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Jebediah

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  3. Jebediah

    Voting has opened in @triplej 's #hottest100 for 2011! Go on put Jebediah in your shortlist! -HQ http://lnk.ms/XJ0ch

  4. Jebediah posted 2 events

General Info

  • Genre: Alternative / Pop / Rock

    Location Perth, WA, Please select your region., Au

    Profile Views: 189959

    Last Login: 2/29/2012

    Member Since 11/14/2006

    Website www.jebediah.net

    Record Label Dew Process

    Type of Label Indie

  • Bio

    Formed in 1995 by Kevin Mitchell (Guitar / Vox), Brett Mitchell (Drums), Chris Daymond (Guitar) and Vanessa Thornton (Bass), Jebediah started out playing the normal gigs young bands do. A school ball here, a band comp there. They stood out a little from the Perth band scene at the time as they were a little brasher than most and seemed to worry more about how high and hard they could pogo around the stage than how to hit that note just right. Things started to get a little silly around April 1996, with a bunch of labels chasing the band, and an eventual signing to Murmur Records (home of Ammonia and Silverchair at the time). The momentum grew with some amazing shows supporting bands such as Presidents of the USA and Everclear, and playing at Homebake and The Falls festivals. Late 96 the debut single “Jerks of Attention” is released, garners the band its first national radio play and the Jebs start hitting the road properly. They haven’t really stopped since then... ..In 1997 the band played over 150 shows with bands like Powderfinger and Bikini Kill and somehow managed to fit in recording a debut album “Slighty Odway” which was released in September 97. It scared the crap out of band and label alike by debuting in the national top 10. Slightly Odway was gold by the end of the year, and eventually went on to sell over 150,000 copies in Australia, as well as doing well in Japan and New Zealand... ..1998 was business as usual. Three headline tours, a couple of shows with the Smashing Pumpkins, and festivals including Livid, Homebake and Pushover. Some highlights were touring with The Living End in the main support slot, and selling more shirts than The Smashing Pumpkins at their Melbourne show. Jebediah started the new year with their first national Big Day Out run. US Rolling Stone mentions the fact that the band managed to entertain 40,000 people for 10 minutes at the Melbourne BDO without the benefit of a PA. The band managed to get the whole crowd singing the national anthem... ..In April 1999 Jebediah entered the studio with US Producer Mark Trombino (Jimmy Eat World, Blink 182) to record “Of Someday Shambles” their follow up to “Slightly Odway”. After a difficult birth the band took off to Canada for their first taste of touring in the Northern Hemisphere. Not being ones to mess around they toured NZ for the second time on the way home and hit the road to launch 1st single “Animal” on the general populace. Of Someday Shambles was a darker and more emotional album than the bands perky debut, but was well received, debuting at 2 in Australia - just beaten to number 1 by some upstarts from Brisbane called Savage Garden. A second Canadian tour was slotted in just before the launch of OSS, with Jebediah opening for some (at the time!) unknown band called Nickelback.. Like the band members have always said, they will play with anyone as long as there are more people in the audience than there are on stage!.. ..After their exciting flirt with audiences above the equator, 2000 was spent with eyes on overseas climes. After another quick jaunt around the country with the Big Day Out, Jebediah headed out on their biggest tour yet, taking US indie punk band The Get Up Kids out as an opener on “Tour De Shambles”. 31 shows, 30 people on the road, rock and fucking roll. While this tour wended its way around the country a deal was being struck in the US with independent label Big Wheel Recreation to license “Of Someday Shambles in the US. As an introduction to North America a split CD and vinyl release with Jimmy Eat World was put out on BWR in September 2000 with a repackaged album hitting the streets in October. The split CD has gone on to sell many thousand worldwide, and “Of Someday Shambles” made quite an impact at college radio. David Fricke (editor of US Rolling Stone) placed the album in his top releases for the year, and Jebediah toured the release hard with a 3 month US jaunt supporting The Get Up Kids and then Jimmy Eat World. 70+ shows, 36000km, a lot of bad food and cheap bourbon, the tour finishes in LA and then the band take a week off and then do a lap of Australia to celebrate with Sleepy Jackson and Magic Dirt in support... ..In 2001 Jebediah spent most of the year writing and recording their self titled 3rd album. The bagpipe driven “Fall Down” was a top 20 hit, and the album debuted at 8 on the ARIA charts when it was released in March 2002. The band toured it hard, finishing their campaign in 2003 with another BDO tour, with the Jebs playing like they had done a deal with the devil... ..In October Jebediah had a successful UK tour with headline shows in London and Edinburgh and a few supports for Powderfinger at Shepherds Bush Empire. Refreshed, revitalised, kings of their destiny and with a batch of tunes to make your heart stop, the band entered the Kingdom Studio in January 2004 with engineer Matt Lovell. Taking a month to track and then having the album mixed by Shaun O’Callaghan while the band were on tour, “Braxton Hicks” was as warm, honest and self assured as the Jebs have ever been. The album was released in July 2004 (April 2005 in Japan) and Jebediah toured Braxton Hicks hard, headlining tours, teaming up with mates Grinspoon for some shows, and popping up at multiple Big Day out shows. Tracks like “No Sleep” and “First Time” off Braxton Hicks got a hammering on radio, and had the band stuck in the collective consciousness once more... ..In late 2005 Jebediah headed around the nation on their 10th Anniversary tour, playing a set voted by their fans in each city they visited. It was fitting that the band then headed into hibernation, with many jokes made about long service leave. Jebediah took the time to collectively have a rest, catch their breath and assess their career. Time was taken having lives, jobs, and a little holiday from music for most. Kevin headed overseas to make and release his second “Bob Evans” album, which has been a gold selling success in Australia and he has toured and released it in several territories overseas. Brett moonlighted for awhile in Perth rockers The Fuzz, and Vanessa has been in several musical collaborations, most recently appearing in the star studded backing band for Felicity Groom... ..Jebediah have been in rehearsals and demoing for their 5th album since the middle of2007. Their “Back in the Saddle Tour” is the first time the band have been seen on a stage since August 2005, and they are champing at the bit. As they say in the classics, watch this space, there’s more music and history to be made yet!.. ....

  • Members

    Kevin Mitchell Vanessa Thornton Chris Daymond Brett Mitchell

  • Influences

  • Sounds Like

Comments

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  • SPACEDOG RADIO

     HELLO FROM JET CITY! WOOF!

    11 months ago
  • Livio Barilaro

    Hi Jebs, I don't know if you would remember two crazy guys with a gigantic HARPOON banner which the band signed twice (during the mid 2000's @ Big Day Out and Rock-it). The same two crazy guys want to now get the third and final signatures for their HARPOON banner, so it then can be displayed in the beer shed where it will be envied by all. So the question is: "IF WE BRING IT WILL YOU SIGN IT"

    1 year ago
  • Livio Barilaro

     Hi Jebs dont know if you will remember the crazy guys with the Gigantic HARPOON sign (@ big day out in Perth & Rock-it in Perth early 2000's blurry times), which we have got you to sign on both occasions. we were thinking of bring it to the 10th of June Perth concert to be sign for the final and third time before putting it to rest in the beer shed for all to be envious of.                                                             IF WE BRING IT, WILL YOU SIGN IT ?????                                                                  I'm sure Perth would love to hear original old school HARPOON !!!!!!! goes hand in hand with the sign. Rock on JEBS.

    1 year ago
  • joanne

    hey jebs -your new song sounds good! cool clip too!
    kevin you look as young as you did when i first saw you 13-14 years ago- you all do!
    stay young at heart and the mind and body follows! cya round

    1 year ago
  • Disco Nap

    Looking forward to tonight's show at The Zoo!!

    1 year ago
  • Marius Menne

    Giggidy

    1 year ago
  • HIGH FANGS

    Looking forward to the new LP guys!

    1 year ago
  • Marius Menne

    Any news? What's the latest guys? Hanging out to hear when the new record will be released! Starting to get that "if" feeling :/

    1 year ago
  • Ashlee Farmer

    I love your music so much ! thankyou for making Harpoon it is my favourite song (:

    1 year ago
  • Kosmic Evolution

    Hi! Thank you, its great to have your friendship and support, hope you enjoy the music and video clips. Peace, love and wishing you well and happy always.
    Love Bart & Jody
    KOSMIC EVOLUTION

    2 years ago

Videos

Bio:

Kosciuszko was always a mountain to be climbed. As Australia’s highest peak it was the intrepid explorer’s pinnacle of a mountainous feat. So too for Perth rockers Jebediah, whose latest full length album Kosciuszko is one of their biggest achievements thus far and the most satisfying to scale.

More than five years in the making, Kosciuszko was a journey the four-piece underwent both together and separately. When Kosciuszko started appearing in the horizon the band had a few more of their own tasks to conquer. Frontman Kevin Mitchell was touring his moniker Bob Evans around the country, bassist Vanessa Thornton was in the thick of her nutritionists degree, drummer Brett Mitchell was lending his skills to other local Perth bands and guitarist Chris Daymond, well, it’s been said he used his time wisely.

During this time the band continued to jam together, but a move by Kevin to Melbourne, away from his native west coast city and the rest of the Jebs, hindered the frequency of these sessions. Still they got back in the band room whenever they could with the thought of an album in the back of their mind. During these sessions, they started to write with the spontaneity and relaxed attitude that they hadn’t had the joy of since their inception. The shackles of a label contract was not the only restraint that had been released, the band also had no manager and no specific timeline. There was a new sense of freedom found in their rehearsals and writing. They started to feel like themselves again.

Jebediah were pioneers of the late ‘90s punk rock grunge scene. In 1997 it all started going a little nuts for the band, playing over 150 shows and releasing breakthrough album Slightly Odway in September. With tracks like Leaving Home, Military Strongman, Teflon and the swooning ballad Harpoon it is little wonder that the album debuted in the national top ten. Within four months the debut hit gold status, sending their summer touring into overdrive Their reputation for scorching live shows had proceeded them. Jebediah were named towards the top of the bills for Big Day Out, Livid and Homebake, For a young band on their first album, the sudden acceleration of status was terrifying but they lived up to the hype and were shortly after invited to tour with The Smashing Pumpkins. They managed to sell more merch then the iconic headline act and Slightly Odway would go one to sell double platinum.

From then on the Perth pack kept kicking goals, with follow up release Of Someday Shambles hitting all the right notes with its deeper and darker attitude. Debuting at #2 in Australia, it took the band to international status, touring them in the northern hemisphere for a good part of a year and leaving a trail of fans throughout the States thanks to driving single Animal. Their third self-titled album also didn’t disappoint. They threw bagpipes into the mix for single Fall Down, which reached the top 20 and drove the album to debut at #8 in the ARIA charts.

In 2005 things changed a little for Jebediah. They left their major record label and took control of their own recording process, bringing out the self-produced Braxton Hicks on their own label. Once again, it debuted at the pointy end of the ARIA charts and once again, had kicking singles in the likes of No Sleep and First Time.

In the following years Kosciuszko started appearing as the behemoth to climb and work had begun on it in earnest. Kevin thinks the attitude that the band had towards songwriting was imperative this time around, rather than a specific concept or theme. “I think what we wanted to do was reconnect with the core of what made the band work in the first place and throw away the self imposed rule book that had crept into our thinking over the years,” he says.

Chris saw the workings behind Kosciuszko a little more black and white, putting it frankly, “We made it because, quite simply, we wanted to!”

Out of the one of the occasional jam sessions the soaring single She’s Like A Comet was born. It only took the group fifteen minutes to write, evidence to the band’s intuitive collaborative abilities. It’s a splash of the feel-good Jebediah, the one that had up to 40,000 people dancing simultaneously at numerous Australian festivals.

Control smacks you between the eyes with that similar bounding energy. This is surprising for something that was formed in the very early hours of a big night’s morning, when conversations are little slower and emotions a little more intense. “I recall it being New Years morning,” remembers Mitchell, “Chris and I were sitting by my kitchen and we both had a good buzz on. I showed him these chords I was playing around with and he came up with his accompanying riffs. We took it to a jam session a few days later and we had a song.”

If half the band can have a good buzz on at the break of dawn, then Kosciuszko shows you what type of raucous they can create as a whole unit during the decent hours of the day. Under Your Bed is like a quick aggressive lover, full of frantic riffs and distorted vocals, delivered at breakneck speed.

Lost My Nerve follows in a similar vein. It’s gritty and boisterous, spitting out honesty with a lashing of lyrics; “The lyrics are tongue and cheek but maybe I’m also getting a bit old and grumpy,” discloses Mitchell, “Either way, it annoys the shit out of me when I see a young band who have obviously only just started playing gigs and they are all playing through the newest most expensive gear that their parents bought for them. There is absolutely no rock and roll romance in that at all!”

The frustration-fuelled track was incidentally one of the first to be taken into the studio, along with She’s Like a Comet and the slacker, more down-tempo To Your Door. Blackbird Studios in Perth became their base camp where the threads of their work in their band room started to weave into fully realised songs.

Once some of the melodies and tempos that would carve their way into the base of Kosiciuszko started to take shape, the band roped in friend and producer Dave Parkin to help them with the dirty work. Having already worked with him on some Braxton Hicks b-sides and live recordings the band knew that he had the ideas and navigation they needed “Dave is a great friend of us all,” says Daymond. “He has expertise and abilities to ‘drive’ the sessions according to our directions, whilst at the same time bring his own perspective and ideas to the table.”

Subsequently the band started tackling the tracks that weren’t quite fleshed out prior to entering the studio. Battlesong was one of those songs that the band had in their back pocket for years, but always seemed to fall apart within the walls of their band room. Once recording they decided to revisit it, adding military drums to the clean guitar lines and echoing piano. The chorus is delivered like an anthem, or a motivational war cry, readying you for the next ascent.

Oxygen was also at the mercy of an in-studio rework. “This one came into the studio as jangly Teenage Fanclub sounding song. It was a little too straight so we pretty much cleared the decks and started all over again,” says Mitchell of the reverb drenched, spacious ballad.

Once the recordings started to take the shape of the album, Brisbane label Dew Process put up their hand to jump on board. “We were admiring Dew Process and it’s ever expanding roster of quality acts from across the dance floor for a number of years,” said Mitchell of the signing. The artist-focused label was the perfect fit for what the band wanted to achieve.

Kosciuszko reflects the wide-open approach that the band took towards the album. It was a long labour of love for Jebediah; a mountainous endeavour that the band dominated at their own will. With a long history of hard work and dumbfounding success, the band have laid the foundations for another steep climb. Kosciuszko is the album that will see Jebediah at their peak.

Jebediah’s Kosciuszko is out now via Dew Process and Universal Music Australia.

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