This year, the legendary Kiwi band The Chills made their much-anticipated return to Europe, marking their first time back on the continent since 2016. Formed in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1980, the band are synonymous with the Dunedin sound, which is defined as a sort of ‘60s-inspired jangly indie pop which sprang up after the country’s initial punk movement, and which coincided with similar international movements, such as the indie rock scene in the UK, as illustrated by acts like The Smiths, or the college rock scene in the U.S., as illustrated by acts like R.E.M. (but, like, early R.E.M.)

“I realized at a young age that music was what I was meant for,” frontman and founding member Martin Phillipps tells Post-Burnout via email, while explaining the band’s longevity. “This has never changed, and I feel very fortunate to be able to be still producing music at this point in my life. It is exciting making new fans and friends and catching up with old ones and with the band playing as strongly as it is, it continues to be a rewarding experience. “

Despite line-up changes, provisional break-ups and the inevitable passing of time, The Chills have remained consistent to their original sound. Not solely content to rely on the hits of their early years, the band have a sizeable discography, releasing four albums between 1987 to 1996, and resuming in 2015, with two follow-ups in 2018 and 2021. When asked how he feels that the band’s music has changed in that time, Martin responds: “When we were younger, we performed with a frenetic, post-punk energy, but now we are more considerate of bringing out the best in the songs themselves. I am fortunate to have a wealth of talent in my band – especially having at least three people capable of working on the arrangements.”

The Chills have been consistently honing and committing to their iconic sound throughout their career, despite whatever the musical vogues may have been at any given time during it. But suddenly the music which they are known for has gained mainstream appeal, as demonstrated by the popularity of the likes of The 1975, Alvvays, Beach Fossils, Adult Leisure, Mac DeMarco, among others. Given that many of these acts are in their 20s and 30s, their utilisation of this sound cannot be dismissed as nostalgia, and instead shows its innate appeal. When asked whether he finds this public revival vindicating to his commitment, Martin simply responds, “The jangly pop sound of the 1960s was one of many influences on the Dunedin Sound, and our own take on it is one of many variations that seem to still be having an influence on many younger musicians today.”

Their 2023 European tour ended last week, at the time of publication, with two Irish shows, at Dublin’s Whelan’s and Galway’s Róisín Dubh, respectively.  This marked the band’s first time back in Ireland since 2014. On performing in Ireland, Martin writes, “We have always enjoyed our visits to Ireland, and, in fact, we rehearsed for the 1990 Submarine Bells tour at the venue Kelly’s in Portrush. We felt the connection between the attitudes and music of the Irish with our own music from New Zealand. Even the country itself has many similar features to our own land.”

Sonic PR were kind enough to invite Post-Burnout to the Dublin show, and what this author noticed when watching the band play is that their music is deceptively simple. At times their music concerns itself only with basic chords and minimal changes, but their music is spiced with multi-instrumental proficiency by experienced musicians and layered textures, and songs like “Pink Frost” and “Doledrums” show Martin’s dexterity while adding the additional impressiveness of simultaneously singing. “Submarine Bells” is just an overall fantastic display of the band as a whole; not only showing their skills on various instruments but also how amazing they work as a collective when performing parts that, at times, are at odds with each other to create a beautiful and cohesive sound.

The band seems to also have an equal appreciation for their entire work, not favouring any particular era or release. While, yes, certain hits like “Pink Frost,” “Heavenly Pop Hit” and “I Love My Leather Jacket” garner huge reactions from the crowd, from the band’s perspective, all of the songs in their set – which range across their entire discography – are all given equal reverence and the “standout songs,” so to speak, are just treated as another song of many in their set. 

At the gig, Martin made two announcements that should whet the appetite of fans. One was the announcement of a remaster of the band’s 1987 debut album Brave Worlds, to be released in October. Despite critical acclaim since its initial release, Martin has been notoriously displeased with the production on the album, equating it to hearing the record being played from your neighbour’s house. The original album was produced by Pere Ubu’s Mayo Thompson, best known for his production work with Stiff Little Fingers, The Fall, The Raincoats, and, later, Primal Scream. Featuring completely new remixes of the premastered recordings of the album and having been completely overseen by Martin himself throughout the process, he promises that this version will be like finally hearing it in your own room for the first time.

The other announcement was a planned double album of old material. Despite forming in 1980, the band didn’t release Brave Worlds until 1987 (although they had been releasing singles and EPs since 1982, which were later compiled for the Kaleidoscope World album in 1986), and, in that seven-year period, they racked up several albums worth of unreleased material. The band have revisited the demo recordings of songs from this era and have re-recorded a curation of them with their current line-up to release as a double album for some time next year.

The remaster of Brave Worlds and an expanded version of the Kaleidoscope World compilation album both release on October 13^th on Fire Records. You can preorder copies here. You can keep up with the band here.

Aaron Kavanagh

Aaron Kavanagh is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Post-Burnout. His writing can also be found in the Irish Daily Star, Buzz.ie, Totally Dublin, The GOO, Headstuff, New Noise Magazine, XS Noize, DSCVRD and more.