Terepai Richmond
Encyclopedia
Terepai Chalmers Richmond (born 21 February 1971) is an Australian drummer, he joined the Sydney-based rock
band The Whitlams
in September 1999 and formerly played in acid jazz
group Directions in Groove
(d.i.g.) (1991–1998, 2008).
father and a Polynesian
mother who ran a restaurant in Sydney. He started drumming in his parents Polynesian show band at the age of 6 where he performed several shows every week until finishing school at 18. This early introduction to such a diverse range of music has given him a firm grounding on which he has built an amazing career from. After finishing school he joined Sydney soul/funk outfit Bellydance and another well established funk band SWOOP. He was the founding drummer and percussionist
of acid jazz
group, Directions in Groove
(dig) formed in Sydney in 1991. The original dig lineup featured keyboardist and vocalist Scott Saunders, saxophonist Rick Robertson, guitarist Tim Rollinson
, bassist Alex Hewetson and Richmond as drummer, percussionist and backing vocalist. He contributed song writing to all 5 dig albums including two live recordings. With Saunders and Samuel Dixon
, Richmond went on to form Multiball (1995). Inspired by an encounter with The Roots, Multiball toured extensively and released a self titled album before bassist Sam Dixon
relocated to London. Terepai joined rock band The Whitlams
in September 1999 for the release of Love This City on which he recorded drums for. Since then Terepai has toured and written with the whitlams who are still an active force in Australian Rock & roll.
Richmond has also written and toured for reggae band King Tide, funk veterans Professor Groove and the Booty Affair. As a session drummer, he is regarded as one of the best in Australia. He has worked freelance for other artists including Savage Garden
, SoulDecision
, Max Sharam
, Guy Sebastian
, Delta Goodrem
, Trevor Guthrie
and Hawksley Workman
and a host of others to many to mention.
Richmond has surfed since the age of 11 and was once titled "King of the Island" (Shark Island). He has featured in numerous surfing movies including Life Like Liquid (Billabong) along side Dave Rastovich, "2230" & "Square" to mention a few. He was a team surfer for Mambo
in the 1990s. He won numerous surfing titles through the 80's and 90's before pursuing a less competitive path. Today Terepai is renowned for his tube riding skills and can often be found hunting big waves with his eldest son "Tainui" in his local area South of Sydney. Photos of him have been published in numerous surfing literature around the globe.
Richmond and Dixon provided the rhythm section for television and film composer, Stephen Rae's debut solo music album, Feet Lift Off the Ground (2004).
He toured extensively with Missy Higgins
both in Australia and USA from 2006 to 2010. He has appeared on many U.S and OZ television shows including "Letterman","Earth Hour" and "Where I Stood" at the 2007 ARIA Awards
. He has also recorded and toured extensively with Guy Sebastian
and label mate Delta Goodrem
.
Richmond's domestic partner is former Sparkadia
guitarist Tiffany Preece, the couple have a child, Rocket, born in 2009.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band The Whitlams
The Whitlams
The discography of The Whitlams consists of six studio albums, two live albums, one compilation album, and eighteen singles.-Studio albums:-Live albums:-Compilation albums:-Singles:-Videos:-Music videos:-Awards:...
in September 1999 and formerly played in acid jazz
Acid jazz
Acid jazz is a musical genre that combines elements of jazz, funk and hip-hop, particularly looped beats. It developed in the UK over the 1980s and 1990s and could be seen as tacking the sound of jazz-funk onto electronic dance: jazz-funk musicians such as Roy Ayers, Donald Byrd and Grant Green are...
group Directions in Groove
Directions In Groove
Directions In Groove were a popular Australian acid jazz band originally from the suburb of Redfern in Sydney, who produced several distinctive acid-jazz / groove / funk albums in the 1990s....
(d.i.g.) (1991–1998, 2008).
Biography
Terepai Chalmers Richmond was born on 21 February 1971 to a ScottishScottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
father and a Polynesian
Polynesians
The Polynesian peoples is a grouping of various ethnic groups that speak Polynesian languages, a branch of the Oceanic languages within the Austronesian languages, and inhabit Polynesia. They number approximately 1,500,000 people...
mother who ran a restaurant in Sydney. He started drumming in his parents Polynesian show band at the age of 6 where he performed several shows every week until finishing school at 18. This early introduction to such a diverse range of music has given him a firm grounding on which he has built an amazing career from. After finishing school he joined Sydney soul/funk outfit Bellydance and another well established funk band SWOOP. He was the founding drummer and percussionist
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
of acid jazz
Acid jazz
Acid jazz is a musical genre that combines elements of jazz, funk and hip-hop, particularly looped beats. It developed in the UK over the 1980s and 1990s and could be seen as tacking the sound of jazz-funk onto electronic dance: jazz-funk musicians such as Roy Ayers, Donald Byrd and Grant Green are...
group, Directions in Groove
Directions In Groove
Directions In Groove were a popular Australian acid jazz band originally from the suburb of Redfern in Sydney, who produced several distinctive acid-jazz / groove / funk albums in the 1990s....
(dig) formed in Sydney in 1991. The original dig lineup featured keyboardist and vocalist Scott Saunders, saxophonist Rick Robertson, guitarist Tim Rollinson
Tim Rollinson
-External links:...
, bassist Alex Hewetson and Richmond as drummer, percussionist and backing vocalist. He contributed song writing to all 5 dig albums including two live recordings. With Saunders and Samuel Dixon
Samuel Dixon
Samuel Dixon is an Australian record producer, songwriter and musician, based in London.He has frequently collaborated with fellow-Australian Sia Furler. His compositions have featured on her albums, Some People Have Real Problems, Colour the Small One and We Are Born...
, Richmond went on to form Multiball (1995). Inspired by an encounter with The Roots, Multiball toured extensively and released a self titled album before bassist Sam Dixon
Samuel Dixon
Samuel Dixon is an Australian record producer, songwriter and musician, based in London.He has frequently collaborated with fellow-Australian Sia Furler. His compositions have featured on her albums, Some People Have Real Problems, Colour the Small One and We Are Born...
relocated to London. Terepai joined rock band The Whitlams
The Whitlams
The discography of The Whitlams consists of six studio albums, two live albums, one compilation album, and eighteen singles.-Studio albums:-Live albums:-Compilation albums:-Singles:-Videos:-Music videos:-Awards:...
in September 1999 for the release of Love This City on which he recorded drums for. Since then Terepai has toured and written with the whitlams who are still an active force in Australian Rock & roll.
Richmond has also written and toured for reggae band King Tide, funk veterans Professor Groove and the Booty Affair. As a session drummer, he is regarded as one of the best in Australia. He has worked freelance for other artists including Savage Garden
Savage Garden
Savage Garden were an Australian pop rock performance and songwriting duo. Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones formed the group in Brisbane, Queensland in 1994...
, SoulDecision
SoulDecision
soulDecision is a Canadian pop group active from 1993 to 2005, best known for their hit single "Faded".-Career:The group was formed in Vancouver under the original name Indecision by singers Trevor Guthrie and David Bowman, and keyboard player Ken Lewko, who were studying music together at Capilano...
, Max Sharam
Max Sharam
Leanne Maree "Max" Sharam is an Australian musician, writer and artist. In the mid-1990s, Sharam had three top 40 hit singles, "Coma", "Be Firm" and "Lay Down" from her top 10 album, A Million Year Girl...
, Guy Sebastian
Guy Sebastian
Guy Theodore Sebastian is an Australian pop, R&B, and soul singer-songwriter who was the first winner of Australian Idol in 2003. He is currently a judge on the Australian version of The X Factor. Sebastian has released six top ten platinum/multi platinum albums, including a number-one and...
, Delta Goodrem
Delta Goodrem
Delta Lea Goodrem is an Australian singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress. Signed to Sony at the age of 15, Goodrem rose to prominence in 2002, starring in the Australian soap opera Neighbours as Nina Tucker. Goodrem has achieved eight number-one singles and three number-one albums in her home...
, Trevor Guthrie
Trevor Guthrie
Trevor Guthrie is the former lead singer of the now defunct pop group soulDecision and is now a solo artist.- Early years :...
and Hawksley Workman
Hawksley Workman
Ryan Corrigan , better known by the stage name Hawksley Workman, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter who has garnered critical acclaim for his blend of cabaret pop and glam rock. Workman has released eleven full length albums throughout his career...
and a host of others to many to mention.
Richmond has surfed since the age of 11 and was once titled "King of the Island" (Shark Island). He has featured in numerous surfing movies including Life Like Liquid (Billabong) along side Dave Rastovich, "2230" & "Square" to mention a few. He was a team surfer for Mambo
Mambo Graphics
Mambo is an Australian surf and street clothing brand. It was launched in 1984, by and business partner, Andrew Rich in the Sydney suburb of Alexandria.- Early Days :...
in the 1990s. He won numerous surfing titles through the 80's and 90's before pursuing a less competitive path. Today Terepai is renowned for his tube riding skills and can often be found hunting big waves with his eldest son "Tainui" in his local area South of Sydney. Photos of him have been published in numerous surfing literature around the globe.
Richmond and Dixon provided the rhythm section for television and film composer, Stephen Rae's debut solo music album, Feet Lift Off the Ground (2004).
He toured extensively with Missy Higgins
Missy Higgins
Melissa "Missy" Morrison Higgins is an Australian pop singer-songwriter, musician and actor. Her No. 1 albums in Australia are The Sound of White and On a Clear Night , and her Top Ten singles are "Scar", "The Special Two", "Steer" and "Where I Stood". From a musical family in...
both in Australia and USA from 2006 to 2010. He has appeared on many U.S and OZ television shows including "Letterman","Earth Hour" and "Where I Stood" at the 2007 ARIA Awards
ARIA Music Awards of 2007
The 21st Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards were held on 28 October 2007 at the Acer Arena at the Sydney Olympic Park complex. Rove McManus was the host of the event...
. He has also recorded and toured extensively with Guy Sebastian
Guy Sebastian
Guy Theodore Sebastian is an Australian pop, R&B, and soul singer-songwriter who was the first winner of Australian Idol in 2003. He is currently a judge on the Australian version of The X Factor. Sebastian has released six top ten platinum/multi platinum albums, including a number-one and...
and label mate Delta Goodrem
Delta Goodrem
Delta Lea Goodrem is an Australian singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress. Signed to Sony at the age of 15, Goodrem rose to prominence in 2002, starring in the Australian soap opera Neighbours as Nina Tucker. Goodrem has achieved eight number-one singles and three number-one albums in her home...
.
Richmond's domestic partner is former Sparkadia
Sparkadia
Sparkadia is the project of alternative pop musician Alexander Burnett. Originally a band, Sparkadia formed in Sydney, Australia, in 2004. Up until 2009, Sparkadia was a four-piece band.-History:...
guitarist Tiffany Preece, the couple have a child, Rocket, born in 2009.