Oz high-school band sidesteps the "sophomore slump"

Sand, surf and sun - the elements in a day in the life of most Australian teenagers 
this month - are but distant memories to the antopodean trio silverchair, whose 
second album, Freak Show, hits North American stores today.

The highschool rockers, whose multi-platinum debut, Frogstomp hit our stores in 
June 1995, will likely encounter snow, soundchecks and the screams of fans during 
their "summer break" a jamed pack jaunt across the continent that lands them at 
Muchmusic headquarters tonight.

The broadcast of the Intimate & Interactive session, hosted by VJ Bill Welychka 
begins at 8pm. Television remains the ultimate all-aged venue for the 17 year olds 
whose parents triumvirates of a moms (guitarist/singer Daniel Johns' mother was 
the band's first manager) and roadie dads, have to accompany them on previous tours 
that included licensed rooms.

Live Date

While tonight's TV show is the only live date the band plays in Canada this time out,
the hearty response to Freak Show's first single, the dreamy, slow paced "Abuse Me," 
and it's stylish video indicates they will undoubtbly return when the climate warms up. 
The single, which made it's debut at No. 5 on the Billboard's rock singles chart, 
climbs to No. 6 on this week's rock radio chart in Canada, so far silverchair's best 
territory outside of their homeland.

And with the debut of the Australian single "Freak," at the top of the charts Down 
Under, the natives of Newcastle, a coastal city north of Sydney - seem to have 
side-stepped not only the dreaded "sophomore slump" but also the critical backlash 
bands often experience after a massively successful debut. Which is not to say the 
trio didn't feel the weight of anticipation upon entering a Sydney studio last year 
with producer Nick Launay (Midnight Oil, The Poises, For Squirrels), whom they first 
met when he did an edit of "Tomorrow," the break through single from Frogstomp.

"The pressure was in the back of our heads but it wasn't a major thing for us," says 
Daniel Johns, as the long distance barks of his "best friend," a little black dog 
named Sweep echo in the background. "We didn't set out to write an album that was 
going to sell," he continues. "It doesn't have a song like 'Tommorrow'. But we hope 
people will hear this album and understand that we're not just a one album band. 
"Since making the first album I think we've found our own little sound," Johns says. 
Indeed, more than an ocean connected the early strains of silverchair to Puget Sound, 
specifically the sounds of the Seattle grunge scene - Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden 
et al.

Perhaps true teenage angst, the band's unpretentious demeaner, and an honest 
laissez-faire attitude towards chart positions and other accolades steered 
silverchair clear of the more critical slings and arrows that hit bands like the 
U.K's Bush X. Grunge as an influence seems more acceptable when heard in a band of 
15-year-olds as opposed to those almost twice their age.

Trust Accounts

And on Freak Show, Johns, bassist Chris Joannou and drummer Ben Gillies 
demonstrate an accelerated maturity that has much to do with growing up, while 
seeing the world, albeit touring with bands like Everclear and the Red Hot Chilli 
Peppers and, maybe more importantly expanding their CD collections - as any 
music loving teenagers with decent allowences do.

"Musically, the album was written pretty much the same way," Johns says, who first 
jammed on Black Sabbath and Led Zepplin covers with his bandmates in Gillies' garage 
when they were 14.

"But lyrically, it's a lot more personal, more real, about things that happened to 
us at home with people or on the road," he adds. While most of the money the band 
has made - reportedly $1 million U.S each thus far - is being held in trust accounts, 
some of it has helped indulge Johns' passion for axes. "I've got about 22 guitars 
now, they're all up in my room," he says. "When we got our first advance in Australia
I bought a nice Gibson. I like collecting old rare guitars," he continues. "I take 
about 15 of them on the road. I write on different guitars depending on my mood."

"We're just going to concentrate on the music for a while," Johns says when asked what 
he'll pursue after highschool graduation. "If this whole thing is still going, we'll 
try to make the most of it while we can."

ARTICLE BY JENNIE PUNTER
copyright THE TORONTO STAR
(February 4th, 1997)