The Beautiful Girls
| Company type | Independent |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2001 in Sydney, Australia |
| Founder | Mat McHugh, Clay MacDonald, Mitchell Connelly |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
| Products | Music albums, EPs |
| Website | matmchugh |
The Beautiful Girls are a Sydney-based Australian roots band formed in 2001 by Mat McHugh, Clay MacDonald, and Mitchell Connelly. Their discography includes three EPs—Morning Sun (2002), Goodtimes (2002), and The Weight of the World (2004)—alongside five studio albums: Learn Yourself (2003), We're Already Gone (2005), Ziggurats (2007), Spooks (2010), and Dancehall Days (2014). The last four albums each secured positions within the top 20 on the ARIA Albums Chart. Notably, Spooks and Dancehall Days debuted at number one on the Australian Independent Chart, while also ranking seventh and fifth respectively on the US Billboard Reggae Albums Chart. Their track "I Thought About You" reached number 60 on the ARIA Singles Chart.
Mat McHugh, serving as songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, has released two solo albums: Seperatista! (2008) and Love Come Save Me (2012), in addition to an EP titled Go Don't Stop (2011).
Clay MacDonald fronts multiple bands such as The Orange Bird, The Lung, The Guilty Conscience, The Oort Cloud, and Hungdonkey, while also contributing to fuzz rock ensemble Valley Floor.
Mitchell Connelly performs under the name aliTTLErowBOAT. Both MacDonald and Connelly collaborate on instrumental hip-hop projects as The Undertones and participate in noise rock band Salmon Facade. They have also been involved with Angus & Julia Stone's early EPs and albums and toured extensively with them between 2007 and 2009.
By 2014, The Beautiful Girls had completed international tours across countries including Japan, Canada, Brazil, and the United States, achieving total album sales of 350,000.
History
Originating in Sydney in 2001 as a roots music ensemble featuring McHugh on lead vocals and guitar, MacDonald on bass and backing vocals, and Connelly on drums and percussion, The Beautiful Girls formed following McHugh's return from New York where he recorded demo tracks. The band's name was deliberately chosen by McHugh to contrast with conventional macho band titles. In March 2002, they independently released their initial EP, Morning Sun, which was distributed through MGM Distribution. The song "Periscopes" gained national exposure via airplay on Triple J. McHugh highlighted that their independent approach was a conscious decision to preserve creative autonomy. Later that year in November, their second EP Goodtimes was issued.
Their first full-length album, Learn Yourself, produced collaboratively by McHugh and Ian Pritchett, was launched on 22 September 2003. Vocal contributions from American artist Mason Jennings appear on "Freedom (Part 2)," alongside percussion by former Soul Asylum drummer Ian Mussington.
In 2004, the group embarked on tours throughout Japan, Canada, and the United States. January 2005 saw the release of a four-track EP titled The Weight of the World, featuring a dancehall-inspired title track that received rotation on Triple J. Brazilian musician Felipe Kmiecik joined for touring duties playing harmonica. On 4 July 2005, with Kmiecik adding melodica, harmonica, and keyboards, they recorded their sophomore album We're Already Gone, which reached number 19 on the ARIA Albums Chart. This release was produced by McHugh and Pritchett under their own San Dumo Records label with distribution handled by MGM. Julia Stone provided guest vocals on this album. A special edition included a live DVD titled 'Legged.
In October 2006, a compilation album named Water was issued.
Kmiecik returned to Brazil late in 2005 to focus on family commitments. In 2006 Connelly departed due to creative differences with McHugh; MacDonald followed suit in February 2007 for similar reasons. Subsequently both collaborated with Angus & Julia Stone while pursuing side projects such as The Undertones hip-hop duo—with Connelly performing as aliTTLErowBOAT—and MacDonald leading The Orange Bird among others. Kmiecik released a solo EP under the name Felipe Harp in 2009.
Continuing under McHugh's leadership—who took on vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, melodica, and percussion—the band enlisted Pritchett for bass, backing vocals, guitar, keyboards, and percussion support alongside Bruce Braybrooke handling drums, percussion, and vocals. Their third studio album Ziggurats, co-produced by McHugh and Pritchett, was released on 14 May 2007 and peaked at number 21 on the ARIA Albums Chart. It featured the single "I Thought About You," which climbed to number 60 on the ARIA Singles Chart. Critics observed a more assertive sound combined with expanded political commentary.
At the APRA Music Awards of 2008, "I Thought About You" received a nomination for 'Blues & Roots Work of the Year'. By this time they had toured internationally across Japan, Europe including the UK, Brazil, the US, and Canada. Late in 2008 McHugh's solo debut faced delays due to a motorcycle accident in Los Angeles. By 2010 The Beautiful Girls had completed twelve international tours with cumulative album sales reaching 285,000.
On 25 May 2010 they unveiled their fourth studio album Spooks, featuring McHugh alongside Braybrooke and new bassist Paulie Bromley. This release achieved a peak position of number 18 on the ARIA Albums Chart; it debuted atop the Australian Independent Chart and attained number seven on Billboard's Reggae Albums Chart in the United States. A planned US tour was curtailed when McHugh experienced a ruptured appendix. In April 2012 his second solo record Love Come Save Me was made available as a free download through his official website.
By late 2012 McHugh established Mat. McHugh and the Seperatista Soundsystem which began touring from January 2013 onward.
Band members
Present
- Mat McHugh – lead vocals, guitar
- Paulie Bromley – bass guitar
- Paul Derricott – drums
Former
- Mitchell Connelly – drums and percussion
- Clay MacDonald – bass guitar, backing vocals, xylophone, recorder
- Felipe Kmiecik – harmonica, melodica, piano
- Bruce Braybrooke – drums
- Ian Pritchett – bass guitar, backing vocals
Studio albums
| Album Title | Release Information | Highest Chart Position | Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | |||
| Learn Yourself |
|
80 |
|
| We're Already Gone |
|
19 | |
| Ziggurats |
|
21 |
|
| Spooks |
|
18 | |
| Dancehall Days |
|
30 |
EPs
| EP Title | Release Details |
|---|---|
| Morning Sun |
|
| Goodtimes |
|
Compilation albums
| Compilation Title | Details of Release |
|---|---|
| Water |
|
| Roots: The Best of... So Far... |
|
| Seaside Highlife (Greatest Hits: Vol. 1) |
|
Charting singles
| Single Title | Year Released | Chart Peak Position | Corresponding Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | |||
| "Morning Sun" | 2002 | 87 | Morning Sun |
| "Weight of the World" | 2004 | 54 | |
| "Thought About You" | 2007 | 60 | Ziggurats |
AIR Awards
The Australian Independent Record Awards (AIR Awards) are held each year to acknowledge and support Australia's independent music industry.
|- | 2007 | Ziggurats | Best Independent Blues and Roots Album | |- | 2010 | Spooks | Best Independent Blues and Roots Album |
APRA Awards
Since 1982, the Australasian Performing Right Association has annually presented the APRA Awards to celebrate outstanding achievements by composers and songwriters.
|- | rowspan="2"| 2006 | "Ashes" (Mat McHugh) | Most Performed Blues & Roots Work | |- | "Let's Take the Long Way Home" (Mat McHugh) | Most Performed Blues & Roots Work | |- | 2008 | "I Thought About You" (Mat McHugh) | Blues & Roots Work of the Year | |- | rowspan="2"| 2011 | "10:10" (Mat McHugh) | Blues & Roots Work of the Year | |- | "Don't Wait" (Mat McHugh) | Blues & Roots Work of the Year |
ARIA Music Awards
The ARIA Music Awards are an annual event celebrating outstanding artistic accomplishments and innovation throughout all styles of Australian music.
|- | 2005 | We're Already Gone | Best Blues & Roots Album |
J Award
Established in 2005 by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth radio station Triple J, the J Awards honor excellence in Australian music annually.
|- | 2005 | We're Already Gone | Australian Album of the Year |
Inside Film Awards
|- | 2007 | "I Thought About You" | Best Video |