The Church are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1980. Initially associated with new wave, neo-psychedelia, and indie rock, their music later came to feature slower tempos and surreal soundscapes reminiscent of alternative rock, dream pop, and post-rock. Glenn A. Baker has written that "From the release of the 'She Never Said' single in November 1980, this unique Sydney-originated entity has purveyed a distinctive, ethereal, psychedelic-tinged sound which has alternatively found favour and disfavour in Australia." The Los Angeles Times has described the band's music as "dense, shimmering, exquisite guitar pop".

The founding members were Steve Kilbey on lead vocals and bass guitar, Peter Koppes and Marty Willson-Piper on guitars, and Nick Ward on drums. Ward played only on their debut album, and the band's drummer for the rest of the 1980s was Richard Ploog. Jay Dee Daugherty (ex-Patti Smith Group) played drums from 1990 to 1993, followed by "timEbandit" Tim Powles (ex-the Venetians), who remains with them to the present day. Koppes left the band from 1992 to 1997 and again in 2020, with Willson-Piper departing in 2013. Ian Haug, formerly of Powderfinger, replaced Willson-Piper, with former touring multi-instrumentalist Jeffrey Cain and Even guitarist Ashley Naylor joining after Koppes' later departure. Kilbey, Koppes, and Powles also recorded together as the Refo:mation in 1997.

The Church's debut album, Of Skins and Heart (1981), delivered their first radio hit, "The Unguarded Moment", and they were signed to major labels in Australia, Europe, and the United States. However, the U.S. label, dissatisfied with their second album, dropped the band without releasing it. This put a dent in their success in the U.S., but they returned to the charts in 1988 with the album Starfish and the U.S. Top 40 hit "Under the Milky Way". Subsequent mainstream success has proved elusive, but the band has sustained a large international cult following and earned consistent critical recognition for its later work, including being inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in Sydney in 2010.

The Church continue to tour and record, releasing their twenty‑sixth studio album, The Hypnogogue, in 2023, and their twenty‑seventh, Eros Zeta and the Perfumed Guitars, in 2024.

History

1980–1981: Early days, Of Skins and Heart

Singer, songwriter, and bass guitarist Steve Kilbey first played with guitarist Peter Koppes in a band called Baby Grande in Canberra, Australia in the mid-1970s. In his 2014 autobiography, Something Quite Peculiar, Kilbey called Priest=Aura their "undisputed masterpiece", despite its muted reception at the time of release.

1993–1996: Sometime Anywhere, Magician Among the Spirits

Despite the loss of Koppes, Arista decided to stand by the band's contract and back another Church album, and so Kilbey and Willson-Piper began to write new material. When it became clear that Daugherty would not be returning to the fold either, the remaining two took the opportunity to approach their music from new perspectives, abandoning their long-established roles and stylistic elements in favour of experimentation, spontaneity, and electronica.

Early in 1994, the two brought in Willson-Piper's childhood friend Andy 'Dare' Mason to produce, record, and mix. New Zealand drummer Tim Powles (ex-The Venetians) was hired for the sessions, having already played with Kilbey on his Jack Frost project. Considered temporary at the time, Powles would soon become a permanent member of the band.

thumb|400px|alt=Four members of The Church are performing on-stage. Koppes is facing forward and strums his guitar. Kilbey is playing a bass guitar and singing into a microphone. Powles is set back, obscured by his drum kit. Willson-Piper is partly turned to his left and is strumming a guitar.|Koppes, Kilbey, Powles, Willson-Piper on-stage.<br />[[Park West (music venue)|Park West, Chicago, 18 August 2006]]

In 2005, the Church began work on new material once again. The first release from these sessions was the outtakes album Back with Two Beasts, released via their website as a teaser for the main album which would follow a few months later. Uninvited, Like the Clouds, their 20th studio album, was released in April 2006. Just before its release, in March, they performed "Under the Milky Way" with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra as part of the 2006 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony.

In February 2007 came El Momento Siguiente, a second album of acoustic re-interpretations of earlier songs plus several new compositions and a cover version of the Triffids song "Wide Open Road".

2008–2011: Shriek, Untitled #23, ARIA Hall of Fame induction

In 2006, the Church had embarked on their third improvised music project: to provide the soundtrack for a short film based on the American science fiction writer Jeff VanderMeer's novel Shriek: An Afterword. The music was released in 2008 as the album Shriek: Excerpts from the Soundtrack, and was the first release on their new label, Unorthodox Records, a partnership with MGM Distribution.

Unorthodox Records released the album Untitled #23 in Australia in March, and the U.S. label Second Motion Records issued it to the rest of the world shortly thereafter. Kilbey also alluded to the mystical significance of the number 23 in an interview with the music publication Music Feeds.

On 27 October 2010, the Church were inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association Hall of Fame by media commentator George Negus, while young pop singer Washington performed "The Unguarded Moment".

On 10 April 2010, the band celebrated their 30th anniversary with a special show entitled "A Psychedelic Symphony" at the Sydney Opera House, which had been a year in preparation. They were accompanied by conductor George Ellis and his symphony orchestra. A DVD and double CD were released by Unorthodox in June 2014, the band's first official live album.

2012-2019: Royalty dispute, member departures, new releases

In March 2013, there were signs of internal problems in the band when Kilbey issued a series of statements that indicated that he was considering leaving the Church due to a dispute over royalty payments. Then, later in the year, Kilbey announced on the band's Facebook page that Willson-Piper would not be returning and had been replaced by former Powderfinger guitarist Ian Haug. Kilbey explained that Willson-Piper was "not available" for the recording of a new album and subsequent touring, and he praised Haug as "a brilliant guitarist". Kilbey also provided a pre-emptive response to disgruntled fans: "... if you can't dig it I'm sorry. this is my fucking band after all and it has existed at times without Peter and in the beginning without Marty."

In early October 2014, Kilbey explained that Willson-Piper was not asked to leave the band but that he had simply not replied to the various attempts made to contact him. Realizing that Willson-Piper would not respond, and in agreement with Powles at the time, Kilbey said "we have to find someone with stature.... He has to have his own trip, he can't be some weedy little guy coming in to play guitar. It has to be somebody with experience and gravitas." As part of the same interview, Haug explained that he had received a phone call from Kilbey while he was returning home from a funeral. Without first greeting Haug, Kilbey simply asked, "If I asked you to join the Church, what would you say?", and ended the call after Haug's affirmative, but bewildered, response. Haug said that joining the Church was the "last thing" that would have entered his mind but that "it just really seemed to work".

Entitled Further/Deeper, the Church's 24th studio album was released on 17 October 2014 and was recorded over a period of eight days in late 2013. 2017 brought the release of the band's subsequent album, Man Woman Life Death Infinity, on 6 October. It was preceded by two singles, "Another Century" and "Undersea".

2020-present: Expanded lineup, resurgence, and further critical acclaim

On 1 February 2020, Kilbey announced on Facebook that founding member Peter Koppes had departed the group to "explore his own musical path". He noted that, after more than forty years, it was natural for the band's lineup to evolve, and he praised Koppes for making "the hugest contribution to the Church's sound".

The onset of the COVID‑19 pandemic disrupted touring schedules, and the band was forced to cancel appearances, including a planned performance at the 2022 Corona Capital festival in Mexico City, after Kilbey and Naylor tested positive for COVID‑19. During this period, the group concentrated on writing and recording new material. The Church returned in February 2023 with their twenty‑sixth studio record, The Hypnogogue. A concept album set in 2054, it tells the story of a fading rock star who uses a dream‑extracting machine to create music.

On 29 March 2024, the band released their twenty‑seventh studio album, Eros Zeta and the Perfumed Guitars. Conceived as a "companion piece" to The Hypnogogue, it continues the science‑fiction narrative of doomed pop star Eros Zeta. Several tracks, including "Realm of Minor Angels" and "Pleasure", were previewed during the band's 2023 North American tour, where the album was sold in advance. The release coincided with Kilbey's publication of a companion novel, Eros Zeta and the Hypnogogue, which expanded the storyline.

On 5 November, the band released the single "Sacred Echoes (Part Two)". Kilbey commented that it "is unlike any previous Church song ever with its almost orchestral climaxes and its sombre mood".

Band members

Current members

  • Steve Kilbey – bass, lead vocals, keyboards, guitars (1980–present)
  • Tim Powles – drums, percussion, backing vocals, guitars, keyboards (1994–present)
  • Ian Haug – guitars, backing vocals (2013–present)
  • Jeffrey Cain – guitars, bass, keyboards, backing vocals (2020–present; touring 2017–2019)
  • Ashley Naylor – guitars, backing vocals (2020–present)

Current touring musicians

  • Nicholas Meredith – drums, percussion (2022–present)

Former members

  • Peter Koppes – guitars, keyboards, vocals (1980–1992, 1997–2019)
  • Nick Ward – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1980–1981)
  • Marty Willson-Piper – guitars, vocals, bass (1980–2013)
  • Richard Ploog – drums, percussion (1981–1990)
  • Jay Dee Daugherty – drums, percussion (1990–1993)

Helpmann Awards

The Helpmann Awards is a ceremony celebrating live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by the industry group Live Performance Australia since 2001. Note: 2020 and 2021 were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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| 2011

| "A Psychedelic Symphony" – 30th Anniversary Concert

| Best Australian Contemporary Concert

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References

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  • Note: Archived [on-line] copy has limited functionality.