Sheppard_(band)

Sheppard (band)

Sheppard (band)

Australian indie pop band


Sheppard are an Australian indie pop band, formed in 2009. Their debut studio album, Bombs Away, was released on 11 July 2014, and peaked at No. 2 on the ARIA Albums Chart and was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association, while their second single, "Geronimo", spent three weeks at No. 1 on the ARIA Singles Chart and was certified 5× platinum.

Quick Facts Background information, Origin ...

At the ARIA Music Awards of 2013, Sheppard were nominated for Best Independent Release for "Let Me Down Easy". At the 2014 ceremony, they were nominated for Album of the Year, Best Group, Best Independent Release, Best Pop Release, Song of the Year, Producer of the Year, and Best Video.

Sheppard were the halftime entertainment at the 2020 AFL Grand Final. The band also performed prior to game two of the 2021 State of Origin Series.

Early life

The Sheppard siblings were born and grew up in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea to parents Greg and Linda Sheppard, where they attended the Sir Hubert Murray International (primary) School (now part of the Ela Murray International School (TEMIS) chain).[1] The family relocated to Brisbane, where Amy attended Somerville House for secondary education; by 2009, she was studying music at TAFE Queensland Brisbane.[1] After attending Brisbane Boys College in 2004, George shifted to Sydney; there he "toyed" with an acting career before returning to Brisbane six years later.[1] Youngest sister Emma learned to play bass guitar while enrolled at Somerville House; she officially joined the band after graduating in 2011.[1][2]

History

Early years and formation (2009–2013)

In 2009, Sheppard were formed as a duo by George and Amy Sheppard. Amy had asked for help on a music assignment: "I had to write a song, and I really wanted to put in harmonies, but I'd left it to the last minute. George was the only one at home".[1] For the duo Amy (born 22 September 1990) provided vocals, while George (born 21 October 1987) was on lead vocals and piano.[3] In 2011, Jay Bovino – George's friend from Sydney – joined as the third songwriter and rhythm guitarist. By 2012, their six-member line-up also included Emma on bass and backing vocals, Michael Butler on lead guitar, and Jared Tredly on drums.[3][4] Greg was their talent manager and Linda their tour manager; the parents funded the group's early career and established their own record label, Empire of Song.[1][5][6]

Sheppard released a five-track extended play of the same name on 17 August 2012, with recording label Empire of Song, which was distributed by MGM.[7] By September that year, they had performed at festivals in South Africa, London and United States.[8] The EP peaked at No. 18 on the ARIA Singles Chart in July of the following year.[7] Its lead track, "Let Me Down Easy", was nominated for Best Independent Release at the ARIA Music Awards of 2013.[9] Its second track, "Hold My Tongue", was issued as the group's debut single in August but it did not reach the top 50.[7] All five tracks were produced by Stuart Stuart at Analog Heart Studios, and co-written by Amy, George & Bovino.[10] Kat Hunter of The AU Review felt that the EP "serves up a delicious helping of pop goodness filled with danceable melodies, catchy sing-along lyrics in addition to light and perfectly whipped harmonies and group vocals".[8] The group played at the Sonic Bang Festival in Bangkok on 24 August 2013, sharing the roster with Placebo, Pitbull, Far East Movement, Jason Mraz, and Owl City.[11] The band appeared at Sullivan Hall in New York City on 18 October for the 2013 CMJ Music Marathon.[12] On 1 December 2013, they performed and presented an award at that year's ARIA Music Awards.[13] By that time, the band had enlisted Dean Gordon to replace Tredly on drums.[14]

Bombs Away (2014–2015)

Sheppard's second single, "Geronimo", was issued in February 2014 on Empire of Song/Chugg Music. It was recorded and produced at Analog Heart Studios in Brisbane by Stuart Stuart and written by three of the band's members, George Sheppard, Amy Sheppard and Jay Bovino.[15] Brendan Plowman of AdamNotEve noted that the "lyrics throughout the song suggest an idea of taking the plunge together. Risking it all in the hope of something bigger and better that lies ahead, even if it is 'through the curtain of a waterfall' and you don't know what's on the other side" while "the music and repetitive chorus are uplifting and exciting and everyone still can't get enough of it. But it appears this is no accident". [16]> George told Plowman how he wrote songs with Amy and Bovino: "We all have very different music tastes ... the important thing to remember when collaborating with two other writers is compromise ... you have to work together to find the common ground ... all of us being happy with it means it will have the widest appeal, if that makes sense".[16] From late April to early May, "Geronimo" spent three weeks at No. 1 on the ARIA Singles Chart,[7] knocking Pharrell Williams' single "Happy" from the top spot after its 12-week run.[15] It is the first single, which had been recorded in Brisbane, to reach number one. Internationally the track reached the top 10 in Austria,[17] Germany, [18] Italy, [19] New Zealand,[20] the Netherlands,[21] and Poland.[22] "Sheppard" was certified 5× platinum by ARIA, for shipments of over 350,000 units.[23]

In March 2014, Sheppard became the first Australian band to sign with Decca Records for their international releases; within Australia, however, the band's material continued to be issued under the Empire of Song/Chugg Music label and distributed by MGM.[24] By that time they were recording their debut album, Bombs Away, at Analog Heart with Stuart producing, again.[25] It was released on 11 July 2014 and peaked at No. 2 on the ARIA Albums Chart.[7] Toby Creswell of Rolling Stone (Australia) felt it had "beautiful and sweet songs dripping with emotion and more hooks than a tuna fleet" which contained "sturdy pieces that could have been made any time since the Brill Building opened its doors".[26] In April, Sheppard opened for Michael Franti & Spearhead at The Metro Theatre in Sydney and the Prince of Wales Ballroom in Melbourne.[27] The band was the support act for Australian appearances during Keith Urban's Light the Fuse Tour in June.[28] The album's second single, "Something's Missing", was issued to coincide with that tour, which peaked at No. 35 on the ARIA Singles Chart.[7] In October, for the ARIA Music Awards of 2014, Sheppard received seven nominations: Bombs Away for Album of the Year, Best Group, Best Independent Release, Best Pop Release and Producer of the Year (for Stuart's work); while "Geronimo" was nominated for Song of the Year, and Best Video (directed by Toby Morris).[9] During the awards ceremony held on 26 November 2014, Sheppard won Best Group.[29] The album's third single, "Smile", appeared in mid-October; they premiered the track on Seven Network's morning program, Sunrise.[30]

In January 2015, "Let Me Down Easy" was released internationally with a new video premiering on 23 February 2015.[31]

In March, "Bombs Away" debuted on the American Billboard 200 at No. 31.[32] Sheppard supported Meghan Trainor on the North American leg of her That Bass Tour across March and April 2015.

In April 2015, Sheppard were announced in the line-up for the biannual Rock in Rio festival, widely acknowledged as the world's largest live music event. The group also released "A Grade Playa" as a single from Bombs Away.[33] The video premiered on 21 June 2015.[34]

In May 2015, it was announced that Sheppard would perform their song "Geronimo" in the 13th episode of the second season of the television series Girl Meets World, called "Girl Meets Semi-Formal", which aired on the Disney Channel on 14 August 2015.[35][36][37][38]

On 6 November 2015, Sheppard released a new single called "Be More Barrio".[39] The track was written exclusively for Pull&Bear and aims to be an anthem for the normality and familiarity that neighbourhoods represent in an increasingly global world.[40]

In 2015 it was revealed that former band financier and manager Greg Sheppard, who is also father of band members George, Amy, and Emma, had been identified in a Sydney Morning Herald investigation in to money laundering of money from Papua New Guinea to Australia.[41][42] Greg has also had connections to the operations of Manus Regional Processing Centre,[43] sparking controversy over the bands sources of funding at the time.

Watching the Sky (2016–2018)

On 1 November 2016, "We Belong" was released. In March 2017, Sheppard supported Justin Bieber on the Australian and New Zealand legs of his Purpose World Tour. In June and July Sheppard supported Little Mix on their The Glory Days Tour in the UK.[44] On 1 December 2017, Sheppard released a 4-track covers EP titled Undercover, featuring the lead single "Waves". In January 2018, Sheppard announced their single "Coming Home" had been certified gold and announced their second studio album Watching the Sky would be released in June 2018.[45] The album debuted at No.1 on the ARIA Charts[46][47] and the band announced their Australian tour in July.[48]

In December 2018, it was announced that they were among the acts who would be participating in Eurovision – Australia Decides 2019, the Australian national final to select the country's representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2019.[49] In February 2019, Sheppard released "On My Way" and performed the song at the final of Australia Decides, placing 3rd out of 10 performers.[50]

Kaleidoscope Eyes (2019–present)

In late February 2019, the band took a break from performing after George was diagnosed with a throat injury. After spending months on vocal rest, it became apparent that he required surgery, which he underwent in September 2019.[citation needed]

On 9 May 2019, the band announced that Michael Butler had departed Sheppard to focus on a new career path.[51] "Kiss My Fat Ass" was released on all music sources on 26 July 2019. In October 2019, the band released "Die Young".

In January 2020, the band released "Phoenix". In February 2020, the band stated that they are going to be releasing a new song every single month right throughout 2020, culminating in an album release at the end of the year. "Don’t Believe in Love" was released alongside a statement from George Sheppard saying "Our forthcoming album isn't necessarily a concept album, but there's definitely a cohesive theme running throughout the songs and a linear narrative that I hope people are able to piece together as the year goes on and the album grows."[52]

In October 2020, the band performed at half-time at the 2020 AFL Grand Final.[53][54]

On 22 October 2020, the band announced the title of their third studio album, Kaleidoscope Eyes and its release date of 19 February 2021.[55] The album was released on 26 February,[56] one week after its original release date.

In September 2021, Sheppard released the first of three digital compilation EPs over three weeks, titled Love Was Never Easy, Highest of Highs and Dance in the Glow.[57]

On 3 November 2021, Sheppard released "The Reasons Why", a song which made its debut at the October 2021 wedding of Amy Sheppard with Lachlan Stuart.[58][59]

On 8 November 2021, they announced their first Christmas single "Christmas Without You" would be released on 14 November.[60]

In February 2023, Sheppard announced their new single, "Good Time", will be released on 17 March 2023.[61]

In August 2023, Sheppard announced they were moving to Nashville, Tennessee in search of United States success.[62]

On 14 March 2024, the band released the single "Edge of the Earth", which they had submitted to SBS for consideration to represent Australia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 but was ultimately not selected.[63]

Band members

Timeline

Discography

Awards and nominations

AIR Awards

The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.

More information Year, Nominee / work ...

APRA Awards

The APRA Awards are presented annually from 1982 by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA).[66]

More information Year, Nominee / work ...

ARIA Awards

The ARIA Music Awards are presented annually since 1987 by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Sheppard have won one award from a total of ten nominations.[9]

More information Year, Nominee / work ...

Country Music Awards (CMAA)

The Country Music Awards of Australia (CMAA) (also known as the Golden Guitar Awards) is an annual awards night held in January during the Tamworth Country Music Festival, celebrating recording excellence in the Australian country music industry. They have been held annually since 1973.

More information Year, Nominee / work ...

Queensland Music Awards

The Queensland Music Awards (previously known as Q Song Awards) are annual awards celebrating Queensland, Australia's brightest emerging artists and established legends. They commenced in 2006.[74]

More information Year, Nominee / work ...

World Music Awards

The World Music Award is an international awards show founded in 1989 that annually honors recording artists based on worldwide sales figures provided by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).[77]

More information Year, Nominee / work ...

References

  1. Visentin, Lisa (13 June 2014). "Parents take a chance on Sheppard and fans flock". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  2. "Sheppard Q&A". Kidzworld. 2012. Archived from the original on 26 October 2014. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  3. "Sheppard". Triple J Unearthed. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 4 February 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  4. Dunn, Matthew (28 February 2012). "Sheppard: The Good Sheppard". G & T Magazine. Gifted and Talented (Jonathan Garde). Archived from the original on 23 October 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  5. "Dirty Money: How corrupt PNG cash is reaching Australia". Dateline. 25 June 2015. SBS. Archived from the original on 26 August 2015. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  6. "ARIA Member List" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 25 October 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 October 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  7. Hung, Steffen. "Discography Sheppard". Australian Charts Portal. Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  8. Hunter, Kat (11 September 2012). "Album Review: Sheppard – Sheppard (2012 EP)". The AU Review. Heath Media. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  9. Sheppard at the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Awards website:
  10. "'Let Me Down Easy' at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2014. Note: User may have to click 'Search again' and provide details at 'Enter a title:' e.g Let Me Down Easy; or at 'Performer:' Sheppard
  11. Berst, Marie (2 September 2013). "Back from Bangkok's Sonic Bang: Sheppard". Music Weekly Asia. Singapore: Music Services Asia. Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  12. "Big Picture: Quiet Company, Sheppard, Maria Taylor, Sol Cat, NGHBRS @ Sullivan Hall: October 18, 2013". CMJ. 22 October 2013. Archived from the original on 8 May 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  13. "Announcing the performers at the 2013 ARIAs!". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 15 November 2013. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  14. Kuch, Jesse (15 April 2014). "Cairns artists Dean Gordon from Sheppard and Dan Sultan top of the pops". The Cairns Post. News Limited. Archived from the original on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  15. Byron, Tim (17 April 2014). "Number Ones: Sheppard 'Geronimo'". Vine Music. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 20 April 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
  16. Plowman, Brendan (22 April 2014). "Review Sheppard – 'Geronimo'". AdamNotEve. Archived from the original on 25 April 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  17. "Sheppard – 'Geronimo'". Austrian Charts Portal (in German). Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 10 October 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  18. "Sheppard – 'Geronimo'". German Charts Portal (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 October 2014.[dead link]
  19. "Classifica settimanale WK 39". Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana (in Italian). Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  20. "Sheppard – 'Geronimo'". New Zealand Charts Portal. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 18 May 2017. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  21. "airplay - top - archiwum". Związek Producentów Audio-Video (in Polish). Archived from the original on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  22. "Exclusive: Sheppard Sign Worldwide Deal with the Legendary Decca Records". themusic.com.au. Street Press Australia Pty Ltd. 21 March 2014. Archived from the original on 6 May 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  23. Kolle, David (12 June 2014). "Sheppard Release Debut Album Bombs Away". Muzic Magazine. Archived from the original on 6 August 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  24. Creswell, Toby (7 July 2014). "Sheppard – Bombs Away". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  25. Newstead, Al (20 November 2013). "Michael Franti & Spearhead Australian Tour 2014 Announced". Tonedeaf. Archived from the original on 6 December 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  26. "Sheppard to support Keith Urban on National Tour". themusic.com.au. Street Press Australia Pty Ltd. 22 April 2014. Archived from the original on 6 May 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  27. Zuel, Bernard (26 November 2014). "ARIAs 2014 winners: Sia, Chet Faker, Sheppard and 5SOS score big". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 27 March 2015. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  28. "Chart-topping band Sheppard". Sunrise. Yahoo!7 TV. 16 October 2014. Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  29. "Let Me Down Easy - Single". iTunes España (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 6 March 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  30. Caulfield, Keith (20 March 2015). "Billboard 200 Chart Moves: Marvin Gaye Sales Up 246% After 'Blurred Lines' Trial". Billboard. Archived from the original on 23 March 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  31. "Sheppard Announced on Line-Up For World's Biggest Music Festival". TheMusic.com.au. 2 April 2015. Archived from the original on 17 June 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
  32. Sheppard - A Grade Playa (Official Video Clip) (Music video). YouTube. 21 June 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
  33. Vena, Jocelyn (29 May 2015). "Becky G, Pentatonix, The Vamps & More Headed to Disney's Sounds of Summer: Exclusive". Billboard. Archived from the original on 5 August 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  34. Cantor, Brian (29 July 2015). "First Look: Sheppard Appears on Disney's 'Girl Meets World'". Headline Planet. Archived from the original on 2 August 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  35. Dilip, Mangala (13 August 2015). "'Girl Meets World' Season 2 Spoilers: Jack and Eric are Still Best Friends; Will Episode 13 See 'Rucas'? [POLL]". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 15 August 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  36. Venable, Nick (11 August 2015). "First Look at Jack's Big Return on Girl Meets World". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on 14 August 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  37. "Be More Barrio - Sheppard single". iTunes Australia. 6 November 2015. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  38. "Be More Barrio - The Sheppard song". Pull&Bear. Archived from the original on 24 December 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  39. Garnaut, John; McKenzie, Nick; Baker, Richard (23 June 2015). "Steering corrupt cash into Australia from PNG: a how-to guide". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  40. Moskovich, Greg (24 June 2015). "Sheppard Caught Up In Money Laundering Corruption Scandal". Tone Deaf. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  41. Street, Andrew P. (24 June 2015). "View from the Street: Hold on - so offshore detention may not even be legal?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  42. Cashmere, Paul (19 April 2017). "Sheppard To Tour UK With Little Mix". Noise 11. Archived from the original on 7 December 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  43. "Sheppard Drops 'Coming Home' Video". Broadway World. 26 January 2018. Archived from the original on 3 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  44. "Sheppard score first No. 1 album". ARIA Charts. Australian Recording Industry Association. 16 June 2018. Archived from the original on 12 August 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  45. Brandle, Lars (18 June 2018). "Sheppard's 'Watching The Sky' Debuts at No. 1 in Australia". Billboard. Archived from the original on 19 June 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  46. "Sheppard To Embark on Biggest Tour of Their Career This Year". theMusic. 16 July 2018. Archived from the original on 16 July 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  47. Currinn, Jonathan (4 December 2018). "Australia Announces Its First Four Acts For The Eurovision – Australia Decides Which Is Their National Selection Show For Eurovision 2019". CelebMix. Archived from the original on 21 December 2018. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  48. "Kate Miller-Heidke reigns supreme at Australia Decides". Aussievision. 10 February 2019. Archived from the original on 20 July 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  49. "Sheppard Announce Departure of Guitarist Michael Butler". The Music. 9 May 2019. Archived from the original on 23 August 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  50. "We Don't Believe Sheppard Don't Believe in Love". auspOp. 28 February 2020. Archived from the original on 27 February 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  51. Quinn, Karl (24 October 2020). "AFL grand final entertainment disjointed, but a balm all the same". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  52. "Sheppard Confirm Kaleidoscope Eyes". auspop. 22 October 2020. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  53. Tsinivits, Kyriakos (26 February 2021). "Sheppard release their new album 'Kaleidoscope Eyes'". Aussievision. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  54. "New music and tour news from Australian Eurovision artists - Tania Doko, Sheppard, Dami Im and more". Aussievision. 1 October 2021. Archived from the original on 1 October 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  55. "The Reasons Why - single on Apple Music". Apple Music. 3 November 2021. Archived from the original on 5 November 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  56. wearesheppard (3 November 2021). The Reasons Why (Official Music Video). YouTube. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  57. "Sheppard Announce First New Single In Two Years". Music Feeds. 27 February 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  58. "Sheppard Are Moving To The US: 'It's A Big Risk'". theMusic.com.au. 9 August 2023. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
  59. "Sheppard release the song they submitted for Eurovision 2024". Aussievision. 15 March 2024. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  60. Crosbie, Niamh (8 September 2014). "Carlton Dry AIR Awards 2014 Nominees Announced". speaker tv. Archived from the original on 11 September 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  61. "2014 Awards". Australian Independent Record Labels Association. Archived from the original on 24 August 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  62. "Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived from the original on 20 October 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  63. "Most Played Australian Work". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). 2014. Archived from the original on 11 March 2015. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  64. "Pop Work of the Year". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). 2014. Archived from the original on 11 March 2015. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  65. "Most Played Australian Work". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). 2015. Archived from the original on 19 March 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  66. "Pop Work of the Year". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). 2015. Archived from the original on 19 March 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
  67. "Song of the Year". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). 2015. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
  68. "2016 APRA AWARDS : Date Confirmed". auspOp. April 2016. Archived from the original on 23 November 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  69. "44th CMAA Country Music Awards of Australia". Country Route News. March 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  70. "About the Queensland Music Awards". Queensland Music Awards. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  71. "Past Winners 2016". Queensland Music Awards. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  72. "2021 Queensland Music Awards Winners". Scenestr. 6 May 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  73. "Awards". World Music Awards. Archived from the original on 28 August 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015.

Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Sheppard_(band), and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.