Spencer Tracy (band)
| Company type | Independent |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1999 in Collie, Western Australia, Australia |
| Headquarters | Collie , Australia |
| Products | Rock music, albums, EPs, singles |
Spencer Tracy emerged as an Australian rock group originating from Collie, Western Australia in 1999. The original lineup featured Lee Jones on lead vocals and guitar, his brother Kim Jones handling bass duties, and Shaun Sibbes on drums. In 2002, Jessica Bennett—formerly of Lash—joined as co-lead vocalist and guitarist. Following her exit, John Rabjones was added to the band to contribute to their self-titled first album. Their discography includes three EPs: Corner of My Eye (March 2001), Daisy Daze (October 2001), and Hold On (July 2003).
History
Formed by three teenagers from Collie—Lee Jones, Kim Jones, and Shaun Sibbes—Spencer Tracy cultivated a regional fanbase through performances at local pubs and advanced to the finals of the Next Big Thing competition. In 2000, they signed with the independent label Embryo Records and released a split EP titled Split alongside Perth band Cartman. Their song "Battle of the Egos" received national rotation on Triple J. The group was awarded $8,000 from the Contemporary Music Touring Program to facilitate tours across New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia.
Their initial EP, Corner of My Eye (March 2001), achieved a peak position of number 14 on the AIR Top 20 Singles Charts. The title track was broadcast on Triple J and RTRFM, which led to tours along Australia's east coast and support performances for acts such as Echo and the Bunnymen, The Fauves, iOTA, Lo-Tel, and Midnight Oil. The follow-up EP, Daisy Daze (October 2001), included the track "Stupid," which also received radio play.
In mid-2002, pianist Roger Woodward invited Lee Jones to pursue classical piano studies at San Francisco State University; however, Lee opted to continue with Spencer Tracy. That same year, John Rabjones joined as a second guitarist. Singles "Disco King" (January 2003) and "Ocean" (June 2003) enjoyed considerable airplay on Triple J, Triple M, and Nova stations. Notably, "Ocean" reached number 14 on the AIR charts.
Their debut full-length album, self-titled Spencer Tracy, was released on 11 August 2003 through Embryo Records with production by Ben Glatzer. It debuted at number 9 on the AIR Top 20 Albums Chart and was selected as Triple J's album of the week. Throughout 2003, the band embarked on extensive tours within Australia and internationally including stops in Manchester, London, Sweden, New York, and Los Angeles.
Late in 2003 saw lineup modifications as Spencer Tracy performed temporarily as a trio before welcoming Jessica Bennett back into the fold. In November that year they supported Super Furry Animals during a Perth show.
In 2004 Spencer Tracy appeared at SXSW in Austin, Texas, expanding their international presence. Soon after this event, Lee Jones departed to concentrate on classical piano studies while Shaun Sibbes took over lead vocal responsibilities. The band toured Western Australia and released their final EP titled Hold On. Discussions for a Japanese tour were in progress with interest from representatives of Avex Trax.
The group later expanded with Nicolas Jonsson and Malcolm Clarke alternating on drums but ultimately disbanded in November 2004.
Following the breakup, Lee Jones fronted electronic project Astronaut—which secured a WAMi Award in 2006—and performed touring duties with The Sleepy Jackson and Eskimo Joe. Jessica Bennett became involved with The Preytells. Shaun Sibbes worked as a session drummer for Sneaky Sound System and reunited musically with Lee Jones in The Sun Orchestra.
In March 2019 Spencer Tracy reunited for a tribute concert held in Collie to honor Alison Pimm-Spry.
Members
- Lee Jones – vocals and guitar
- Kim Jones – bass guitar
- Jessica Bennett – vocals and guitar
- Shaun Sibbes – drums
- John Rabjones – guitar, who joined as the band's second guitarist during their 2003 debut album
Albums
- Spencer Tracy, released by Embryo Records (EMR169) in August 2003
Extended plays
- Split EP – a shared release with Cartman under Rocket Records (2000), including the tracks "Battle of the Ego's" and "Fight"
- Corner of My Eye, issued by Embryo Records (EMR052s) in March 2001
- Daisy Daze, distributed by Embryo Records (EMR072) in October 2001
- Hold On, released through Embryo Records (EMR194) in July 2004
Singles
- "Disco King", launched by Embryo Records (EMR140) in January 2003
- "Ocean", issued via Embryo Records (EMR165) in June 2003
Compilation appearances
- Pop Scenes from Perth (2003), featuring the track "Ocean"
- Kiss My WAMi (2003), including "Ocean"
- Noise: Future of Music (2003), showcasing "Capsize"
- Home and Hosed, ABC Music (2003), featuring "Ocean"
- Independence Volume Two, Design Records (2004), containing "Supergirl"
External links
- Official Spencer Tracy website archived on 8 March 2003
- Spencer Tracy at Australian Music Online, archived 19 April 2006
- Spencer Tracy on the Embryo Records site