The Chills are a New Zealand indie rock band that formed in Dunedin in 1980. The band were fronted by founding mainstay singer-songwriter, guitarist Martin Phillipps (2 July 1963 – 28 July 2024).[ During the mid-1990s they were billed as Martin Phillipps & the Chills. Their top ten studio albums in their homeland are Submarine Bells (1990), Soft Bomb (1992), Snow Bound (2018) and Scatterbrain (2021). The Chills were a cult band in other parts of the world as one of the earliest proponents of the Dunedin sound. Their top 20 singles are "Pink Frost", "" (both 1984), "I Love My Leather Jacket" (1986), "Heavenly Pop Hit" (1990) and "Male Monster from the Id" (1992).
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History
Early years and first breakup (1980–1983)
After the demise of the Same, one of the earliest punk rock bands in New Zealand, vocalist and guitarist Martin Phillipps started a new band, the Chills, in Dunedin in 1980. The Same had formed in 1978 with 15-year-old Phillipps on guitar before switching over to lead vocals.
Martin Phillipps became an auxiliary member of the Clean, serving as their touring keyboardist and studio musician for their debut single "Tally Ho!" (1981).[Thompson 2000, p. 259] Other artists on the release Sneaky Feelings, the Stones, and the Verlaines, also had three tracks each.
Just before the EP's appearance, Haig left to join the Verlaines, he was replaced by Martyn Bull on drums. Rachel Phillipps temporarily returned after Batts departed, prior to a tour of the North Island with the Clean, though she did not stay for the whole tour. For the remaining dates they performed as a trio; which recorded two singles, "Rolling Moon" (1982) and "Pink Frost" (1984). Andrew Schmidt of AudioCulture described their debut single as "sunny, summery, upbeat".[
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Reformation and international success (1983–1992)
By December 1983, they re-emerged under a new moniker, A Wrinkle in Time, with a line-up consisting of Allison, Haig, Phillipps and Martin Kean on bass guitar.[Thompson 2000, pp. 259–260] The name change was temporary, reverting to the Chills by early the next year.[Thompson 2000, p. 260]
Their next single, "I Love My Leather Jacket" (1986), reached number 25 on the UK Independent Singles Chart and number four in New Zealand.[ The band spent February through mid-December of that year promoting it by touring Europe, interspersed with four July dates in New York and Boston. A full North American tour occurred during 1988. In 1990, the band were signed to a worldwide record deal with Warner Brothers' imprint Slash Records in North America. Their second studio album Submarine Bells (1990) reached number one in New Zealand and provided their highest charting international single, "Heavenly Pop Hit".]
Second reformation (1995–2024)
Phillipps announced the disbandment of the Chills after the Soft Bomb Tour and joined Kilgour in a loosely organised 1960s covers band, the Pop Art Toasters, which released a self-titled EP in 1994. Shortly thereafter, that group broke up and Phillipps put together another the Chills lineup. The turnover of personnel is cited as a reason for the band's lack of consistent "saleability" and is referred to by local music press as "the Curse of the Chills".[ " Kaleidoscope World", Primavera Sound, 29 November 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2023.] A documentary of the same name regarding the history of Phillipps and the Chills was broadcast in 2016.[Malt, A., "New documentary explores The Curse of the Chills", completemusicupdate.com, 6 July 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2023.]
The curse struck again with the recording of their fourth studio album Sunburnt in England, during August to September 1995. Two band members were refused entry into the UK, so Phillips recruited session musicians, Dave Mattacks (of Fairport Convention) and Dave Gregory (of XTC), who provided drum and bass guitar respectively. Guest keyboards were played by producer Craig Leon. It was issued in early 1996 under the name Martin Phillipps and the Chills.
The Chills split again with Phillipps joining another of Kilgour's bands, the Heavy Eights. Phillipps then recruited new the Chills members for live shows, which performed each year from 1997 on. During the late 1990s, Phillipps was incapacitated by hepatitis C infections, a side-effect of his drug addiction.
An eight-track the Chills EP, Stand By was issued in 2004, the first all-new material in nine years. Phillipps's liner notes promised: "I am preparing to take the band in quite a new direction on the next album. And on that we will begin work shortly." Despite that assurance, no new album appeared for over a decade. In May 2010 the Chills played two shows in Australia, their first outside New Zealand since 1996. Three years later, after another hiatus from recording, a lone the Chills track, "Molten Gold", was issued. It appeared on Phillipps' 50th birthday (2 July 2013) as a non-album single with a re-recording of "Pink Frost 13" as its B-side.
In October 2015 the Chills issued Silver Bullets, their first studio album in 19 years. In February 2017 they released a cover version of David Bowie's 1970 song "Conversation Piece".
Phillipps died on 28 July 2024.
The Chills on film
The Chills have been the subject of documentaries, predominantly produced for New Zealand TV. In March 2019, The Chills: The Triumph & Tragedy of Martin Phillipps, explored the history of the band and Phillipps' contemporary struggle with hepatitis C.
Members
Current
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Todd Knudson – drums
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Erica Scally – keyboards , violin
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Oli Wilson – keyboards
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Callum Hampton – bass guitar
Former
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Martin Phillipps – lead vocals, guitar
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Jane Dodd – bass guitar
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Peter Gutteridge – guitar
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Alan Haig – drums
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Rachel Phillipps – keyboards
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Fraser Batts – keyboards
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Terry Moore – bass guitar
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Martyn Bull – drums
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Peter Allison – keyboards
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David Kilgour – guitar
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Martin Kean – bass guitar
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Justin Harwood – bass guitar
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Caroline Easther – drums
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James Stephenson – drums
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Steven Schayer – guitar
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James Dickson – keyboards , bass guitar
Timeline
Discography
Studio albums
Live albums
Compilation albums
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Extended plays
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Singles
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Citations
Sources
Further reading
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Davey, T. & Puschmann, H. (1996) Kiwi Rock. Dunedin: Kiwi Rock Publications.
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Dix, J. (1988) Stranded in paradise: New Zealand Rock'n'Roll 1955–1988. Wellington: Paradise Publications.
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Eggleton, D. (2003) Ready to Fly: The Story of New Zealand Rock Music. Nelson, NZ: Craig Potton Publishing.
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Shepherd, R. (2016) In Love with These Times. Auckland: Harper Collins New Zealand.
External links
