The Datsuns
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1998 in Cambridge, New Zealand |
| Headquarters | Cambridge , New Zealand |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
The Datsuns are a hard rock group originating from Cambridge, New Zealand, established in 1998. The original lineup featured Rudolf "Dolf" de Borst on vocals and bass, along with guitarists Christian Livingstone and Phil Somervell. They have produced seven studio albums to date; their debut, the self-titled The Datsuns (October 2002), topped the charts in New Zealand and reached the UK top 20. After moving to London in 2002, their sophomore release, Outta Sight/Outta Mind (May 2004), climbed to number 7 in New Zealand and placed within the UK top 60. Their third album, Smoke & Mirrors (2006), secured a spot in New Zealand’s top 20. Following this release, drummer Matt Osment was succeeded by Ben Cole. Notable UK singles include "In Love" and "Harmonic Generator" from 2002, while "Stuck Here for Days" (2006) became their highest-charting single in New Zealand, entering the top 30.
History
The origins of the band trace back to 1995 when Rudolf "Dolf" de Borst (vocals and bass), Matt Osment (drums), and Phil Somervell (guitar) formed the hard rock outfit Trinket during their secondary school years in Cambridge. Christian Livingstone joined as a second guitarist in 1997. By 1998, they rebranded themselves as the Datsuns, initially adopting the band’s name as part of their stage surnames. Early achievements included winning a Battle of the Bands competition and supporting international acts such as Sweden’s Hellacopters in 1998 and Canada’s Smugglers in 2000. Their debut single, "Super Gyration," was issued on 7-inch vinyl in August 2000, released via their own label, Hellsquad Records. Following an Australian tour in March 2001, they relocated to London to focus on expanding their presence in the UK market.
In 2002, after gaining airplay on BBC Radio 1’s John Peel show and receiving favorable coverage including an NME cover feature, they secured a contract with V2 Records. Their first album peaked at number 17 on UK charts and reached number one in New Zealand. The single "In Love" achieved a position within the UK top 30. They toured Australia alongside Melbourne bands such as the Specimens and the Casanovas, performed live on PBS radio, and earned several accolades including NME’s Best Live Band award as well as multiple New Zealand Music Awards for Best Album, Group, and Breakthrough Artist.
In 2003, The Datsuns appeared on Ozzfest's main stage sharing billing with Ozzy Osbourne and Marilyn Manson. They also performed at Big Day Out festivals in both 2004 and 2009 and supported Metallica during their Australian tour in 2004. Metallica’s drummer Lars Ulrich publicly endorsed them on Headbangers Ball. Their second album, Outta Sight/Outta Mind (May 2004), produced by Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones, reached number seven on New Zealand charts, entered Australia’s top 50, and placed within the UK top 60. Australian music journalist Ed Nimmervoll observed that this album marked a progression from raw live energy toward more polished songwriting.
Their third album, Smoke & Mirrors, released in October 2006, charted within New Zealand’s top 20. Its leading single "Stuck Here for Days" broke into the local top 30. Following this release, Ben Cole replaced Matt Osment on drums. The band toured alongside Shihad across New Zealand during the summer of 2006–07 before relocating to Germany for a European tour supporting Smoke & Mirrors, where most shows sold out.
The fourth studio album titled Headstunts—an anagram of “the Datsuns”—was launched on October 6, 2008. Subsequent tours covered New Zealand, Australia, North America, and Europe with new tracks including singles like "Highschool Hoodlums." Their fifth album, Death Rattle Boogie (October 2012), partially recorded in Stockholm with producer Nicke Andersson (formerly of Hellacopters), was followed by their sixth release Deep Sleep (October 2014), which attained a position within New Zealand’s top 30 albums. In March 2016, they completed their third tour of Japan.
After a period of inactivity, The Datsuns returned with the single "Brain To Brain" in February 2021—their first new release after seven years—preceding the May 28 launch of their seventh album titled Eye To Eye.
Albums
| Year | Album Title | Information | Highest Chart Positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZ | AUS | UK | |||
| 2002 | The Datsuns |
|
1 | 73 | 17 |
| 2004 | Outta Sight/Outta Mind |
|
7 | 41 | 58 |
| 2006 | Smoke & Mirrors |
|
16 | 92 | 189 |
| 2008 | Headstunts |
|
— | — | — |
| 2012 | Death Rattle Boogie |
|
— | — | — |
| 2014 | Deep Sleep |
|
26 | — | |
| 2021 | Eye to Eye |
|
— | — | |
| "—" indicates a release that either did not chart or was not issued in that region. | |||||
Extended plays
| Year | EP Title | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Harmonic Generator |
|
| 2003 | MF from Hell |
|
| 2006 | Stuck Here for Days |
|
Singles
| Year | Single Title | Highest Chart Positions | Associated Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZ | AUS | UK | |||
| 2000 | "Super Gyration" | — | — | — | Non-album single |
| 2001 | "Fink for the Man" | — | — | — | The Datsuns |
| "Lady" | — | — | — | ||
| 2002 | "In Love" | — | — | 25 | |
| "Harmonic Generator" | "—" | "—" | "33" | ||
| "MF from Hell" | "—" | "—" | "55" | ||
| "Blacken My Thumb" | "—" | "100" | "48" | ||
| "Girls Best Friend" | "—" | "—" | "71" | ||
| "Stuck Here for Days" | "23" | "—" | "—" | ||
| "System Overload" | "—" | "—" | "145" | ||
| "High School Hoodlums" | "—" | "—" | "—" | ||
| "Human Error" | "—" | "—" | "—" | ||
| "So Long" | "—" | "—" | "—" | ||
| "Gods Are Bored" | "—" | "—" | "—" | ||
| "Bad Taste" | "—" | "—" | "—" | ||
| "Brain to Brain" | '27' (NZ Hot Singles) | '—' | '—' | ||