28 Days (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Founder | Jay Dunne, Simon Hepburn, Damian Gardiner |
| Headquarters | Frankston, Victoria , Australia |
| Products | Rock music albums, singles, EPs |
Number of employees | 4 (typical band lineup) |
28 Days is a rock band originating from Australia, established in 1997 by frontman Jay Dunne, guitarist Simon Hepburn, and bassist Damian Gardiner. Their sophomore album, Upstyledown (released July 2000), secured the top position on the ARIA Albums Chart. Tracks such as "Rip It Up" (May 2000), "Say What?" (November 2001), and "What's the Deal?" (October 2002) all achieved placements within the ARIA Singles Chart's top 40. Following a downturn after their 2004 release Extremist Makeover, they compiled a greatest hits collection titled 10 Years of Cheap Fame in March 2007 before disbanding later that year. The group reunited in 2009 to support their friends Bodyjar during the End is Now Tour but have not produced new recordings since the single "Unmarked Graves" (April 2015). Drummer Scott Murray passed away in November 2001 after being hit by a vehicle.
1997–1999: Origins through Kid Indestructible
Formed in October 1996 in Frankston, Victoria, 28 Days initially consisted of Jay Dunne on lead vocals, Simon Hepburn on lead guitar, Damian Gardiner handling bass duties, and Adam Nanscawen on drums. Prior to this formation, Dunne and Hepburn had worked together in punk and hardcore outfits including Mindsnare and S.I.C. Their debut self-titled album was independently launched in March 1998 through Stubble Records, earning positive critiques such as a 4K rating from the UK publication Kerrang!. Within a year, they secured a contract with Festival Mushroom Records under the Sputnik label. In 1998, Jay Howard joined as turntablist while Scott Murray replaced Nanscawen on drums.
In May 1999, they released the EP Kid Indestructible, containing five tracks and produced by Kalju Tonuma. The EP reached number 69 on the ARIA Charts, with songs like "Kool" and "La Tune" receiving substantial airplay on national youth broadcaster Triple J. Tonuma was nominated for an ARIA Award for Engineer of the Year due to his contributions to this project.
2000–2002: Success with Upstyledown and Stealing Chairs
February 2000 saw the release of their five-track EP Here We Go, which included the single "Sucker" that debuted at number 21 on the ARIA Charts. This was followed by "Rip It Up" in May, which climbed to number 12. Their second full-length album, Upstyledown (July 2000), entered the ARIA Charts at number one and earned platinum certification after shipping over 70,000 units. It also charted within New Zealand’s top 40 albums. From this album, singles such as "Goodbye" and "Song for Jasmine" were released.
In 2001, the band put out a DVD titled When Dickheads Snap, showcasing footage from tours across Europe, Japan, and Australia along with behind-the-scenes content. November featured the launch of "Say What?", a collaboration with British electronic act Apollo 440, which attained number 23 on the ARIA Charts. Tragically, on November 18, 2001, drummer Scott Douglas Murray died at age 22 following a road accident.
Vince Jukic joined as drummer in August 2002 to fill Murray’s role. That same month, they released "Take Me Away", leading single off their third studio album Stealing Chairs (September 2002). The album peaked at number six on the charts and received gold certification. Its subsequent single, "What's the Deal?", reached number 32.
2003–2007: Extremist Makeover Era and Hiatus
In February 2003, 28 Days encountered unfavorable media attention following allegations that both the band and their audience were responsible for approximately $4,500 in damages during a concert featuring the Sydney-based alternative rock group the Drugs. This controversy arose after Ian Baddley, lead vocalist of the Drugs, published an open letter criticizing 28 Days' frontman Jay Dunne for purportedly conveying hateful sentiments during their performance at the Big Day Out festival. Dunne refuted any accusations of homophobia but chose not to issue a public statement. Ultimately, no legal action was taken against 28 Days.
Throughout 2004, the band released three singles: "Like I Do" in March, "Use It" in August, and "Birthday" in October; however, none managed to break into the top 50 charts. Their fourth studio album, Extremist Makeover, launched in October 2004, reached a peak position of number 31. Just prior to this release, drummer Matt Bray was succeeded by Adrian Griffin. By November 2004, 28 Days had ended their contract with Festival Mushroom Records.
In March 2006, the group independently issued a six-track EP titled Bring 'Em Back, accompanied by a limited-edition DVD called When Dickheads Snap 3, which was exclusively available at live performances. The band then embarked on their 10 Years of Cheap Fame Tour in March 2007, coinciding with a compilation album of the same name before they disbanded later that year.
2009–2018: Reunion and Release of Lost Songs
The lineup of Dunne, Gardner, Hepburn, and Griffin reunited in 2009. That May, they uploaded a fresh demo to their MySpace page. In November, they supported Bodyjar on their farewell tour and participated in the Fistful of Awesome showcase at Melbourne's Hi Fi Bar alongside rising rock bands. April 2010 saw the release of the single "Sing It to Me". In 2013, they delivered "Amber Afternoons" and a six-track EP entitled Lost Songs, which featured previously unreleased material. Their last single, "Unmarked Graves", was released in April 2015. Since then, no additional recordings have emerged, and their official website has remained inactive since mid-2013. Nevertheless, the band continues to perform live on a regular basis.
Studio albums
| Title | Album information | Highest chart positions | Certification | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | NZ | |||
| 28 Days |
|
— | — | |
| Upstyledown |
|
1 | 33 |
|
| Stealing Chairs |
|
6 | — |
|
| Extremist Makeover |
|
31 | — | |
Compilation albums
| Title | Album information |
|---|---|
| 10 Years of Cheap Fame |
|
Extended plays
| Title | EP information | Highest chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||
| Kid Indestructible |
|
69 |
| Here We Go |
|
21 |
| Bring 'Em Back |
|
— |
| Lost Songs |
|
— |
Singles
| Title | Year | Highest chart positions | Certification | Album association |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||||
| "Ball of Hate" | 1997 | [upper-alpha 1] | 28 Days | |
| "Sand" | 1998 | — | 28 Days | |
| "Kool" | 1999 | [upper-alpha 2] | Kid Indestructible | |
| "La Lune" | [upper-alpha 3] | |||
| "Sucker" | 2000 | [upper-alpha 4] | Here We Go | |
| "Rip It Up" | 12 |
|
Upstyledown | |
| "Goodbye" | 50 | |||
| "Song for Jasmine" | 57 | |||
| "Say What?" (featuring Apollo Four Forty) | 2001 | 23 | Stealing Chairs | |
| "Take Me Away" | 2002 | 42 | ||
| "What's the Deal?" | 32 | |||
| "Like I Do" | 2004 | 69 | Extremist Makeover | |
| "Use It" | 75 | |||
| "Birthday" | 66 | |||
| "Boom" | 2006 | — | "Bring 'Em Back |
|- ! scope="row"| "Sing It to Me" |2010 | | |"Lost Songs |} |- ! scope="row"| "Amber Afternoons" | 2013 | | |"Lost Songs |} |- ! scope="row"| "Unmarked Graves" | 2015 | | Template:Non-album single |} Notes Template:Notelist-ua
Awards and nominations
ARIA Music Awards
The ARIA Music Awards are held annually to honor outstanding achievements and creativity within the Australian music industry. The band 28 Days has earned five nominations over the years.
Template:Awards table
|-
| 1999 || Kalju Tonuma for Kid Indestructible || ARIA Award for Engineer of the Year || Template:Nominated
|-
| rowspan="3"| 2000 || rowspan="3"| "Rip It Up" || ARIA Award for Breakthrough Artist – Single || Template:Nominated
|-
| ARIA Award for Best Adult Alternative Album || Template:Nominated
|-
| ARIA Award for Single of the Year || Template:Nominated
|-
| 2001 || Upstyledown || ARIA Award for Breakthrough Artist – Album ||
|-
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