The Clouds (Australian band)
| Company type | Indie rock group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | December 1989 in Sydney, Australia |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
| Products | Studio albums, EPs, Singles |
The Clouds—also referred to simply as Clouds—are an indie rock group originating from Sydney, Australia, established in December 1989. The band’s primary members include vocalists and guitarists Jodi Phillis and Patricia "Trish" Young, who also handles bass and vocals. Over the years, the ensemble’s composition has shifted, featuring a range of drummers and lead guitarists. Their sound is characterized by swift chord transitions, creative bass patterns, and harmonized vocals shared by Phillis and Young. Prior to their initial disbandment in 1997, they produced four studio albums along with several EPs and singles, before reuniting in 2011.
1989–1993: Penny Century, Octopus & Thunderhead
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, The Clouds established themselves as a significant presence within the Australian music scene, alongside contemporaries such as Ratcat, Falling Joys, and The Hummingbirds.
In 1990, the band secured a contract with Red Eye Records and launched their debut EP Cloud Factory in October, which reached number 118 on the ARIA charts. This was followed by the April 1991 release of the EP Loot, featuring the track "Soul Eater," which climbed to number 22 on ARIA.
Work on their first full-length album, Penny Century, commenced in mid-1991; it was released that October and peaked at number 23 on the ARIA chart. Singles from this album included "Hieronymous" and "Anthem."
September 1992 marked the release of "Say It," the lead single from their sophomore album Octopus, which arrived in October and attained number 24 on ARIA charts.
Recording sessions for their third album, Thunderhead, began in June 1993. The first single, "Bower of Bliss," was issued in August. The full album followed in October, reaching number 30 on the ARIA chart. The second single off this album, "Alchemy's Dead," came out in December.
1994–1999: Futura and break up
In 1994, The Clouds toured extensively across Europe and the United States, during which they signed with Elektra Records. While based in London, they recorded the EP Beetroot, released domestically in October 1994 and peaking at number 65 on ARIA charts.
After signing with Elektra, Thunderhead was introduced to the US market in March 1995 accompanied by several promotional singles. Despite this effort, Elektra soon dropped the band. Nevertheless, The Clouds continued their creative output with two singles released later that year: "Aquamarine" and "Panel Van".
May 1996 saw Red Eye Records re-release Penny Century, this time including a bonus CD titled Pre-Raphaelite, which contributed to the album achieving gold certification in Australia for sales exceeding 35,000 copies.
Their fourth studio effort, Futura, was unveiled in November 1996 and reached number 50 on the ARIA chart. The band ultimately dissolved in 1997.
A compilation album titled Favourites was issued in 1999.
2000–present: reformation
Despite residing separately—Phillis in Tasmania and Young in London—the duo occasionally reunited for performances. During this period, Phillis founded The Dearhunters and Roger Loves Betty while also engaging in solo endeavors.
In late 2005, Phillis and Young collaborated once more under the name The Girls from the Clouds, releasing a five-track EP titled Lalalala. This project concluded with their disbandment in April 2007.
The Clouds came together again for a tour alongside Jesus Jones and The Wonder Stuff in August 2011. This reunion was followed by an Australian tour spanning late 2011 into early 2012.
February 2017 marked their return with new material: "Mabel's Bookshop," featured on the EP Zaffre, representing their first fresh release after two decades. Additional recordings were issued throughout 2017 and 2019.
They appeared at the 2017 edition of The Day on the Green festival performing alongside acts such as Blondie and Cyndi Lauper.
In December 2022, The Clouds embarked on a tour celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of their debut album Penny Century.
Members
- Jodi Phillis – vocals, guitar (1989–1997, 2005–2006, 2011–present)
- Trish Young – vocals, bass (1989–1997, 2005–2006, 2011–present)
- Robert Phelan – guitar (1989–1990)
- Stuart Eadie – drums (1989–1991)
- Dave Easton – guitar (1990–1996, 2011–present)
- Andrew Byrne – drums (1992)
- Raphael Whittingham – drums (1993–1997, 2011–present)
- Ben Nightingale – guitar (1996–1997)
Timeline
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Colors =
id:voc value:red legend:Vocals id:guitar value:green legend:Guitar id:bass value:blue legend:Bass id:drums value:orange legend:Drums
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bar:Jodi text:"Jodi Phillis" bar:Trish text:"Trish Young" bar:Robert text:"Robert Phelan" bar:Stuart text:"Stuart Eadie" bar:Dave text:"Dave Easton" bar:Andrew text:"Andrew Byrne" bar:Raphael text:"Raphael Whittingham" bar:Ben text:"Ben Nightingale"
PlotData=
width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Jodi from:01/12/1989 till:31/12/1997 color:guitar bar:Jodi from:01/12/1989 till:31/12/1997 color:voc width:3 bar:Jodi from:01/11/2005 till:30/04/2006 color:guitar bar:Jodi from:01/11/2005 till:30/04/2006 color:voc width:3 bar:Jodi from:14/06/2011 till:31/12/2017 color:guitar bar:Jodi from:14/06/2011 till:31/12/2017 color:voc width:3 bar:Trish from:01/12/1989 till:31/12/1997 color:bass bar:Trish from:01/12/1989 till:31/12/1997 color:voc width:3 bar:Trish from:01/11/2005 till:30/04/2006 color:bass bar:Trish from:01/11/2005 till:30/04/2006 color:voc width:3 bar:Trish from:14/06/2011 till:31/12/2017 color:bass bar:Trish from:14/06/2011 till:31/12/2017 color:voc width:3 bar:Robert from:01/12/1989 till:31/05/1991 color:guitar bar:Dave from:01/06/1991 till:31/07/1994 color:guitar bar:Ben from:01/01/1996 till:31/12/1997 color:guitar bar:Dave from:14/06/2011 till:31/12/2017 color:guitar bar:Stuart from:01/12/1989 till:30/11/1991 color:drums bar:Andrew from:01/12/1991 till:31/12/1992 color:drums bar:Raphael from:01/01/1993 till:31/12/1997 color:drums bar:Raphael from:14/06/2011 till:31/12/2017 color:drums
</timeline>
Studio albums
| Album title | Release details | Highest chart positions | Certification status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia |
US CMJ | |||
| Penny Century |
|
23 | - |
|
| Octopus |
|
24 | - | |
| Thunderhead |
|
30 | 31 | |
| Futura |
|
50 | - | |
Compilation albums
| Album Title | Details | Highest Chart Positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||
| Collage |
|
— |
| Favourites |
|
181 |
Extended plays
| EP Title | EP Information | Peak Chart Position |
|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||
| Cloud Factory |
|
118 |
| Loot |
|
22 |
| Beetroot |
|
65 |
| Aquamarine |
|
- |
| Panel Van |
|
72 |
| Zaffre |
|
- |
Singles
| Single Title | Release Year | Highest Chart Rankings | Associated Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS |
US CMJ | |||
| "Hieronymus"/"Lucy's Eyes" | 1991 | 45 | - | Penny Century |
| "Anthem" | 1992 | 47 | - | |
| "Say It" | 56 | - | Octopus | |
| "Bower of Bliss" | 1993 | 69 | 122 | Thunderhead |
| "Alchemy's Dead" | 125 | - | ||
| "Boy of Air" | 1994 | - | - | Beetroot EP |
| "Panel Van" | 1995 | 118 | - | Panel Van EP |
| "Aquamarine" | - | - | Aquamarine EP | |
| "Here Now"/"Down from the Sky" | 1996 | 113 | - | Futura |
| "Never Say Forever" | 1997 | 162 | - | |
| "Mabel's Bookshop" | 2017 | |||
| "Beautiful Nothingness" | ||||
| "Check Us Out" | ||||
ARIA Music Awards
Since 1987, the ARIA Music Awards have annually celebrated outstanding achievements and creativity within all sectors of Australian music.
! |- |1992 | Penny Century | Breakthrough Artist - Album | |[1] |- |1994 | Thunderhead | Best Adult Alternative Album | |[2] |-
References
- Articles with short description
- Musical groups established in 1989
- Musical groups disestablished in 1997
- Musical groups reestablished in 2011
- Australian indie rock groups
- Musical groups from Sydney
- 1989 establishments in Australia
- 1997 disestablishments in Austria
- 2011 establishments in Australia
- Pages with script errors