Severed Heads

Severed Heads

Company type	Music ensemble
Industry	Music
Founded	1979
Founder	Richard Fielding, Andrew Wright
Headquarters	Sydney , Australia
Products	Electronic music

Severed Heads was an Australian electronic music ensemble established in 1979, originally named Mr and Mrs No Smoking Sign. Founding members Richard Fielding and Andrew Wright were soon joined by Tom Ellard, who remained the only constant member after Fielding and Wright exited by mid-1981. Throughout the following ten years, the group saw additions such as Garry Bradbury, Simon Knuckey, Stephen Jones, and Paul Deering.

In 1984, the band issued the single "Dead Eyes Opened", which gained renewed attention when remixed and reissued in 1994, peaking at No. 16 on the ARIA Singles Chart. Their tracks "Greater Reward" (1988) and "All Saints Day" (1989) both secured positions within the top 30 of the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart. Ellard dissolved Severed Heads in 2007 to focus on other creative ventures.

The group reunited on multiple occasions: in 2010 to mark their 30th anniversary, in 2011 supporting Gary Numan’s tour across Australia and performing at BimFEST in Antwerp, in 2013 during the Adelaide Festival of Arts, and again in 2015 for a U.S. tour after a hiatus exceeding two decades. Performances continued with appearances at Melbourne Music Week in 2016 and a headline show alongside Snog at Richmond’s Corner Hotel in 2017. The band formally ended activities following headlining concerts in September 2019.

Early years and independent releases (1979–1982)

In 1979, Richard Fielding and Andrew Wright formed an experimental electronic duo named Mr. & Mrs. No Smoking Sign based in Sydney. By the end of that year, Tom Ellard became part of the group, which produced cassette releases including Mr. and Mrs. No Smoking Sign Go Cruising fer Burgers! Reflecting on the name change in 2006, Ellard stated: "[W]e were called Mr. & Mrs. No Smoking Sign because that was really ugly. Then, we wanted to fool people that we were Industrial and it worked. Severed Heads was a really dumb name, so that's what stuck. Forever."

Their initial sound involved tape loop techniques and abrasive synthesizer textures rooted in industrial music. Wright departed late in 1979, leaving Ellard and Fielding to complete early studio projects such as the A-side of the split album Ear Bitten/No Vowels, No Bowels. Fielding exited during sessions for 1981's Clean, with Ellard finalizing most of the production.

Severed Heads began blending elements from popular music including steady 4/4 beats, melodic structures, chord sequences, alongside Ellard’s unique vocals featuring poetic lyrics. They introduced drum machines and bass synthesizers to forge a fusion of avant-garde industrial with pop sensibilities. Their live performances transitioned from experimental spaces to rock venues, releasing Blubberknife and 80's Cheesecake in 1982 after expanding their lineup by adding synthesist Garry Bradbury and guitarist Simon Knuckey. Subsequently, video artist and musician Stephen Jones joined the ensemble following these releases.

Major label era and commercial breakthrough (1983–1998)

In 1983, the British label Ink Records issued Since the Accident, which was subsequently released in North America by Nettwerk and in Australia via Volition Records. According to AllMusic’s John Bush, the album did not represent a full crossover success, with the track "Dead Eyes Opened" characterized as an unexpectedly melodic synth-pop piece. The band's recording agreements facilitated an international tour that was visually enhanced by Jones' use of video synthesizers. Following this, Severed Heads returned to Australia in August 1984. This period saw lineup changes: Bradbury exited during the recording of Since the Accident, while Knuckey left prior to the 1984 tour, resulting in Ellard, Jones, and newcomer Paul Deering forming the touring ensemble.

The 1985 release of City Slab Horror occurred on Ink Records targeting the European market. Bradbury rejoined as a guest contributor, providing vocals and songwriting input. Disagreements with Ellard prompted Deering’s departure to collaborate with Bradbury. That same year, Australian label Volition compiled various international tracks into the local-exclusive album Stretcher. The following year saw the release of Come Visit the Big Bigot, supported by tours across Europe and North America. October 1987 brought Bad Mood Guy via Volition; critics observed a shift from experimentalism toward a more commercially accessible sound, which Ellard described as a deliberate and solid approach within their genre.

In 1988, Severed Heads achieved a peak position of No. 19 on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart with "Greater Reward", a single featured on their October 1989 album Rotund for Success. Sydney-based producer Robert Racic provided remixes that helped define their late-1980s style. Another single, "All Saints Day," reached No. 25 on the same chart in 1989.

That year, Nettwerk and Volition reissued Since the Accident and City Slab Horror on CD formats with enhanced audio quality sourced from original master tapes, improving upon earlier Ink Records versions.

By 1992, after releasing Cuisine (With Piscatorial), Stephen Jones departed, leaving Ellard as the sole official member. Nettwerk chose not to renew their contract, prompting Ellard to secure new distribution for Gigapus (1994), released through Volition in Australia and Decibel Records in the US. During this period, a remixed rendition of "Dead Eyes Opened" gained significant popularity in Australia. However, both Volition and Decibel soon ceased operations, leaving Severed Heads without traditional label backing and lacking full control over their music rights—a situation resolved in 1998 when Sony Music relinquished claims over Volition's catalogue.

Subsequent period and later outputs (1999–2007)

Once Ellard regained ownership of his recordings, he pioneered an independent online music platform at sevcom.com during the early 2000s. Among his innovations was the Sevcom Music Server, a subscription service specializing in ambient music delivery.

Ellard also engaged in a side project named Coklacoma, releasing multiple albums throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s. By 2004, his focus shifted increasingly toward video production, leading him to retire the Severed Heads moniker officially in 2008 due to its outdated image. Throughout the 1990s, Ellard collaborated with Sydney-based electronic artists such as Paul Mac (of Itch-E and Scratch-E), Boxcar, and the Lab, all associated with the former Volition label.

Breakups and reunions (2008–2019)

In early 2008, Ellard declared Severed Heads disbanded with no plans for future releases. Nevertheless, he revived the group alongside longtime collaborator Stewart Lawler for a 30th-anniversary performance on 14 January 2010 during the Sydney Festival. In May 2011, Severed Heads opened for Gary Numan on his The Pleasure Principle tour commemorating its 30th anniversary. Ellard described this as a farewell gesture after previously ending the band abruptly.

On 22 October 2011, Severed Heads delivered what was promoted as their final Australian show at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre. They followed with their "absolutely final" concert at BimFEST 2011 held in Antwerp. Despite this announcement, Ellard and Lawler performed another farewell set at the Adelaide Festival of Arts in 2013; this event was recorded by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

From 2014 onward, several seminal Severed Heads albums were reissued on vinyl through Medical Records and Dark Entries, including Since the Accident and City Slab Horror. In 2016, they released Beautiful Arabic Surface, a limited-run 10" acetate containing their first new material since 2008 via Bughlt Records.

A resurgence of interest led to a seven-date US tour in September 2015—their first American performances in over twenty years. The project continued actively afterward with fresh recordings, reissues, and live shows.

Severed Heads officially concluded activities following a series of headline shows across the United States in September 2019. On their Bandcamp page for the live compilation Living Museum, they expressed gratitude to fans who attended their final concerts throughout Australia, Europe, and North America while signaling plans to pursue new ventures starting in 2020.

Influence

The industrial group Skinny Puppy, based in Vancouver, drew inspiration from early Severed Heads work; this connection facilitated Severed Heads' signing with Nettwerk Records and a collaborative North American tour in 1986. Tom Ellard contributed to Skinny Puppy's "brap" sessions and received production and performance credits on tracks like "Assimilate" and "Chainsaw" found on Bites and its related single.

Australian electropop artist Paul Mac of Itch-E and Scratch-E cited Severed Heads as a foundational influence on Australian dance and electronic genres, referring to them as "the future."

Notable musicians such as Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) and Orbital have acknowledged Severed Heads as key influences.

Members

Final lineup

• Tom Ellard – vocals, bass guitar, keyboards, synthesizers, electronic percussion (1979–2008, 2010–2011, 2013, 2015–2019)
• Stewart Lawler – synthesizers (2010–2011, 2013, 2015–2019)

Past members

• Richard Fielding – synthesizers (1979–1981)
• Andrew Wright – synthesizers (1979)
• Garry Bradbury – synthesizers, electronic percussion, vocals (1982–1983; guest musician 1984–1985)
• Simon Knuckey – guitar (1982–1984)
• Stephen Jones – synthesizers, video synthesizers (1982–1992)
• Paul Deering – synthesizers (1984–1985)

Timeline

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Colors =

id:synths value:green legend:Synthesizers
id:vocals value:pink legend:Vocals
id:guitar value:blue legend:Guitar
id:video value:yellow legend:Video_Synths

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bar:Wright text:"Andrew Wright"
bar:Fielding text:"Richard Fielding"
bar:Ellard text:"Thomas Ellard"
bar:Bradbury text:"Garry Bradbury"
bar:Knuckey text:"Simon Knuckey"
bar:Jones text:"Stephen Jones"
bar:Deering text:"Paul Deering"
bar:Lawler text:"Stewart Lawler"

PlotData=

width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)
bar:Fielding from:01/01/1979 till:30/06/1981 color:synths
bar:Wright from:01/01/1979 till:31/12/1979 color:synths
bar:Ellard from:01/07/1979 till:31/12/2008 color:synths
bar:Ellard from:01/01/2010 till:31/12/2011 color:synths
bar:Ellard from:01/01/2013 till:31/12/2013 color:synths
bar:Ellard from:01/01/2015 till:end color:synths
bar:Ellard from:01/07/1979 till:31/12/2008 color:vocals width:3
bar:Ellard from:01/01/2010 till:31/12/2011 color:vocals width:3
bar:Ellard from:01/01/2013 till:31/12/2013 color:vocals width:3
bar:Ellard from:01/01/2015 till:end color:vocals width:3
bar:Bradbury from:01/01/1982 till:31/12/1983 color:synths
bar:Bradbury from:01/01/1982 till:31/12/1983 color:vocals width:3
bar:Knuckey from:01/05/1982 till:31/12/1984 color:guitar
bar:Jones from:01/09/1982 till:31/12/1992 color:synths
bar:Jones from:01/09/1982 till:31/12/1992 color:video width:3
bar:Deering from:01/01/1984 till:30/06/1985 color:synths
bar:Lawler from:01/01/2010 till:end color:synths

</timeline>

Lineups

1979 (Mr. and Mrs. No Smoking Sign)	1979	1979-1981	1981-1982
Richard Fielding – synthesizers Andrew Wright – synthesizers	Richard Fielding – synthesizers Andrew Wright – synthesizers Tom Ellard – vocals, bass guitar, keyboards, synthesizers, electronic percussion	Richard Fielding – synthesizers Tom Ellard – vocals, bass guitar, keyboards, synthesizers, electronic percussion	Tom Ellard – vocals, bass guitar, keyboards, synthesizers, electronic percussion
1982	1982	1982-1983	1983-1984
Tom Ellard – vocals, bass guitar, keyboards, synthesizers, electronic percussion Garry Bradbury – synthesizers, electronic percussion, vocals	Tom Ellard – vocals, bass guitar, keyboards, synthesizers, electronic percussion Garry Bradbury – synthesizers, electronic percussion, vocals Simon Knuckey – guitar	Tom Ellard – vocals, bass guitar, keyboards, synthesizers, electronic percussion Garry Bradbury – synthesizers, electronic percussion,vocals Simon Knuckey – guitar Stephen Jones – synthesizers , video synthesizers	Tom Ellard – vocals,bass guitar,keyboards,synthesizers,electronic percussion Simon Knuckey – guitar Stephen Jones – synthesizers , video synthesizers
1984-1985	1985-1992	1992-2008	2008-2010
Tom Ellard – vocals,bass guitar,keyboards,synthesizers,electronic percussion Stephen Jones – synthesizers , video synthesizers Paul Deering – synthesizers	Tom Ellard – vocals,bass guitar,keyboards,synthesizers,electronic percussion Stephen Jones – synthesizers , video synthesizers	Tom Ellard – vocals,bass guitar,keyboards,synthesizers,electronic percussion	Disbanded
2010-2011	2011-2013	2013	2013-2015
Tom Ellard – vocals,bass guitar,keyboards,synthesizers,electronic percussion Stewart Lawler – synthesizers	Disbanded	Tom Ellard – vocals,bass guitar,keyboards,synthesizers,electronic percussion Stewart Lawler – synthesizers	Disbanded
2015–2019
Tom Ellard – vocals,bass guitar,keyboards,synthesizers,electronic percussion Stewart Lawler – synthesizers

Discography

Main article: Severed Heads discography

• Ear Bitten/No Vowels No Bowels (1980)
• Side 2 (1980)
• Clean (1981)
• Blubberknife (1982)
• Since the Accident (1983)
• City Slab Horror (1985)
• Come Visit The Big Bigot (1986)
• Bad Mood Guy (1987)
• Rotund for Success (1989)
• Cuisine (With Piscatorial) (1991)
• Gigapus (1994)

• Haul Ass (1998)
• Contoured Simulation (1998)
• Airconditioning Your Productivity (1999)
• Gashing and Kato (2001)
• Op1.0 (2002)
• Cubical Broadcasts (2002)
• Controlling Time (2003)
• Op2.0 (2004)
• Op2.5 - Millennium Cheesecake (2005)
• Under Gail Succubus (2006)
• Op3.0 (2007)

ARIA Music Awards

Established by the Australian Recording Industry Association in 1987 to honor outstanding achievements within Australian music industry. Template:Awards table ! Ref. |- | 2005 | The Illustrated Family Doctor | ARIA Award for Best Original Soundtrack Cast or Show Album | | |-

External links

• Overview of Severed Heads' history at LTM