The Mavis's
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1987 in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia |
| Headquarters | Ballarat , Australia |
| Products | Music albums, singles, live performances |
The Mavis's are a rock group originating from Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, established in 1987. The original lineup included Becky Thomas (also known as Beki Thomas or Beki Colada) handling vocals and keyboards, her brother Matt Thomas on guitar and vocals, and Andrea Vendy on drums. In 1990, Nick Gill (Nik Daniel) joined as a guitarist, followed by Josh Alexander on bass in 1994. Their discography comprises three studio albums: Venus Returning released in July 1996, Pink Pills launched in April 1998—which climbed to No. 12 on the ARIA Albums Chart—and Rapture from March 2003. The band's synth-heavy track "Cry" debuted in January 1998, reaching No. 13 on the ARIA Singles Chart and securing a spot in the Triple J Hottest 100 for that year. They also performed this song on the television program Hey Hey It's Saturday. The group dissolved in December 2001 following a farewell tour across Australia.
Formation and early development: 1987–1994
Formed in Ballarat in 1987, The Mavis's began as a quartet specializing in post-punk rock, comprising Katherine McNulty on bass, Becky Thomas providing lead vocals and keyboards, Matt Thomas on guitar and vocals, and Andrea Vendy on drums. Andrew Craw briefly contributed guitar during live performances. According to Matt Thomas, the band's creation was motivated by a desire to leave Ballarat. Their name was inspired by a cat spotted during rehearsal sessions. Their initial performance featured a four-song set at a church hall.
By 1990, the band had moved to Melbourne and replaced Craw with guitarist Nick Gill. Their first single—a double A-side titled "Rollercoaster"/"Witch Hunt"—was issued in 1991 through the Giggle label.
In early 1993, they released their debut EP Spindrift via Slipped Discs with distribution handled by Mushroom Distribution Service (MDS). Produced by Dave Nelson and Paul Barker, the EP contained five live-recorded tracks captured at The Empress venue. It was well-received for its sharp pop edge.
Their follow-up EP, Poseidon, came out in May 1994 via MDS. This six-track collection was produced by Laurence Maddy and featured members Becky and Matt Thomas, Nick Gill, Keith Urquhart, and Andrea Vendy. It earned praise for its fusion of post-punk artistic elements with compelling pop hooks, positioning the band as an emerging force within Australia's music scene.
Record deal and Venus Returning era (1995–1997)
After building momentum, The Mavis's signed with White Records under Mushroom Records in 1995 and released their second single "Moon Drone Gold" in December that year. Their debut album, Venus Returning, produced by Kalju Tonuma, was unveiled in May 1996. This record highlighted their unique blend of quirky vocals, powerful guitar work, and distinctive instruments such as sitar and Tibetan bells. It generated three singles: "Thunder" (March 1996), "Box" (August), and "Lost" (November). Notably, "Thunder" secured the No. 92 position on Triple J's Hottest 100 for 1996. During this period, they toured alongside Sydney-based pop outfit Def FX.
In August 1997, the band released "Naughty Boy," an assertive rock track that attained No. 37 on the Triple J Hottest 100—marking their highest placement—and was featured in an advertising campaign for Just Jeans. Their sophomore album Pink Pills, also produced by Tonuma for White Records and released in April 1998, reached No. 12 on the ARIA Albums Chart and received critical acclaim for its eclectic style and creative ambition compared to their initial release.
"Cry" and Pink Pills (1998-1999)
The album's follow-up single, "Cry," released in January 1998, climbed to No. 13 on the ARIA Singles Chart. McFarlane characterized the song as "catchy... sparkling synth-pop... a blend of ABBA and ELO." It secured the No. 61 spot on the Triple J Hottest 100, 1998. The band showcased "Cry" during a live performance on Hey Hey It's Saturday. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1998, The Mavis's garnered four nominations: Best Pop Release for Pink Pills, Best Cover Art credited to Dominic O'Brien and his team, Single of the Year, and Song of the Year for "Cry". The following year, at the ARIA Music Awards of 1999, their track "Puberty Song" (November 1998) earned producer Tonuma a nod for Engineer of the Year.
After releasing the album, The Mavis's toured as support for Kylie Minogue and subsequently opened for US band Green Day during their Australian leg. They contributed a rendition of Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "Walk on By" to the tribute compilation To Hal and Bacharach (April 1998) under WEA. In October 1999, they recorded a cover of Duran Duran's "Planet Earth" for Undone: The Songs of Duran Duran. In 2000, their version of ABBA's "Bang-A-Boomerang" featured on the soundtrack for the comedy film The Wog Boy.
Rapture and disbandment (2000-2002)
In early 2000, February saw the release of their single "Happiness," followed by a cover of Jim Keays' "The Boy from the Stars" in May, which appeared on the Sample People (2000) soundtrack.
Their third studio album, Rapture, produced by Tonuma, experienced delays due to conflicts with their label and was not released until March 2003. The album’s second single, "Coming Home," came out in May 2001. Between July and August that year, they embarked on a farewell tour across Australia, performing tracks from Rapture before officially disbanding in December. In October 2002, they issued a compilation titled Throwing Little Stones.
Post-Mavis's (2003-2021)
After disbandment, members Becky Thomas, Nick Gill, and Josh Alexander formed Junkatique and later Beki and the Bullets. Matt Thomas pursued solo work under the name Matt Doll and led electro-pop outfits The Blow Waves and Video Video.
In February 2013, siblings Beki and Matt reunited to perform material from The Mavis's catalogue and recorded an EP titled Searching for Zero, containing six tracks. On 27 December 2014, the band briefly reassembled for a one-off show in Melbourne featuring original members Beki, Matt, and Nik; Alexander and Vendy did not participate.
The group reunited once more in 2018 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Pink Pills, performing the entire album live. Their final concert on this tour occurred on 12 May at Korova Lounge in Ballarat, their hometown.
Reunion (2022-present)
In 2022, The Mavis's announced a concert scheduled for 29 December in St. Kilda, marking Becky’s return from California. This lineup introduced guitarist Gabriel Atkinson (formerly of Weta), bassist Rone Kaos (Fight the Sun), and drummer Alister Morley. Due to popular demand, an additional show was added for the following evening. Another performance took place on 30 December 2023 with the Thomases and Atkinson performing; Kaos and Morley were present but did not perform.
On 7 August 2024, it was revealed that The Mavis's would join as one of four supporting acts for TISM's Death to Art Tour—publicized as their first live appearances in six years despite recent reunion gigs. On 18 October, they held a warmup concert at Richmond’s Odeon venue with Kaos retained from the 2022 lineup while Nick Cunneen and Glenn Lewis (Have a Nice Day) replaced Morley and Atkinson. During this show, they premiered a new track titled "Heaven," dedicated to Ollie Olsen. On 9 November, they performed "Heaven" at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, featuring journalist Jane Gazzo providing backing vocals.
Studio albums
| Album Title | Release Information | Highest Chart Ranking |
|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||
| Venus Returning |
|
76 |
| Pink Pills |
|
12 |
| Rapture |
|
— |
Compilation albums
| Compilation Title | Release Details |
|---|---|
| Throwing Little Stones |
|
| Kids in the Basement: Volume One |
|
| Beaches (Demos) |
|
Extended plays
| EP Title | Release Information |
|---|---|
| Spindrift |
|
| Poseidon |
|
Singles
| Release Year | Single Title | Highest Chart Position | Certification Status | Associated Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||||
| 1990 | "Rollercoaster"/"Witch Hunt" | — | Template:Non-album single | |
| 1992 | "Juggernaut – Live" | — | Spindrift | |
| 1995 | "Moon Drone Gold" | — | Venus Returning | |
| 1996 | "Thunder" | 154 | ||
| "Box" | 139 | |||
| "Lost" | — | |||
| 1997 | "Naughty Boy" | 83 | Pink Pills | |
| 1998 | "Cry" | 13 |
| |
| "Lever" | 88 | |||
| "Puberty Song" | 92 | |||
| 2000 | "Coming Home" | 72 | Rapture | |
| 2001 | "Happiness" | 96 | ||
| 2025 | "Heaven" | To Be Announced |
Other appearances
| Song Title | Year of Release | Compilation or Soundtrack Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Stepping" | 1989 | Screaming At the Mirror II ... A Compilation of Melbourne Bands |
| "Pinch Her Skin" | 1992 | Screaming At the Mirror Three: Independent Melbourne Compilation |
| "Squirm" (live version) | 1992 | Live At the Empress |
| "Walk On By" | 1998 | To Hal and Bacharach |
| Live renditions of "Naughty Boy" and "Cry" | 1998 | Mushroom 25 Live |
| "Planet Earth" | 1999 | The Songs of Duran Duran: UnDone |
| "Boy from the Stars" | (Year)2000 | (Album)Sample People (soundtrack) |
ARIA Music Awards
Since 1987, the Australian Recording Industry Association has annually honored outstanding achievements and creativity in Australian music through the ARIA Music Awards.
! |- | rowspan="4"| ARIA Music Awards of 1998 || rowspan="2"| "Cry" || ARIA Award for Single of the Year || || rowspan="4"| |- || ARIA Award for Song of the Year || |- || Pink Pills || ARIA Award for Best Pop Release || |- || Dominic O'Brien, Matt Thomas, Rachel Boyce, Alison Smith for Pink Pills || ARIA Award for Best Cover Art || |- | ARIA Music Awards of 1999 || Kalju Tonuma for "The Puberty Song" || ARIA Award for Engineer of the Year || ||