival is the second bigg ...
, and the recording of a yet-unreleased live album, an indefinite hiatus was announced on the band's websites. This was in part due to the impending release of a new album produced by Wally for his Gotye
Wouter André "Wally" De Backer (born 21 May 1980), better known by his stage name Gotye ( ), is a Belgian-Australian multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter. The name "Gotye" is a pronunciation respelling of "Gauthier", the French cognat ...
project, and also to reported tensions within the band following the previous year's disappointments.
However, this hiatus was soon broken with a two-month residency at the Northcote Social Club in Melbourne, which saw an apparent return to form. The band's EP " Wait For You" enjoys airplay on Triple J. The Basics also played a one-off show at Sydney's Oxford Art Factory.
On 20 August 2010, The Basics released their fourth LP , available free and exclusively from their website for digital download. The band had reportedly moved to expand their listenership through this free giveaway, though 300 "Deluxe" CD/vinyl versions have been printed. was recorded at the Northcote Social Club on 6 February, "in front of a live studio audience", and like the previous record, was mixed by Peter Cobbin at Abbey Road Studios. Technically a self-titled album, the phonetics spell out the accurate pronunciation of the band's name. Kris Schroeder: "For years we’ve worked at bringing our live energy into the studio and thus far it’s been a bit hit-and-miss. Our trick this time was to pull a switcheroo and bring the studio to us instead; the result is the best and closest to us we’ve sounded yet."
Melbourne thespian and Dog With Wheels bassist David Bramble – friends with Heath from university days – has occasionally joined the band on tour, playing keys, often while sporting a large moustache. Other guests have included Jake Mason (saxophone
The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...
), also of Cookin' on 3 Burners and The Bamboos, Gideon Brazil (saxophone, flute
The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...
), Simon Imrei (guitar and vocals) and Monty MacKenzie (saxophone).
Covers have often made an appearance from various sources: to date, some of the bands covered have been AC/DC
AC/DC (stylised as ACϟDC) are an Australian Rock music, rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm Young, Malcolm and Angus Young. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock, and Heavy metal ...
, Cream
Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...
, The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, north London, in 1963 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British rhythm ...
, The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...
, The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For most of their history the line-up consisted of primary songwriter Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion). The Police ...
, Neil Young
Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Furay ...
, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
, New Kids on the Block
New Kids on the Block (also initialized as NKOTB) is an American boy band from Dorchester, Massachusetts. The band consists of brothers Jonathan and Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood. New Kids on the Block enjoy ...
, Richard Berry, Sonny Curtis and The Crickets, JJ Cale
John Weldon "J. J." Cale (December 5, 1938 – July 26, 2013) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and sound engineer. Though he avoided the limelight, his influence as a musical artist has been acknowledged by figures such as Mark Knop ...
, Harry Nilsson
Harry Edward Nilsson III (June 15, 1941 – January 15, 1994), sometimes credited as Nilsson, was an American singer-songwriter who reached the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. His work is characterized by pioneering vocal ove ...
, Bill Scott, Ryan Adams
David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, artist, and poet. He has released 23 albums, as well as three studio albums as a former member of alt-country band Whiskeytown.
In 2000, Adams left ...
and The Coasters
The Coasters are an American rhythm and blues/rock and roll vocal group who had a string of hits in the late 1950s. Beginning with "Searchin'" and " Young Blood" in 1957, their most memorable songs were written by the songwriting and producing ...
(via The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
for their cover of Three Cool Cats
"Three Cool Cats" is a 1958 song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. It was originally recorded by the Coasters and released as the B-side of their hit single, "Charlie Brown".The Beatles BiblThree Cool Cats/ref>
"Three Cool Cats" was on ...
).
2010–2016: Hiatus and resumption
The band took a three-year hiatus, with an announced return to the stage together in late 2013. De Backer embarked on his solo act as Gotye with the release of the album ''Making Mirrors
''Making Mirrors'' is the third studio album by Belgian-Australian singer-songwriter Gotye, released in Australia on 19 August 2011. In December 2011 it was announced that ''Making Mirrors'' was voted Triple J listeners' number-one album of 201 ...
'' in August 2011. Tim Heath toured and recorded with Blood Red Bird. And Kris Schroeder recorded a solo EP titled, Patience in the Face of Control, before leaving Australia to work with the Red Cross in Kenya for a two-year sabbatical, during which he contracted Malaria.
On 9 November 2012, the 'best of' album ''Ingredients'' was released into stores and digitally. ''Leftovers'', a record full of 38 unreleased tracks, was released 22 February 2013, via a limited-edition 500 copy vinyl package. A one-off gig was performed on 24 October 2012 at the Northcote Social Club to launch ''Ingredients'' and ''Leftovers'', however without the presence of De Backer (though he did make a brief appearance and performance of "Just Hold On" via Skype from New York).
The Basics announced an Australian tour starting September 2013 following the release of a new music video for ''Leftovers'' track "So Hard For You".
Put on sale 6 December 2013, a CD/DVD live album + digital download ''My Brain's Off (And I Like It)'' was the first post-hiatus release. The live album was filmed on location at the Northcote Social Club and edited by Ryan Gaskett under close supervision by the band.
Between March to April 2014, the band recorded new music at the famed Abbey Road Studios in London. This new music was released in the form of an EP entitled "The Lucky Country", which was released on 7 November 2014. The title track was released as the lead single in partnership with the progressive social justice movement "GetUp!" and was premiered by Richard Kingsmill on triple j. Another track "Tunaomba Saidia" was also released with an accompanying video clip filmed in Nairobi and Machakos Town in Kenya, where Kris had spent nearly 3 years working for the Kenya Red Cross Society.
The band toured extensively across Australia in support of the EP release, featuring shows at the Corner Hotel in Melbourne and the Newtown Social Club in Sydney.
On 14 August 2015, The Basics released their 4th studio LP ''The Age of Entitlement'', recorded at the same time as ''The Lucky Country'' EP in London. The album proved to be critically successful, being described as "important and incredible" by Stack and "never less than gripping" by Rolling Stone magazine. Australian digital radio station Double J gave it "Album of the Week". Singles from the album include "Roundabout" and "A Coward's Prayer". The band toured the album extensively throughout October/November 2015, featuring critically acclaimed shows at all capital cities around Australia, including Elsewhere Festival, Melbourne Festival, the Triffid in Brisbane and the Railway Club in Darwin.
The band performed at Dawes Point for the City of Sydney's New Year's Eve 2015/2016 and a follow-up hometown show in Melbourne at the Northcote Social Club on 2 January 2016.
2017–present: In The Rude!, B.A.S.I.C, and retirement as live act
The band released a new live album titled '' In The Rude!'' on 21 May 2017 to commemorate their 15-year anniversary. It contains a selection of tracks from their performance at The Howler in Brunswick, Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
on 29 December 2016.
On 22 November 2019, the fifth studio album from the band titled '' B.A.S.I.C.'' was released, on limited edition CD, vinyl record and cassette tape formats.
On 26 April 2021, the band announced that they have retired from performing, but will continue on with recording new albums, while also spending time recording separately.
Members
;Current
* Wally De Backer
Wouter André "Wally" De Backer (born 21 May 1980), better known by his stage name Gotye ( ), is a Belgian Australians, Belgian-Australian multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter. The name "Gotye" is a pronunciation respelling of "Gauthier" ...
– drums, vocals (2002–present)
* Kris Schroeder – bass, vocals (2002–present)
* Tim Heath – guitar, vocals (2004–present)
;Former
* Michael Hubbard – guitar, vocals (2002–2004)
Discography
Studio albums
* ''Get Back
"Get Back" is a song recorded by the British rock band the Beatles and Billy Preston, and written by Paul McCartney though credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. It was originally released as a single on 11 April 1969 and credited to ...
'' (21 March 2003)
* ''Stand Out/Fit In'' (5 May 2007)
* ''Keep Your Friends Close'' (25 September 2009)
* ''The Age of Entitlement
''The Age of Entitlement'' is the fourth studio album by The Basics. It was released on 14 August 2015 both digitally and physically. The album title is pulled from the title of Australian Treasurer Joe Hockey's infamous 2014 budget speech.
...
'' (14 August 2015)
* '' B.A.S.I.C.'' (22 November 2019)
EPs
* ''For Girls Like You'' (11 July 2005)
* ''Lookin' Over My Shoulder'' (10 February 2007)
* ''Like a Brother'' (5 June 2009)
* '' Wait for You'' (21 May 2010)
* ''The Lucky Country
''The Lucky Country'' is a 1964 book by Donald Horne. The title has become a nickname for Australia and is generally used favourably, although the origin of the phrase was negative in the context of the book. Among other things, it has been use ...
'' (7 November 2014)
Non-album singles
* " Call It Rhythm and Blues/Baby, Let Me In" (20 August 2004)
Live albums
* ''/ðəˈbæzɪtʃ/'' (20 August 2010)
* ''My Brain's Off (And I Like It)'' (6 December 2013)
* '' In the Rude!'' (21 May 2017)
* ''This Machine Makes Coffee'' (25 April 2020)
* ''Live at The Songroom (Season 2, Episode 9)'' (with Gotye
Wouter André "Wally" De Backer (born 21 May 1980), better known by his stage name Gotye ( ), is a Belgian-Australian multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter. The name "Gotye" is a pronunciation respelling of "Gauthier", the French cognat ...
and Monty Cotton; 3 July 2020)
Compilations
* ''Ingredients'' (9 November 2012)
* ''Leftovers'' (22 February 2013)
References
External links
Official Website
Bandcamp Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Basics, The
2002 establishments in Australia
Australian rock music groups
Gotye
Musical groups established in 2002
Musical groups from Melbourne
Australian musical trios