The Hummingbirds
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1986 in Sydney, Australia |
| Defunct | 1993 |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
| Products | Indie pop, jangle pop music |
The Hummingbirds were an indie pop and jangle pop group originating from Sydney, Australia, established in 1986 as a continuation of Bug Eyed Monsters. They quickly became a prominent presence within Sydney’s inner-city music scene during the late 1980s and were among the first artists signed by the rooArt label. Their track "Blush" climbed to number 19 on the ARIA singles chart in 1989. The band parted ways with rooArt in 1992 and ultimately dissolved in 1993.
Biography
Emerging in 1986 from Bug Eyed Monsters, The Hummingbirds initially featured singer and guitarist Simon Holmes, bassist John Boyce, and drummer Mark Temple. Shortly after formation, guitarist and vocalist Alannah Russack joined the lineup. By early 1987, John Boyce was replaced by Robyn St. Clare, who contributed both vocals and bass. Alongside peers such as Ratcat and The Falling Joys, they were recognized as one of Australia’s noteworthy late-1980s bands.
Their first single, "Alimony," was introduced in July 1987, followed by three additional singles released through the independent label Phantom Records. These tracks were subsequently compiled into the collection Quatro in 1989.
In early 1989, after signing with rooART, they launched "Blush" in August, which topped alternative music charts and reached number 19 on the ARIA singles chart. Their debut album, loveBUZZ, produced by Mitch Easter and released that same year, peaked at number 31 on the ARIA album charts. The album also received a US release where it garnered favorable reviews despite limited commercial success. During December 1989, Nic Dalton temporarily took over bass duties from St. Clare due to her illness; Dalton would later join American alternative rock band The Lemonheads. In 1991, Greg Atkinson also filled in as bassist.
Their sophomore album, Va Va Voom, again produced by Easter and delayed due to issues with rooART, was released in April 1991 and attained number 44 on the ARIA charts. After issuing "You Just Gotta Know My Mind" in May 1992, they exited rooART; Nic Dalton once more substituted for St. Clare during her pregnancy.
In 1993, The Hummingbirds issued two EPs through the independent label IV Recordings: Gone in February and Tail in July. Facing challenges transitioning from a major to an independent label contributed to their decision to disband following the release of Tail. Their final performance occurred on 11 December 1993 at Melbourne’s Central Club Hotel with Holmes, Russack, St. Clare, and Melder performing.
Post break-up
Following the band’s dissolution, Simon Holmes became part of Her Name in Lights, releasing their debut album Into the Light Again in October 2004. He subsequently formed a new group called Fragile. Alannah Russack embarked on a solo career based in Sydney. Robyn St. Clare, notable for penning "Into Your Arms"—a hit for The Lemonheads—also recorded with Ratcat. Mark Temple earned a doctorate from the University of New South Wales and currently holds a position as Senior Lecturer in Molecular Biology at Western Sydney University.
Reunions
After a hiatus of seventeen years, The Hummingbirds reunited on 27 January 2011 to perform at Sydney’s Big Day Out festival with members Holmes, Temple, and Russack; Robyn St. Clare was replaced on bass for this occasion. Additional performances took place later that year:
- 7 July 2011 – Acoustic set featuring Simon Holmes and Alannah Russack at Union Hotel, Newtown.
- 17 September 2011 – Full band performance at Manning Bar, Sydney University.
Prior to their Manning Bar concert, they delivered a brief set for "Live at the Loft" on radio station 2SER and participated in an interview with DJ Andrew Khedoori. This lineup included Holmes, Temple, Russack, and Danny Yau on bass.
In July 2016, The Hummingbirds shared two shows with The Falling Joys at Newtown Social Club in Sydney featuring Holmes, Temple, Russack, and Yau handling bass duties.
Their final live appearance occurred on 15 April 2017 during a tribute event celebrating the 25th anniversary of The Cure’s album Wish, held at Factory Theatre in Marrickville.
Simon Holmes passed away in Sydney in July 2017 at age 54. A commemorative evening featuring various bands was hosted on 3 December at Factory Theatre. Concurrently, a limited edition self-titled vinyl LP was released compiling tracks from their two final EPs—Gone and Tail—which had originally been available only on CD back in 1993.
Members
- John Boyce – bass guitar (1986–1987)
- Simon Holmes – vocals, guitar (1986–1993, 2011, 2016, 2017) (deceased)
- Mark Temple – drums (1986–1992, 2011, 2016, 2017)
- Alannah Russack – vocals, guitar (1986–1993, 2011, 2016, 2017)
- Robyn St. Clare – bass guitar (1987–1993)
- Shane Melder – drums (1992–1993)
- Nic Dalton – bass (1989–1991)
- Greg Atkinson – bass (1991)
- Danny Yau – bass (2011, 2016, 2017)
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||
| 1989 | loveBUZZ
|
31 |
| 1991 | Va Va Voom
|
44 |
Compilation albums
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1989 | Quatro
|
| 2001 | Greatest Hits
|
| 2017 | The Hummingbirds
|
Extended plays
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1993 | Gone
|
| 1993 | Tail
|
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | |||
| 1987 | "Alimony"/"Three in the Morning" | — | Quatro |
| 1988 | "Everything You Said"/"Get on Down" | — | |
| "Swim to Shore"/"Be Careful" | — | ||
| "Hindsight"/"Dragged over the Coals" | — | ||
| 1989 | "Blush" | 19 | loveBUZZ |
| "Word Gets Around" | — | ||
| 1990 | "Alimony"[upper-alpha 1] | 79 | |
| 1991 | "If a Vow" | 73 | Va Va Voom |
| "2 Weeks with a Good Man in Niagara Falls" | 93 | ||
| 1992 | "You Just Gotta Know My Mind" | 81 | non-album single |
Notes Template:Notelist-ua
ARIA Music Awards
Since their inception in 1987, the ARIA Music Awards have annually honored outstanding achievements across all Australian music genres. Template:Awards table |Ref. |- |rowspan="3"| 1990 |rowspan=2 | loveBUZZ | Best New Talent | | |- | Breakthrough Artist - Album | | |- |"Blush" | ARIA Award for Breakthrough Artist - Single | | |-
References
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