News
22-03-2002
"DIORAMA" TRACK LIST UNVEILED
The tracklisting for Silverchair's first new album in over three years ... "Diorama" ... has been unveiled today as well as more details regarding its Australian launch on Easter Sunday.
The highly anticipated disc will feature 11 brand new songs. All have been written and co-produced by Silverchair's frontman Daniel Johns and produced by Tool and Peter Gabriel collaborator, David Bottrill. The tracklisting will be:
Across The Night
The Greatest View
Without You
World Upon Your Shoulders
One Way Mule
Tuna In The Brine
Too Much Of Not Enough
Luv Your Life
The Lever
My Favourite Thing
After All These Years
Legendary Beach Boys and U2 orchestral arranger, Van Dyke Parks, added his magic to three songs ("Across The Night", "Luv Your Life" and "Tuna In The Brine") while Paul Mac and Midnight Oil's Jim Moginie also played on the album.
"Diorama" sees Silverchair exploring lots of new ground including a much brighter lyrical outlook than that displayed on their previous works. The disc also really embraces melodies to create a disc which "Rolling Stone" magazine has already called "one of the boldest musical statements ever made by an Australian rock band".
"No matter what people have got going on in their lives, hopefully when they play this album it will make them forget about everyday stuff. When music does that it’s magical and, for me, that’s what "Diorama" is about", says Daniel Johns.
In other Silverchair news, the band's Australian record label, Eleven: a music company announced that "Diorama" would be available in two different packages in Australasian stores.
The "Special Edition" (cat# elevenCD8SP) will contain a 10 minute CDROM short film about the making of the album. This version will also include a bonus postcard, a slipcase and full colour booklet. The "Special Edition" is expected to be stocked mainly by specialist music retailers.
The standard edition of the album contains none of the extra features and has normal album packaging. This version (cat# elevenCD8) is expected to be carried mainly by chains and department stores.
"Diorama" will be instore everywhere from Easter Sunday. Rather than launching the album with a private, industry only event (as happens with most major releases), Silverchair has elected to make their album launch events readily accessible to the general public.
The band's album launch will actually happen live on Triple J from 7pm to 8.30pm on Easter Monday (April 1). Over the course of this event, the Newcastle trio will perform songs live on the radio and the internet and answer questions from the public in Australia and around the world.
The following night (Tuesday April 2) Silverchair will become the first artist to ever perform two songs on the Ten Network TV show, Rove (Live). Daniel Johns will also do his first ever one-on-one TV interview with host, Rove McManus, as part of this special program.
02-03-2002
"DIORAMA" DUE FOR RELEASE IN JULY
Atlantic recording group Silverchair has completed work on their eagerly anticipated label debut. The album - titled "Diorama" - is currently slated for a North America July 9th release. Other countries should expect release within a week of the North America release date.
Their first new album in three years, "Diorama" is unquestionably Silverchair's most multi-dimensional work to date. The Newcastle, Australia-based trio - singer/guitarist Daniel Johns, bassist Chris Joannou, and drummer Ben Gillies - recorded the collection in the fall of 2001 at Sydney's Studio 301 with producer David Bottrill (Tool, Peter Gabriel, King Crimson). "Diorama" features guest appearances from Midnight Oil guitarist Jim Moginie and Australian electronica producer Paul Mac.
In addition, the legendary Van Dyke Parks contributed arrangements for orchestra, brass, and woodwinds. Parks, who has worked with such artists as the Beach Boys, U2, and Fiona Apple, is effusive in his praise for silverchair, noting that "Daniel Johns is the most talented person I've worked with since Brian Wilson."
The first single from "Diorama" will be "The Greatest View" which is set to hit U.S. airwaves in early May. The track was released in Australia late last year to unanimous critical and popular acclaim, debuting at #1 on the Australian Record Industry Association's "Alternative Singles" chart, as well as #3 on the "Top 50 Singles" ranking.
Silverchair recently played their first live shows since January 2001 with a series of dates on the 10th annual Big Day Out festival tour of Australia and New Zealand. The band is planning a full North American tour to coincide with the new album's release.
Since the 1995 release of their RIAA double platinum-certified debut, "Frogstomp" Silverchair has developed a worldwide reputation as an inventive and powerful rock combo. Recorded in just nine days, the album became a Top Ten sensation in the United States, driven by such radio and MTV hits as "Tomorrow" and "Pure Massacre," in addition to tours both as headliners and as support for the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
"Freak Show" 1997's RIAA gold-certified follow-up, saw Silverchair making huge leaps forward in terms of their potent rock sound as well as Johns's moving and effective lyrics. The album, which featured a pair of radio favorites in "Freak" and "Abuse Me," found the band continuing to expand their fanbase around the world, including Europe and their home territory Down Under.
Silverchair's third album, 1999's RIAA gold-certified "Neon Ballroom" saw the band progressing even further from their roots as a teenage alternative-rock combo in both their ever-expanding musical scope and Johns's increasingly personal songwriting. Tracks such as the haunting "Ana's Song" and the epic "Emotion Sickness" (which featured pianist David Helfgott, the inspiration for the film, Shine) - not to mention their always-robust live performances - led to Silverchair reaping reams of international critical acclaim, along with worldwide sales of over 1.5 million.
As previously announced Silverchair's fourth album, "Diorama", will hit Australian and New Zealand shops on Easter Sunday - March 31.
01-03-2002
"DIORAMA" - TRACK BY TRACK
"Across The Night" was always the song which was envisaged as the opening of "Diorama". It's all about dreaming and has more than a touch of fantasy to it. Daniel says "it takes you into a different world and prepares you for what's to come".
"The Greatest View" is already familiar to Australasian fans as the lead single from "Diorama". In a way the song combines all the elements of this album - an epic and memorable melody, a crunching guitar part, an intricate and unpredictable arrangement, some different instrumentation plus a brighter lyrical outlook.
"Without You" was the first song written for this album in fact it was partly written around the time of Neon Ballroom. It will be the second single from the album in Australia and was previewed at all shows on the Big Day Out tour. It sees the band really locking into a pounding and relentless groove which carries you along.
"World Upon Your Shoulders" is Ben's favourite tune on the CD. "I just love playing it", he says. "The groove kind of chugs along and pulls you in and you can't get out of there - you have to hear the whole thing." The mid tempo tune has an undeniable chorus and is distinguished by the beautiful opening couplet "all the bridges in the world won't save you / if there's no other side to cross to".
"One Way Mule" was first aired at The Falls Festival and Rock In Rio back in early 2001. It's a big slab of rock in the classic old school Silverchair vein. Says Daniel: "sometimes I just wanna play something I would have loved when I was 12 years old and stood in front of the mirror with the tennis racket and played an air guitar riff over and over again".
"Tuna In The Brine" is probably the weirdest and most experimental song on the album. It's also Daniel's personal favourite track. This is one of the three tunes to which legendary Beach Boys collaborator, Van Dyke Parks, added orchestrations (the other two are "Across The Night" and "Luv Your Life").
"Too Much Of Not Enough" is one of the tunes which appeared as a bonus track on "The Greatest View" CD single. A mid tempo rocker with a twist it has a great fluid bassline in which all the band's rehearsals for this album is plainly apparent.
"Luv Your Life" is Chris's favourite tune on the CD. It's a good example of the more melodic approach that characterizes "Diorama". It's beautiful, catchy and irresistable. Like almost half the songs on the disc it was actually written on piano. Daniel used to always write exclusively on guitar and he attributes a large part of this album's newfound sense of melody to his discovery of the piano.
"The Lever" is a song for the people who have always been into that groove based, heavier aspect of what we did", says Daniel. This track really showcases the ever growing 'swing' that Chris and Ben bring to the band's rhythms.
"My Favourite Thing" is a more introspective piece - quieter and more brooding than most of the album. "I guess I've always had an obsession with love and with death", explains Daniel, "so I combined the two and this is what came out!".
"After All These Years" is the perfect closer to the record. It's a gentle ballad that showcases Daniel's newfound piano playing skills. "If you look at the album as a journey, everything is strategically placed to make you feel like you've just been somewhere magical. Then you end up at a place you would never expect to end up on Silverchair record and I think that can only be a good thing."
02-02-2002
"THE GREATEST VIEW" CHARTS STRONGLY
Silverchair's new single, "The Greatest View" has debuted at No.1 on the Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA) alternative singles chart and No. 3 on the Top 50 singles chart. Thank you to everyone who purchased the single for making it such a success.
In related news Chairpage was yet again Australia's most visited artist website in January. Thank you to everyone for your support. We appreciate it.
01-02-2002
"DIORAMA" TO HIT STORES DOWNUNDER ON MARCH 31
Silverchair's fourth album, "Diorama", will hit Australian and New Zealand shops on Easter Sunday - March 31. Release dates in other countries will be announced shortly.
"Diorama" is Silverchair's first new release in over three years. The disc was recorded in and around Sydney and mixed in Los Angeles in the second half of 2001. It is expected to feature 12 songs including the band's current hit single, "The Greatest View". Also appearing on the album will be the three other new tunes ("Without You", "One Way Mule" and "World Upon Your Shoulders") which the band previewed during their acclaimed appearances on the recent Big Day Out Tour.
The album was produced and mixed by David Bottrill who did the last two Tool albums. It was co-produced by Silverchair's Daniel Johns. According to Johns the album sees the band continuing to explore new territory - both musically and lyrically. This adventurous spirit is evident in their decision to retain legendary Beach Boys collaborator, Van Dyke Parks, to create orchestral parts for three of the new tunes.
According to Daniel Johns, "Diorama" covers a wide range of music and moods. "On previous records it was all pretty dark and black - this time I wanted to use a lot more colours as well", he explains.
The album's title means "a world within a world".
01-01-2002
"THE GREATEST VIEW" TO HIT STORES JAN. 28
Silverchair's new single, "The Greatest View", will hit Australian and New Zealand record stores on Monday, January 28 it was confirmed today.
The single will feature two extra songs - "Pins In My Needles" and "Too Much Of Not Enough". Like "The Greatest View", these two other new tunes were both written and Co-produced by Daniel Johns and Produced by David Bottrill. Chairpage can exclusively reveal that "Pins In My Needles" will not be included on the band's forthcoming, as yet unscheduled, album "Diorama". It will only be available on this single. "Too Much Of Not Enough" will probably be included on "Diorama" but that is not yet 100% confirmed.
In other news, a video for "The Greatest View" will debut on Australian and New Zealand TV in mid-January. It was produced and directed by a young Brisbane based video team called Squareyed Films who have previously worked with acclaimed Aussie indie act, George.
Silverchair are currently in the studio working on a new song for possible inclusion on "Diorama". They will then hit the road on the Big Day Out Tour.
Meanwhile, "The Greatest View" continues to be embraced warmly by Australian fans. The tune has been one of the most requested tracks on request shows such as Triple J's Net 50 and the Hot 30 Countdown. Chairpage has also been bombarded by emails from fans who are liking what they're hearing.
Overseas fans who have not yet heard this brand new Silverchair song can stream it by clicking the links below. They will also be able to purchase a secure digital download of all three songs on the CD single (ie: "The Greatest View", "Pins In My Needles" and "Too Much Of Not Enough") from January 28 via this site.
03-12-2001
SILVERCHAIR CONFIRM ALBUM TITLE
Silverchair's new album title will be called "Diorama". The title was leaked yesterday by a leading UK rock magazine and the band have today confirmed that magazine's report.
A Diorama is a self contained 'world within a world'. It usually portrays a fantasy version of something that's inspired by the real world.
Silverchair frontman and songwriter Daniel Johns exclusively told chairpage that the title was meant to reflect the nature of the music on the album.
"We considered literally hundreds of titles over the last few months but as soon as this one came along I just knew it was a perfect fit for the music", he said.
The band had intended to unveil the album title in the next edition of their fanclub newsletter which will be sent out in early December. An Australian correspondent for the UK magazine had been told the album title on the strict provision that they did not publish it until mid-December at the earliest. However, for some reason the publication jumped the gun yesterday.
Silverchair have confirmed that contrary to reports published elsewhere "Diorama" looks likely to hit stores some time between March and June 2002 but no exact dates have yet been finalized for any country. Release dates and full tracklistings will be released in January or February exclusively via a revamped version of this website.
02-12-2001
"THE GREATEST VIEW" IS LOOKING GOOD
A new Silverchair song was unveiled on Australian and New Zealand radio earlier today. Called "The Greatest View", the track received airplay on virtually every major contemporary music station in both countries.
According to the band's local label - Eleven: a music company - the radio response was easily the biggest ever for a Silverchair song, spreading across all radio formats.
An epic and melodic rock song it sees the group's songwriter, Daniel Johns, embracing some fresh lyrical and vocal twists while still retaining the trademark intensity which characterizes Silverchair's previous releases. As revealed exclusively on this site during the recording, this track also features a subtle brass section - a first for the band.
The Greatest View will be released as a single in Australia and New Zealand in January to coincide with the Big Day Out. The single will also feature two other new songs and titles and release dates will be announced shortly.
Silverchair received the news of the song's very successful radio debut while returning home to Newcastle. The band spent recent days in Brisbane where they filmed a video for their new single with some young local filmakers. The clip is expected to be unveiled in mid-January.
Meanwhile, in other Silverchair news we can exclusively reveal that the band will return to the recording studio for a few days in January to track another new song for possible inclusion on their forthcoming album "Diorama". The track was written while the, as yet unscheduled, disc was being mixed so the album is now on hold until this tune is recorded.
Between now and then Silverchair are taking a quick break to spend the holidays with their families.
The band and everyone here at chairpage wish you all the best for the holiday season and look forward to a HUGE and Silverchair-filled 2002!
01-10-2001
CHAIR MAKE IT FIVE V'S IN A ROW
silverchair won the Channel V "Artist Of The Year" award at last night's ARIA Awards in Sydney. This prize is the only one decided by a public vote and it's the fifth consecutive year that the chair has won it.
The group was unable to attend the awards as they are still busy recording their new album elsewhere in Australia. However, in a televised cross to the studio the trio seemed completely overwhelmed to have won the gong yet again.
"There are lots of other bands who deserve this more than us this year", said Daniel Johns before adding with a laugh, "we'll take it though!".
"We'd like to thank everybody who voted for us, we really appreciate it", added Ben Gillies.
Special guest for the band's acceptance speech was Daniel's dog Sweep who was in the studio at the time.
It is understood that while Channel V was in the studio with silverchair they taped the band's first TV interview since January. This will be aired, along with some Rock In Rio footage as part of a Channel V special to premiere on Sunday October 21 at 8pm AEST.
01-09-2001
VAN DYKE PARKS TO WORK WITH SILVERCHAIR
Renowned Californian musical force Van Dyke Parks will travel to Australia this week to work with silverchair on their new album. He is expected to collaborate on string and brass arrangements for three new songs.
silverchair started recording their as yet untitled fourth album in Sydney two weeks ago with producer David Bottrill (Tool, Peter Gabriel, King Crimson). The disc is expected to be released early next year. Fans of the band can follow their recording progress via the group's website (www.chairpage.com) which contains daily updates on the sessions.
Over his career Van Dyke Parks has worked with a `who's who' of the world's musical talent. He collaborated with the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson on the legendary "Smile" sessions before going on to collaborate with many other important West Coast artists including Tim Buckley, The Byrds, Ry Cooder and Little Feat. In more recent years Van Dyke has lent a hand with string arrangements on U2's "Rattle & Hum" as well as scoring numerous feature films and reuniting with Brian Wilson for their widely acclaimed album "Orange Crate Art".
"We're excited about having Van Dyke be part of these songs", said silverchair's songwriter, Daniel Johns. "Like lots of people I'm a big fan of his distinctive approach to orchestrations and I'm really looking forward to working with him on these tracks."
Van Dyke Parks said "I'm honored to be a part of this group's new project. It is a milestone from their first CD (that throbbed through our home when my son and daughter first fell in love with them). When I got the new material, I was astounded by the musicality, the lyrics, brimming with enthusiasm and a life force that guarantees this group as a continuing major force in music."
"Daniel Johns and David Bottrill have put much trust in me. We'll be using a large string compliment with blown instruments and percussion, bringing this group into a tradition continuing from the lettuce days of pop music when analogue orchestration added new dimension to the works of Phil Spector, Brian Wilson, and the Beatles."
silverchair plan to complete recording in Australia in October and then plan to venture to the U.S. for mixing. The album is expected to hit the shelves early next year and the group will tour around the release.