Jebediah

Formed in 1995 by Kevin Mitchell (Guitar / Vox), Brett Mitchell (Drums), Chris
Daymond (Guitar) and Vanessa Thornton (Bass), Jebediah started out playing the
normal gigs young bands do. A school ball here, a band comp there. They stood out a
little from the Perth band scene at the time as they were a little brasher than most and
seemed to worry more about how high and hard they could pogo around the stage
than how to hit that note just right. Things started to get a little silly around April
1996, with a bunch of labels chasing the band, and an eventual signing to Murmur
Records (home of Ammonia and Silverchair at the time). The momentum grew with
some amazing shows supporting bands such as Presidents of the USA and Everclear,
and playing at Homebake and The Falls festivals. Late 96 the debut single “Jerks of
Attention” is released, garners the band its first national radio play and the Jebs start
hitting the road properly. They haven’t really stopped since then.
In 1997 the band played over 150 shows with bands like Powderfinger and Bikini Kill
and somehow managed to fit in recording a debut album “Slighty Odway” which
was released in September 97. It scared the crap out of band and label alike by
debuting in the national top 10. Slightly Odway was gold by the end of the year, and
eventually went on to sell over 150,000 copies in Australia, as well as doing well in
Japan and New Zealand.
1998 was business as usual. Three headline tours, a couple of shows with the
Smashing Pumpkins, and festivals including Livid, Homebake and Pushover. Some
highlights were touring with The Living End in the main support slot, and selling
more shirts than The Smashing Pumpkins at their Melbourne show. Jebediah started
the new year with their first national Big Day Out run. US Rolling Stone mentions the
fact that the band managed to entertain 40,000 people for 10 minutes at the
Melbourne BDO without the benefit of a PA. The band managed to get the whole
crowd singing the national anthem.
In April 1999 Jebediah entered the studio with US Producer Mark Trombino (Jimmy
Eat World, Blink 182) to record “Of Someday Shambles” their follow up to
“Slightly Odway”. After a difficult birth the band took off to Canada for their first
taste of touring in the Northern Hemisphere. Not being ones to mess around they
toured NZ for the second time on the way home and hit the road to launch 1st single
“Animal” on the general populace. Of Someday Shambles was a darker and more
emotional album than the bands perky debut, but was well received, debuting at 2 in
Australia - just beaten to number 1 by some upstarts from Brisbane called Savage
Garden. A second Canadian tour was slotted in just before the launch of OSS, with
Jebediah opening for some (at the time!) unknown band called Nickelback Like the
band members have always said, they will play with anyone as long as there are more
people in the audience than there are on stage!
After their exciting flirt with audiences above the equator, 2000 was spent with eyes
on overseas climes. After another quick jaunt around the country with the Big Day
Out, Jebediah headed out on their biggest tour yet, taking US indie punk band
The Get Up Kids out as an opener on “Tour De Shambles”. 31 shows, 30 people on
the road, rock and fucking roll. While this tour wended its way around the country a
deal was being struck in the US with independent label Big Wheel Recreation to
license “Of Someday Shambles in the US. As an introduction to North America a
split CD and vinyl release with Jimmy Eat World was put out on BWR in
September 2000 with a repackaged album hitting the streets in October. The split CD
has gone on to sell many thousand worldwide, and “Of Someday Shambles” made
quite an impact at college radio. David Fricke (editor of US Rolling Stone) placed the
album in his top releases for the year, and Jebediah toured the release hard with a 3
month US jaunt supporting The Get Up Kids and then Jimmy Eat World. 70+ shows,
36000km, a lot of bad food and cheap bourbon, the tour finishes in LA and then the
band take a week off and then do a lap of Australia to celebrate with Sleepy Jackson
and Magic Dirt in support.
In 2001 Jebediah spent most of the year writing and recording their self titled 3rd
album. The bagpipe driven “Fall Down” was a top 20 hit, and the album debuted at
8 on the ARIA charts when it was released in March 2002. The band toured it hard,
finishing their campaign in 2003 with another BDO tour, with the Jebs playing like
they had done a deal with the devil.
In October Jebediah had a successful UK tour with headline shows in London and
Edinburgh and a few supports for Powderfinger at Shepherds Bush Empire.
Refreshed, revitalised, kings of their destiny and with a batch of tunes to make your
heart stop, the band entered the Kingdom Studio in January 2004 with engineer Matt
Lovell. Taking a month to track and then having the album mixed by Shaun
O’Callaghan while the band were on tour, “Braxton Hicks” was as warm, honest
and self assured as the Jebs have ever been. The album was released in July 2004
(April 2005 in Japan) and Jebediah toured Braxton Hicks hard, headlining tours,
teaming up with mates Grinspoon for some shows, and popping up at multiple Big
Day out shows. Tracks like “No Sleep” and “First Time” off Braxton Hicks got a
hammering on radio, and had the band stuck in the collective consciousness once
more.
In late 2005 Jebediah headed around the nation on their 10th Anniversary tour,
playing a set voted by their fans in each city they visited. It was fitting that the band
then headed into hibernation, with many jokes made about long service leave.
Jebediah took the time to collectively have a rest, catch their breath and assess their
career. Time was taken having lives, jobs, and a little holiday from music for most.
Kevin headed overseas to make and release his second “Bob Evans” album, which
has been a gold selling success in Australia and he has toured and released it in
several territories overseas. Brett moonlighted for awhile in Perth rockers The Fuzz,
and Vanessa has been in several musical collaborations, most recently appearing in
the star studded backing band for Felicity Groom.
Jebediah have been in rehearsals and demoing for their 5th album since the middle of2007. Their “Back in the Saddle Tour” is the first time the band have been seen on a
stage since August 2005, and they are champing at the bit. As they say in the classics,
watch this space, there’s more music and history to be made yet!