The Vines

In an era filled with the promise of great new hopes for rock, 2002's title already belongs to a young quartet from Sydney, Australia called The Vines and their debut album, Highly Evolved. The album smacks of an isolated adolescence spent listening to classic albums through headphones at lethal volume until the raw influences bled their way on to a four-track recorder, coming straight from their hearts and their badly battered amps. Produced by Rob Schnapf (Beck, Guided By Voices, Foo Fighters, Elliott Smith) at L.A.'s original sonic temple, Sunset Sound Factory (where Led Zep and the Stones made some serious history), Highly Evolved is a swaggering, tuneful shot of raw rock with a chaser of blissful psychedelia that a panting NME called "a perfect synthesis of the Beatles and Nirvana." Never shy about expressing their real feelings, NME more recently exclaimed, "We're not joking. This is a record you must own."

Mixed by Andy Wallace, the first single, "Get Free," is The Vines at their finest: urgent vocal harmonies, fractured guitars, and an absolute tempest of melody in a teacup-sized tune. The day-job drudgery anthem "Factory" (which was immediately named NME's "Single of the Week" when it was released as a limited edition 7-inch), finds the previously undiscovered common ground between the Fab Four in '68 and The Specials in '79 before slamming on the distortion pedal. Hard! The title track, "Highly Evolved," (which also grabbed "Single of the Week" honors in the U.K.) lasts for exactly 94 seconds of steamrolling guitar tsunami but will stay ringing inside your head forever. And the infectious trippiness of "Autumn Shade," swirling ballad "Mary Jane," and spaced-out stoner epic "1969" draw comparisons to classic head-expanders like Big Star, the Beach Boys and My Bloody Valentine.

The Vines started growing very gradually seven years ago as a three-piece, when guitarist/vocalist Craig Nicholls, bass player/backing vocalist Patrick Matthews and original drummer David Olliffe met during high school while working at a Sydney McDonald's and named their band after an obscure '60s Australian band called the Vynes (which just happened to feature Nicholls' father on guitar and vocals). They gigged infrequently, instead focusing on songwriting and making four-track recordings in Nicholls' bedroom. By early 2001, still completely unknown in their own hometown, they had amassed an arsenal of over thirty songs. Things started happening when the band put out the track "Factory" as a limited seven-inch E.P. in the U.K. and it quickly became NME's single of the week, remaining in their "Turn-Ons Top 10" for an incredible 6 weeks. After signing a worldwide deal with Capitol Records in the U.S. in December 2001, MTV2 rushed the young band into its "22 Artists 2 Watch in 2002" campaign despite the fact that they did not yet have a video.

In January 2002, The Vines headed up a feature article in which 35 bands were chosen as NME's "2002: The New Batch". Original drummer David Olliffe went on hiatus around this time, and the band brought in Hamish Rosser on drums (another Australian, whose previous gig was playing with a Kinks cover band in Nevada) and Nicholls' best childhood friend Ryan Griffiths on second guitar. The lineup complete, the Vines played their first-ever headlining show in February 2002, a low-key appearance in a small pub in Sydney called the Vic on the Park. Word spread about the show and before the opening band had struck a chord, the venue was jam-packed in anticipation. Of the gig, NME wrote, "This band are the future of rock. In ten years time, 10,000 people will claim to have been at this gig."
Of The Vines' breakneck rise to popularity, Nicholls slyly smiles and says, "there are just lots of possibilities..."

Formed in Australia in the late '90s, the Vines rose to prominence during the garage rock revival of the early 2000s, joining bands such as the Hives, Jet, and the Libertines in their confident swagger and punky energy. While other groups took cues from the Stooges and MC5, however, the Vines found inspiration elsewhere, particularly in the grungy craft of Nirvana and the melodic, psychedelic appeal of vintage British pop. The combination helped make their debut album, 2002's Highly Evolved, an international hit, while the erratic behavior displayed by frontman Craig Nicholls (who was later diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome) attracted a considerable amount of media attention. Nicholls' untreated condition came to a head several years later, forcing the band to take an indefinite hiatus from large-scale touring. Nevertheless, the Vines continued to play sporadic shows while issuing new albums, the bulk of which combined a garage rock foundation with flashes of melodic psychedelia.

Future bandmates Craig Nicholls and Patrick Matthews met while working at McDonalds in Sydney. With Matthews playing bass, Nicholls handling guitar, and friend David Oliffe playing drums, the three musicians began playing Nirvana covers while steadily building a catalog of original material. By 2001, the band's own sound had attracted the attention of XL Records, the British label responsible for issuing the White Stripes' albums in the U.K. XL released the Vines' debut single that November, leading to a European craze that saw NME praising the band for "breathing new life into classic stuff." One month after the single's release, the Vines inked a contract with Heavenly Records in the U.K., a move that afforded them enough leverage to sign with Australia's EMI branch the following year.

As their buzz built overseas, the band decamped to Los Angeles to record a full album with producer Rob Schnapf. Drummer Hamish Rosser was brought aboard to replace the departing Oliffe, and guitarist Ryan Griffiths joined shortly thereafter. Now a competent quartet, the Vines toured the U.K. in support of their second single, the 90-second juggernaut "Highly Evolved," and made their American debut at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, CA. The debut album Highly Evolved then arrived in July 2002, sporting a melodically brash sound that led to platinum sales in Australia and gold certifications in the U.K. and United States. The band also graced the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine that October, accompanied by the headline "Rock is Back: Meet the Vines."

However, the sophomore effort Winning Days failed to live up to its predecessor, falling short in overall sales and critical reception upon its release in 2004. Furthermore, Nicholls' bratty behavior had spiraled into something else entirely, culminating in a disastrous hometown performance that found him berating the crowd. Patrick Matthews responded by walking offstage and quitting the band, while Nicholls proceeded to attack a photographer after the show's premature finish. Charges were later pressed, and it was revealed during the resulting court date that Nicholls suffered from Asperger's syndrome. The singer agreed to seek treatment for the disorder; in the meantime, however, the Vines canceled all shows in support of Winning Days, and Matthews cemented his departure by joining the band Youth Group.

The Vines' third album, Vision Valley, appeared in 2006, featuring a back-to-basics combination of grunge anthems and tight, focused garage punk. The band seemed to be finding its footing again, but sales were nonetheless poor, prompting the Vines' various labels (including Capitol, their representation in America) to drop the band in 2007. After partnering with the Sydney-based Ivy League Records shortly thereafter, the Vines reprised their relationship with producer Rob Schnapf and recorded Melodia. Several tours were planned in advance of its 2009 release, but Nicholls' condition once again forced the Vines to take a break, resulting in the cancellation of their Japanese tour as well as a scheduled appearance at Homebake 2008. ~ Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide