The Kill Devil Hills
Encyclopedia
The Kill Devil Hills were formed in 2003 in Fremantle
, Western Australia
as an acoustic, country-tinged 3-piece, which slowly swelled its ranks to become a rambling 6-piece outfit.
Their sometimes rickety, sometimes dirty, frequently swampy and always intense take on country, folk, gospel blues and rock hearkening like some bawdy old Irish reel bashed out on a rusty banjo by a half-cut lumberjack, high on the music of moonshine
. At times chugging along in a rockabilly howl, then turning out heart-rending ballads of loss and vengeance, The Kill Devil Hills take a rolling, merry lunge at the heart of rock 'n' roll.
The Kill Devil Hills released their debut album Heathen Songs in August 2004 and nationally in February 2005 on Reverberation
Records. In the same month, The Kill Devil Hills were nominated for 6 WAMi
Awards taking home "Best Blues/Roots Act" and "Best Country Music Act". Triple J
picked up the album, with Heathen Songs receiving a lot of airplay on a variety of shows and then being chosen as one of Triple J
's 'fresh Crop' Artists of 2005 The Kill Devil Hills have been featured on Triple J
's "Like A Version", JTV
and the Lonely Planet
documentary series "Six Degrees
" on SBS
. The band were hand picked to perform at The West Coast Blues & Roots Festival
http://www.sunsetevents.com.au/bluesnroots.php?Display=69 2005, and were a favourite at The Bridgetown
Blues Festival 2005, where they played on stages with the likes of The Black Keys
, The Mountain Goats
, The Living End
, Dallas Crane
, The Mess Hall
, Kim Salmon
, Jebediah
, The Panics
and The Drones
just to name a few. There was a short tour of the east coast in May 2005, winning hearts all over the country. They were then invited back to Sydney for shows in November the same year.
2006 saw the band taking time to record a new album, spending most of this year in the studio, with plans to release the new record in October. They also managed to be nominated for another 4 WAMi
Awards (winning for the second year in a row - "Best Blues/Roots Act" and "Best Country Music Act"), they graced the local stage at The Big Day Out, were asked to record a live set for Triple J
's 'Home and Hosed', have been invited back to The Bridgetown
Blues Festival http://www.bluesatbridgetown.com/artists-06/kill-devil-hills.html and played with such legends as The Beasts of Bourbon and The Dirty Three.
The band's second album, The Drought
was released 7 October 2006 and was followed by a national tour. The Kill Devil Hills also released a limited edition vinyl import version of Heathen Songs through Spanish record label Bang! Records (a Spanish label which has many other underground Australian bands on its roster).
The Kill Devil Hills returned to the studio in early 2009 to record their third studio album "Man, You Should Explode
, produced by Burke Reid
. It was released nationally on 5 September 2009 on Torn and Frayed/Shock (TORNCD24). The album was given a 4 star review in Rolling Stone Australia
Magazine. The band also embarked on a 2 month European tour in late 2010 with the European release of "Man, You Should Explode
on vinyl through the Spanish Label Bang! Records
.
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
as an acoustic, country-tinged 3-piece, which slowly swelled its ranks to become a rambling 6-piece outfit.
Their sometimes rickety, sometimes dirty, frequently swampy and always intense take on country, folk, gospel blues and rock hearkening like some bawdy old Irish reel bashed out on a rusty banjo by a half-cut lumberjack, high on the music of moonshine
Moonshine
Moonshine is an illegally produced distilled beverage...
. At times chugging along in a rockabilly howl, then turning out heart-rending ballads of loss and vengeance, The Kill Devil Hills take a rolling, merry lunge at the heart of rock 'n' roll.
The Kill Devil Hills released their debut album Heathen Songs in August 2004 and nationally in February 2005 on Reverberation
Reverberation
Reverberation is the persistence of sound in a particular space after the original sound is removed. A reverberation, or reverb, is created when a sound is produced in an enclosed space causing a large number of echoes to build up and then slowly decay as the sound is absorbed by the walls and air...
Records. In the same month, The Kill Devil Hills were nominated for 6 WAMi
West Australian Music Industry Awards
The Western Australian Music Industry Awards are annual awards presented to the local contemporary music industry, put on by the Western Australian Music Industry Association Inc...
Awards taking home "Best Blues/Roots Act" and "Best Country Music Act". Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
picked up the album, with Heathen Songs receiving a lot of airplay on a variety of shows and then being chosen as one of Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
's 'fresh Crop' Artists of 2005 The Kill Devil Hills have been featured on Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
's "Like A Version", JTV
Jtv
triple j tv is the name given to a series of Australian television programmes which started broadcast in July 2006 as a television spin-off of national radio broadcaster Triple J. They are broadcast on ABC1 and ABC2 as well as available online...
and the Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet is the largest travel guide book and digital media publisher in the world. The company is owned by BBC Worldwide, which bought a 75% share from the founders Maureen and Tony Wheeler in 2007 and the final 25% in February 2011...
documentary series "Six Degrees
Lonely Planet Six Degrees
Lonely Planet Six Degrees is Lonely Planet's flagship travel show, hosted by Asha Gill and Toby Amies. The show is centered on unique people living within locations, rather than simply famous tourist attractions, with one of the hosts meeting with one contact in a specific country, who in turn...
" on SBS
Special Broadcasting Service
The Special Broadcasting Service is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television network. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect...
. The band were hand picked to perform at The West Coast Blues & Roots Festival
West Coast Blues & Roots Festival
The West Coast Blues 'n' Roots Festival is an annual music festival held in Fremantle, Western Australia. It features many blues and roots performers, both international and local.-History:...
http://www.sunsetevents.com.au/bluesnroots.php?Display=69 2005, and were a favourite at The Bridgetown
Bridgetown, Western Australia
-Notable people:*Emily Barker, singer-songwriter*Jon Doust, author and comedian*Robyn McSweeney, politician*Tom O'Dwyer, cricketer*David Reid, politician*Deborah Robertson, novelist and poet-External links:* * * * * * * *...
Blues Festival 2005, where they played on stages with the likes of The Black Keys
The Black Keys
The Black Keys are an American rock duo consisting of vocalist/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer/producer Patrick Carney. The band was formed in Akron, Ohio, in 2001. As of October 2011, the band has sold over 2 million albums in the U.S....
, The Mountain Goats
The Mountain Goats
The Mountain Goats is an American indie rock band formed in Claremont, CA by singer-songwriter John Darnielle. For many years, the sole member of the Mountain Goats was Darnielle himself, despite the plural moniker....
, The Living End
The Living End
The Living End are an Australian rock band from Melbourne, Victoria, formed in 1994. The current lineup consists of Chris Cheney , Scott Owen and Andy Strachan...
, Dallas Crane
Dallas Crane
Dallas Crane is an Australian alternative rock band from Melbourne, Australia.Dallas Crane was named after the father of a mate of the band.In January 2004, the band signed a recording and publishing deal with Albert Productions, the home of AC/DC. The band recorded an album with Wayne Connolly,...
, The Mess Hall
The Mess Hall
The Mess Hall are a two-piece drums and guitar combo based in Sydney, Australia specialising in "raw, edgy bluesy rock." The band consists of Jed Kurzel and Cec Condon ....
, Kim Salmon
Kim Salmon
Kim Leith Salmon is an Australian indie rock musician and songwriter, who attained fame in June 2004, when he was inducted into the West Australian Music Industry Association Hall of Fame....
, Jebediah
Jebediah
Jebediah is an Australian alternative rock band formed in 1994 in Perth, Western Australia. The group consists of vocalist and guitarist Kevin Mitchell, guitarist Chris Daymond, bassist Vanessa Thornton, and Kevin's brother Brett Mitchell on drums...
, The Panics
The Panics
The Panics are an ARIA Award–winning indie rock band originally from Perth, Western Australia, and currently based in Melbourne, Victoria.-History:...
and The Drones
The Drones
The Drones are an Australian rock group who rose to prominence during the early 2000s. They are influenced by a variety of bands and soloists including Neil Young, The Velvet Underground, Bad Brains, Suicide, Green on Red, The Birthday Party, Van Morrison, Bob Dylan and Nina Simone.- The Sound...
just to name a few. There was a short tour of the east coast in May 2005, winning hearts all over the country. They were then invited back to Sydney for shows in November the same year.
2006 saw the band taking time to record a new album, spending most of this year in the studio, with plans to release the new record in October. They also managed to be nominated for another 4 WAMi
West Australian Music Industry Awards
The Western Australian Music Industry Awards are annual awards presented to the local contemporary music industry, put on by the Western Australian Music Industry Association Inc...
Awards (winning for the second year in a row - "Best Blues/Roots Act" and "Best Country Music Act"), they graced the local stage at The Big Day Out, were asked to record a live set for Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
's 'Home and Hosed', have been invited back to The Bridgetown
Bridgetown, Western Australia
-Notable people:*Emily Barker, singer-songwriter*Jon Doust, author and comedian*Robyn McSweeney, politician*Tom O'Dwyer, cricketer*David Reid, politician*Deborah Robertson, novelist and poet-External links:* * * * * * * *...
Blues Festival http://www.bluesatbridgetown.com/artists-06/kill-devil-hills.html and played with such legends as The Beasts of Bourbon and The Dirty Three.
The band's second album, The Drought
The Drought (album)
The Drought is the second album from The Kill Devil Hills, released in October, 2006.The album was recorded in late November 2005 at the Donnelly River Mill Worker's Club and then between February and June 2006 at Studio Couch, North Fremantle, with producer Ben Franz .-Track listing:#"Did I Damage...
was released 7 October 2006 and was followed by a national tour. The Kill Devil Hills also released a limited edition vinyl import version of Heathen Songs through Spanish record label Bang! Records (a Spanish label which has many other underground Australian bands on its roster).
The Kill Devil Hills returned to the studio in early 2009 to record their third studio album "Man, You Should Explode
Man, You Should Explode
- Man, You Should Explode :Man, You Should Explode is the third album from The Kill Devil Hills, released in 25 September 2009.The album was recorded in January 2009 at Poons Head Studio, Fremantle, with producer Burke Reid .-Track listing:...
, produced by Burke Reid
Burke Reid
Burke Reid is an Australian/Canadian record producer/musician who is based in Sydney, Australia and Toronto, Canada.After migrating from Canada to Australia, he became one third of the band Gerling in 1997...
. It was released nationally on 5 September 2009 on Torn and Frayed/Shock (TORNCD24). The album was given a 4 star review in Rolling Stone Australia
Rolling Stone Australia
Rolling Stone Australia is an Australian-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published monthly, it is the Australian edition of the United States' Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone was initially released in Melbourne in May 1970 as a supplement in Revolution, an...
Magazine. The band also embarked on a 2 month European tour in late 2010 with the European release of "Man, You Should Explode
Man, You Should Explode
- Man, You Should Explode :Man, You Should Explode is the third album from The Kill Devil Hills, released in 25 September 2009.The album was recorded in January 2009 at Poons Head Studio, Fremantle, with producer Burke Reid .-Track listing:...
on vinyl through the Spanish Label Bang! Records
Bang! Records
Bang! Records is a Spanish label from Basque Country formed in 1998 by Gorka Munster and Juan-Mari Iturrarte. The label has a primary focus on artists from Melbourne, Australia and New York City's swamp, noise and punk blues music scene. Acts among the Bang! Records roster include The Beasts Of...
.
Current members
- Brendon Humphries (vocals, steel/acoustic guitar, electric guitar banjo, piano)
- Steve Joines (vocals, acoustic/electric guitar, slide guitar)
- Todd Pickett (vocals, drums, percussion)
- Alex Archer (violin, piano, electric guitar, clarinet, slide guitar, organ)
- Ryan Dux (vocals, bass)
Ex-Members
- Justin Castley (electric bass, double bass, tin whistle)
- Lachlan Gurr (vocals, mandolin, banjo)
- Michael de GrussaMichael de GrussaMichael de Grussa is an Australian Singer/Songwriter-Career:Michael started his music career performing in Restaurants, Hotels and Bars around Perth, Western Australia 1999 and has released 2 albums of original work.2003 he was the original bass player for Fremantle band The Kill Devil Hills after...
(piano, double bass, banjo, vocals) - Steve Gibson (vocals, drums, percussion, xylophone)
Albums
- Heathen SongsHeathen SongsHeathen Songs is the debut album from The Kill Devil Hills, released August, 2004 and nationally on February 7, 2005 on independent label, Torn and Frayed and distributed by Reverberation Records.The album was reissued by Shock Records on June 11, 2007....
- Torn and Frayed/Reverberation (2004) - The DroughtThe Drought (album)The Drought is the second album from The Kill Devil Hills, released in October, 2006.The album was recorded in late November 2005 at the Donnelly River Mill Worker's Club and then between February and June 2006 at Studio Couch, North Fremantle, with producer Ben Franz .-Track listing:#"Did I Damage...
- Torn and Frayed/ShockShock RecordsShock Records is Australia's largest independent record label. It helps distribute records from overseas records labels such as Epitaph Records, and also for small record labels designed specifically for that band such as Cement Records...
(TORNCD16) (7 October 2006) - Man, You Should ExplodeMan, You Should Explode- Man, You Should Explode :Man, You Should Explode is the third album from The Kill Devil Hills, released in 25 September 2009.The album was recorded in January 2009 at Poons Head Studio, Fremantle, with producer Burke Reid .-Track listing:...
- Torn and Frayed/Shock (TORNCD24) (25 September 2009)