The Chills is a New Zealand band formed in 1980 in Dunedin and originally composed of Martin Philipps, his sister Rachel, Jane Dodd, Peter Gutteridge and Alan Haig.
A group that released his first single "Rolling Moon" two years later in 1982, a title that would give them a first star to hang on to their nascent charts.
New singles "Pink frost" and "Doledrums" in 1984, singles which also will experience significant success.
They will have to wait two more years and the year 1986 to obtain their first notorious success with the title "I love my leather jacket", single extracted from their compilation "Kaleidoscope world" which will be released the same year.
The group's first real album "Brave Words" was released a year later in 1987, an album that confirmed the group's rise to power.
It was the signing with the Slash Records label in 1990 that finally allowed the group to obtain its first global success with the release of the album "Submarine bells", an album that was to produce the biggest success of their entire discography on the singles side with the title "Heavenly pop it".
Unfortunately, the group would not be able to ride the wave of success and the album "Soft bomb" which was released two years later in 1992 would be unable to produce any world-class singles.
With the key to a new overhaul of the group, yet another overhaul that will end up tiring the basic fans.
The album "Sunburt" will pay the price in 1996 with a level of success of the most mixed and limited exclusively to New Zealand.
The group will disappear at the end of the 90s to be reborn again during the 2010s. Unfortunately, the miracle will not take place and the group will never return to the front of the stage...
To discover or rediscover.
Discography (among others…) :
Rolling moon 1982
Pink frost 1984
Doledrums 1984
I’ll only see you alone again 1986
I love my leather jacket 1986
House with a hundred rooms 1987
Wet blanket 1988
Heavenly pop hit 1990
Part past part fiction 1990
Male monster from the Id 1992
Double summer 1992
Come home 1995
Surrounded 1996
Dreams are free 1996
America says hello 2015
Warm waveform 2015
Rocket science 2016
Conversation piece 2017
Complex 2018
Lord of All I survey 2018
Scarred 2018
Monolith 2021
Destiny 2021
Clips :
1982...first title and already first success. Admittedly, success limited exclusively to New Zealand but it's still better than nothing as they say...
1984...an empty year in 1983 and here they are again in 1984 in what we would call average form. A little short in any case to hope to obtain a first success outside the New Zealand borders...
1984...the group slowly but surely establishes its position within its natural borders. We will have to be a little patient to see the big take-off arrive outside...
1986...decidedly, the odd years do not inspire them more than that since the year 1987 will be another empty year. Here they are back in this year 1988 with this title which will pass 'through'. Bad pick as they say...
1986...on the other hand, he will not go unnoticed but once again only in the land of the silver fern. There is nothing to do, when it does not want, it does not want...
1987... they will still try to produce a title in an odd year. Title that will go unnoticed to say the least unfortunately. Definitely...
1988...and it won't work the following year either. Surprisingly, 1987 and 1988 will both have been mono-title years and each time success will have desperately fled the band...
1990...it's the change of decade that will change the situation. They will finally obtain with this title the semblance of consecration after which they have been running since their debut. And world-class success this time. HU-GE !
1990... the fall behind will be violent to say the least with a title that will not even be classified. Where the art of moving from one extreme to another...
1992... they will have to wait 2 years to come back to the surface. And again, a return that will only be made on the New Zealand coast once again...
1992...improved for a short time since the group will relapse directly behind. The yo-yo effect increases and rocks the group in all directions. Hard law of the trade...
1995... they will disappear from the radar for 3 years and here they are back in this year 1995 in a form that we will qualify as relative. Enough in any case to land a very last 'little' hit...
1996 ... the adventure will continue but outside of any pressure from the Charts since they will no longer appear there. A salutary liberation at first sight, especially at the inspiration level...
1996...given the quality of the previous title, we thought that the group had perhaps finally found the right recipe to get back into the race. Disappointed hope...
2015...we thought the case was over and the group was finally put away. It was very bad to know them because here they are back almost 20 years later...
2015... after, what can still motivate them to come back like that, good question. Because the return will not really be a winner unfortunately...
2016... the albums that will be released during this decade will still experience some semblance of success. On the other hand, on the Singles side, it will be bleak plain...
2017...in a style that in no way corresponds to the latest musical standards of the moment, the group continues its adventure in its own way. Surprising strategy in view of the lack of success met...
2018...there is something better at the end of the 2010 decade. We feel that the group has finally decided to make real efforts and stick a little more to the times. Finally...
2018...halfway between 2 styles and especially 2 eras. A subtle blend of influences from the previous century and the current century...
2018...what is clear is that they end the decade much better than they started. Now it remains to be seen whether they will still have the courage, and above all the will, to return next decade. To be continued...
2021...and here they are again, unstoppable little guys ! We really wonder who, or especially what incredible event, could really dissuade them from continuing the adventure a little further...
2021...on the other hand, when we see what they still manage to produce 40 years after their debut, we can only encourage them to continue...
Wiki :
Official Website :
Greatest Hits :
Discography :