The Chills are a guitar and keyboard-based rock band from Dunedin, New Zealand.
In terms of public acclaim, The Chills were possibly the most successful Dunedin Sound rock band of the 1980s and 1990s, but this acclaim is not matched by sales or financial success.
Based around the one continual member of the band, singer-songwriter Martin Phillipps , the Chills have gone through an astonishing number of line-ups since founding in mid 1980 in Dunedin. At last count, there had been some 20 different line-ups, but by this stage even Phillipps himself has trouble remembering the exact number. Members of the band over the years have included Peter Gutteridge , Alan Haig, Jane Dodd, Rachel Phillipps, Fraser Batts, Terry Moore, Martyn Bull, Peter Allison, David Kilgour, Martin Kean, Justin Harwood , Caroline Easther , and many others. Several of these musicians went on to further success in bands ranging from The Verlaines to Luna.
This seemingly constant turnover of personnel is one of several reasons for the bands lack of consistent "saleability", and is referred to by the local music scene as "the curse of the Chills". It reached its most extreme case with the recording of the album Sunburnt in England. The inability of two band members to get visas to travel to the UK resulted in session musicians having to be recruited at the last moment (Dave Mattacks and Colin Moulding providing drum and bass work for the album).
Another reason for the Chills' inconsistent output is Martin Phillipps' health - for much of the 1990s he was laid low with hepatitis, a side effect of his then drug addiction problems. In the past couple of years his health has greatly improved and his addictions are behind him, and the Chills are now back recording for the first time in many years.
Intially signed by Flying Nun and one of the four bands recorded for the seminal Dunedin Double e.p. in 1982, the Chills' output has been understandably sporadic. Early tracks and singles to catch the public attention included "Kaleidoscope World" and "Rolling Moon", but it was 1984's "Pink Frost" that first made a chart impression in their native land. This was followed by "Doledrums", and then the minor international hit "I Love My Leather Jacket", which was dedicated to late drummer Martyn Bull, who had bequeathed the said item of clothing to Phillipps in his will:
- It's the only concrete link with an absent friend
- It's a symbol I can wear until we meet again..."
Despite these successes, it was not until 1987 that the band's first album Brave Words was released. Several more albums (including a compilation of the early singles) were released during the late 80s and early 90s, before the band called it quits in 1993. During this period the band produced three albums, which included memorable songs such as Submarine Bells and Rain, as well as their biggest hit, the accurately titled Heavenly Pop Hit.
Three years later, a reformed band (under the name Martin Phillipps and The Chills) released one further album, but after that the band again split, with Phillipps recording solo work, and also appearing as one of David Kilgour's band The Heavy Eights .
The Chills reformed for a second time in 2003, and have since been working on new material, some of which appeared on a mini-album in 2004.
One intriguing feature of much of the Chills' output is a repeated use of the initials "SB" for their albums.
Discography
Singles and eps
- Dunedin Double ep (with The Stones , The Verlaines, and Sneaky Feelings) (1982)
- Rolling Moon (single) (1982)
- Pink Frost (single) (1984)
- Doledrums (single) (1984)
- The Lost ep (1985)
- I Love My Leather Jacket (single) (1986)
- Heavenly Pop Hit (1989)
- Male Monster From The Id (1992)
- Come Home (1995) (as "Martin Phillipps and The Chills")
Albums and mini-albums
- Kaleidoscope World (collection of early singles, B-sides, and eps) (1986)
- Brave Words (1987)
- Submarine Bells (1990)
- Soft Bomb (1992)
- Heavenly Pop Hits - The Best of The Chills (1994)
- Sunburnt (1996) (as "Martin Phillipps and The Chills")
- Secret Box (The Chills' Rarities 1980-2000) (2000)
- Stand By (mini-album) (2004)