PRESS KIT – the church

the church – the short story

On their 30th anniversary the church continue to redefine what a rock band should be whether performing live or in the studio. While other bands with similar beginnings dissolved and often fell by the wayside, the church grew without compromise into one of the most well-respected rock groups amongst peers and fans the world over,  their unique and distinctive guitar sounds and lyrics forever inspiring imagination.

A combination of chemistry, talent and desire for excellence guided them through the 80’s, the 90’s and up to today, whereby they now find themselves in 2010 with the luxury of reflecting on their huge body of work, having never before stopped long enough to rest on any laurels.

From the debut album Of Skins and Hearts (with national hit  The Unguarded Moment) to the artistically and commercially successful Starfish (with it's world-wide recognised hit Under the Milky Way and guitar driven Reptile),  through to 2009's lush, organic masterpiece  Untitled #23 (the album that Rolling Stone Australia gave an unprecedented 5 start review: " … a stunningly ambitious album of shimmering rock") , bassist and lead vocalist Steve Kilbey, guitarists Peter Koppes and Marty Willson-Piper and drummer Tim Powles have continued through three whole decades to pleasure their fans with a unerring  sense of space,  melody,  beat driven prose and sonic charm.

the church have truly reaffirmed themselves as one of the world's leading melodic art-rock bands, regarded by critics as "a powerful, progressive force in rock music", playing "the most ethereal sounds this side of paradise and have remained one of the world's most innovative and enigmatic groups justifying praises from the press including "Best guitar band on earth", "Sonic perfection", "Sounds that caress the senses".    "a masterpiece of stealth"- Rolling Stone, USA.

Catalogue: Of Skins and Hearts 1981, The Blurred Crusade and  Sing Songs 1982, Seance, and Persia 1983,  Remote Luxury 1984,  Heyday 1985, Starfish 1988, Gold Afternoon Fix 1990,  Priest=Aura (a masterpiece in the minds of many music fans) 1992, Sometime Anywhere, Somewhere Else 1994, Magician Among The Spirits 1996, Hologram of Baal and A Box of Birds 1998, Parallel Universe and After Everything Now This ("a masterpiece of stealth"- Rolling Stone, USA) 2002, Forget Yourself 2003, El Momento Descuidado and Jammed 2004, Back With Two Beasts 2005, , Uninvited Like the Clouds 2006,  El Momento Siguiente 2007, Shriek: Excerpts from the Soundtrack 2008, Coffee Hounds and Untitled #23 2009.

TIMELINE:

1980 the church play their first gigs in Sydney, Australia.

1981 Of Skins and Heart LP makes a Top 30 debut. The Unguarded Moment hits #22.

1982 US debut combines Of Skins and Heart and Too Fast For You EP. Classic second album The Blurred Crusade hits Australian Top 10. Almost With You is another hit.

1983 Sing Songs EP in Australia, first UK EP.

1984 Seance album serves notice of more experimental, atmospheric intent. Persia and Remote Luxury EPs released in Australia combined for Remote Luxury album outside Australia.

1985 Steve Kilbey releases first solo disc, a precedent Marty Willson-Piper and Peter Koppes soon embrace with gusto.

1986 Heyday album breaks Australian Top 15, becomes global cult classic.

1987 Top 10 Starfish LP marks new worldwide commercial peak. Under the Milky Way, #5 in Australia, #24 in US. Best Single ARIA. (Australian Recording Industry Association Award)

1990 Metropolis reaches ARIA Top 10. Gold Afternoon Fix LP, another Top 10 hit, seals band’s resolve to put art before commerce.

1991 A Quick Smoke At Spots rarities compilation.

1992 Priest = Aura, a new career high, becomes fan favourite and is the end of an era.

1994 Kilbey and Willson-Piper reconvene for epic Sometime Anywhere set (with invited drummer Tim Powles as guest), then tour as acoustic duo. 

1996 2nd duo LP, Magician Among the Spirits. Koppes makes guest appearance that leads to reunion tour, with drummer/ producer Tim Powles completing most cohesive church line-up.

1998 Hologram of Baal cements new line-up, Bastard Universe first 70-minute improvisation album.

1999 A Box of Birds covers album.

2001 After Everything Now This achieves biggest international success in almost 10 years.

2002 Parallel Universe remix album.

2003 Forget Yourself sparks another sweeping world tour headed by a stunning launch at the Sydney Opera House.

2004 Three albums find the church at a new peak of creative health: Jammed is second 58-minute improvisation album, Beside Yourself a second B-sides compilation, El Momento Descuidado first Liberation Blue acoustic album, the latter featuring much re-invention and trading of instruments, now a trade mark of the bands live performances.

2005 Back With Two Beasts, outtakes album with another selection of strong songs.

2006 Uninvited, Like The Clouds released to rapt reviews, El Momento Descuidado nominated for ARIA Award, band performs Under the Milky Way with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra to open Commonwealth Games.

2007 Tour with The Pretenders in Australia, second acoustic album, El Momento Siguiente, precedes Deep In The Shallows – The Classic Singles Collection.

2009 Previous year's activity yields two albums: Untitled #23 and Shriek: Excerpts From The Soundtrack, plus two EPS: Coffee Hounds and Pangaea. Yet another major international tour follows. The So Love May Find Us tour kicks off in Australia and continues into North America. The band establish Unorthodox as home and label for all music.

2010 The unique and intimate 30th Anniversary Acoustic Tour starts in USA and rolls towards Australia- with a song per album in reverse chronological order.