The Cops (Australian band)
| Company type | Independent |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Founder | Simon Carter, Rebecca Darwon |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
| Products | Rock music, albums, EPs, singles |
| Website | https://www.facebook.com/thecopsofficial |
The Cops emerged as an Australian rock ensemble established in late 2003 by songwriter Simon Carter alongside bassist and keyboardist Rebecca Darwon, formerly of Fyreflyes and Del-Emmas, based in Sydney.
History
Simon Carter began crafting music in his parents' basement before sharing his demo recordings with Bec Darwon, who motivated the formation of a band.
The initial roster featured Simon Meli from The Widowbirds, Jimmy Stacks who had previously collaborated with Carter in General Lee, Andrew Gilbert of Hush Honey, and Nick Kennedy, formerly of Big Heavy Stuff.
In early 2004, The Cops introduced their first self-titled EP through Reverberation. Later that year, they secured a deal with the independent label Love Police Records and launched their debut album Stomp On Tripwires in September.
Throughout 2005, the group embarked on extensive tours, opening for artists such as Blondie, The Dirtbombs, The Distillers, and The Donnas. They earned nominations for 'Best Newcomer' and 'Best Bass Player' at the 2005 Jack Awards.
After the exit of Jimmy Stacks, Andrew Gilbert, and Nick Kennedy in 2005, Carter and Darwon reassembled the band with Todd Smith on keyboards, Jarrod Murphy (ex-Major) on guitar, and Nicholai Danko (from 78 Saab) handling drums. They departed from Love Police Records and in 2006 became the inaugural exclusive signing of Inertia Recordings.
This revamped lineup released the EP 80 In The Shade in November 2006. Its lead track "Call Me Anytime" received widespread indie radio play and was featured on MTV Australia, Channel [V], and Rage. It achieved the No. 33 spot on Triple J's Hottest 100 for 2006.
Simon Carter commented on this milestone:
In 2007, The Cops supported !!! during their east coast tour and opened for Kaiser Chiefs in March, followed by an appearance at The Great Escape Festival.
Their sophomore album Drop It in Their Laps was unveiled on 28 April 2007. Subsequent national tours included dates alongside Expatriate. Singles such as "Cop Pop" and "The Message" were issued; notably "The Message" ranked number 88 in the 2007 Triple J Hottest 100.
Early in 2008, founding member Bec Darwon departed to cease touring activities. Subsequently, Simon Carter placed the band on indefinite hiatus to focus on a solo career. This decision concluded their relationship with Inertia Recordings; Carter's solo album The Black Book of the Universe was released in 2010 under Illustrious Artists.
In April 2015, Carter announced The Cops would reunite for two headline performances centered around the Stomp on Tripwires period. Remaining members included Carter and Smith; new additions were Cec Condon (The Mess Hall) on drums, James Roden (The City Lights) on guitar, and Archi Fires (Hell City Glamours, Black Ryder) on bass. After these shows, Carter confirmed the reunion as permanent with intentions to produce a third studio album and continue touring. The band also appeared at the 2015 Newtown Festival.
September 2015 saw the release of their single "Move Over Money." On 6 October 2015, original guitarist Jimmy Stacks rejoined the lineup. Despite this, band activity ceased during 2016 as Carter resumed his solo endeavors.
Band members
- Simon Carter – lead vocals, guitar (2003–2008; 2015–2016)
- Andrew Gilbert – guitar (2003–2005)
- Jimmy Stacks – guitar (2003–2005, 2015–2016)
- Nicholai Danko – drums (2005–2007)
- Todd Smith – keyboard, synthesizer, percussion, backing vocals (2005–2008; 2015–2016)
- Simon Meli – guitar, vocals (2003)
- Rebecca Darwon – bass, vocals (2003–2008)
- Nicholas Kennedy – drums (2003–2005, 2008)
- Jarrod Murphy – guitar, vocals (2006–2008)
- Cec Condon – drums (2015–2016)
- James Roden – guitar, backing vocals (2015–2016)
- Archi Fires – bass (2015–2016)
Timeline
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Albums
| Album | Information | Highest chart rankings |
|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||
| Stomp On Tripwires |
|
— |
| Drop It in Their Laps |
|
59 |
Extended plays
| EP Title | Information | Highest chart rankings |
|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||
| The Cops |
|
— |
| 80 in the Shade |
|
90 |
Singles
- "The Shake" (2004)
- "Dirty Little Rebel" (2004)
- "Wallet Puffer Smokes Keys" (2004)
- "Call Me Anytime" (2007)
- "The Message" (2007)
- "Respectagon" (2007)
- "Move Over Money" (2015)
Festival appearances
- Great Escape Festival, 2007
- Big Day Out, 2005
- Come Together Music Festival, 2005
- Falls Festival, 2004
- Homebake, 2004
- Pushover Festival, 2004
- Showdown at Sundown Festival, 2004
- St Kilda Festival, 2004 and 2005
Supporting acts for
- Blondie
- The Von Bondies
- The Dirtbombs
- The Distillers
- The Black Keys
- The Donnas
- Dallas Crane
- Grinspoon
- Kaiser Chiefs
AIR Awards
The Australian Independent Record Awards (AIR Awards) celebrate and highlight achievements within Australia's independent music industry annually.
| 2007 | "80 in the Shade | Best Performing Independent Single or EP | Template:Nom |
Jack Awards
- Nominated for Best Bass Player in 2005
- Nominated for Best Newcomer in 2005