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The Veronicas is an Australian pop duo from Brisbane. The group was formed in 2004 by identical twin sisters Lisa and Jessica Origliasso.

In 2005, the Veronicas released their debut studio album, titled '' The Secret Life of...'', which peaked at number two on the Australian Album Chart and was certified 4× platinum by Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for selling over 280,000 copies. The album spawned five singles, led by " 4ever", three of which were top ten singles in Australia. In 2007, the duo released their second studio album, '' Hook Me Up'', which also peaked at number two in Australia and was certified 2× platinum for selling over 140,000 copies. The album garnered four Australian top ten singles. The album's title track, " Hook Me Up", was the Veronicas' first number one single in Australia, while " Untouched" was an international top-ten hit.

Following a lengthy hiatus (broken only by the July 2012 release of the Australian top-40 single " Lolita" and various gigs for their fans), in September 2014, the Veronicas released "You Ruin Me", the first single from their self-titled third studio album. The song debuted at number one on the ARIA chart, becoming the women's second chart-topping single and their first to debut in the top spot. It also charted in United States and United Kingdom. The album was released both physically and digitally on 21 November 2014. In 2016, they hosted the ARIA Music Awards.
They spent most of the period between 2016 and 2021 releasing gold and platinum singles in Australia, leading to the release of both their fourth and fifth albums, ''Godzilla'' and ''Human'', in May and June 2021, respectively.

In October 2020, the sisters were announced as competing celebrity contestants on the fifth season of ''The Celebrity Apprentice Australia'' in 2021.

Background

In 2001, the identical twins Lisa and Jessica Origlasso made their first demonstration recordings with Brisbane producer Stuart Stuart at Analog Heart Records. Stuart produced an EP in a more electronic style and, a year later, a second batch of songs in the pop rock style that the group initially became known for.

In 2004, the sisters, who were then performing as "The Twins" (and who were being managed by their father Joseph Origliasso at that time), were introduced by Gabrielle McKinley to Robin Donald Smith. Smith was a former operatic tenor who had performed overseas with the Sadlers Well Opera and at the Sydney Opera House with the Australian Opera, who owned the recording and music publishing company Multiplay Music Australia. After meeting Joseph and auditioning Lisa and Jessica, Multiplay Music Australia offered to sign The Twins to their first recording and music publishing agreements.

After signing the Twins, the following year Smith and Bell, funded by Multiplay Music Australia, took the Twins on several world-wide songwriting trips to Britain, Sweden, Canada and the US in order for them to collaborate with top songwriters in each country to further develop their songwriting skills. These included Clif Magness (who has written with Avril Lavigne), Billy Steinberg ( Madonna, Cyndi Lauper), Max Martin ( Britney Spears, Katy Perry, P!nk), Eric Nova, Dead Mono and Vince DeGiorgio, where they created a catalogue of over 50 songs.

Multiplay also secured introductions and auditions for them with numerous recording companies, including Sony, EMI, Universal, BMG and Warner Music.

On their return to Australia, Smith and Bell met with the executives at Engine Room (a subsidiary of PBL (Packer) Group). Throughout the year Multiplay then negotiated with Engine Room to contract the Twins to secure a recording contracts with Warner Music.

Meetings were then arranged with Warner Bros. Records in the US. Seymour Stein and senior executives recognised that Smith and Bell had discovered and developed a musical talent, signing them quickly to a recording contract with Warner Bros. Records/Sire America, for a reported sum of two million dollars.

Band name

Regarding how they chose their name, Jess Origliasso stated: "The name is something we thought about for a short time and we wanted it to be a girl's name, but we didn't want it to be 'the Jesses.' We were very conscious of not wanting to make it a twin thing, because we don't think that's really cool."

"We didn't want it to be called 'the Lisas,' either," singer Lisa Origliasso added. "So one day we saw the movie ''Heathers'', and there's a line where Christian Slater asks, 'Are you a Heather?' and Winona Ryder's character eronicaanswers, 'No, I'm a Veronica,' and so we went with that, because she was this kind of cool, unique chick with an attitude."

Relationship with Archie Comics

When it learned about the group, Archie Comics launched legal action against them for trademark infringement in relation to popular character Veronica Lodge – who is also known for being a female character with an attitude – in an attempt to stop them from using the name. Archie Comics had asked Warner Music Group to hand over all publicity rights and to pay US$200 million in damages.

Of this amount, $20 million was for damages and $180 million as a penalty against Warner. In a statement with ''The New York Times'' Michael I. Silberkleit, chairman of Archie Comics Publications, Inc.

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