history
Here at triple j we’ve been Unearthing music around Australia for over a decade.
Since July 1995, we’ve provided young bands and musicians living in regional
and city areas of Australia an opportunity to be heard on national radio and be
professionally recorded. We’ve travelled to over 43 regions around the nation
and unearthed over 100 bands! Nearly all these musicians have gone on to release
CD’s independently and many have secured distribution deals.
Here's a handful of our success stories...
GRINSPOON - 1995
Grinspoon performs at Byron Bay, Splendour in the Grass 2004
The guys from Grinspoon had only just formed when they heard about
Unearthed.
They entered a song called 'Sickfest' that went on to be the co-winner. 'Sickfest'
then became triple j's number one requested song for 7 weeks and the band Grinspoon
was well and truly born.
Grinspoon are regulars at Australian music festivals and have built a strong local
following since winning
Unearthed. After being nominated 9 times
they finally won their first ARIA award in 2005 with 'Thrills, Kills & Sunday
Pills' winning best 'Rock Album of the Year'.
ENDORPHIN - 1996
Endorphin
'Relapse' was the track that we Unearthed in 1996. Endorphin aka Eric Chapus signed to Sony and sold 15,000 copies of his debut album "Embrace".
He's had an impressive career since, including a huge and gruelling National tour in 2003 which took in 67 gigs that swept through every city and state and many regional towns. He's currently working on a new album - 'Shake it'.
KILLING HEIDI - 1996
Killing Heidi
Who would imagine that a tiny town of 2000 citizens - Violet Town, could produce
a band with such a huge sound? 'Kettle' was the song which caught our attention
in 1996. Despite being only 16 and 18 at the time, vocalist Ella Hooper and her
brother Jesse had created a powerful and original sound.
Since winning
Unearthed they have gone on to become an Aussie success
story. Their debut album "Reflector" hit #1 and they won 4 ARIA awards in 2001.
Killing Heidi's are due to release their 4th album in 2006.
MISSY HIGGINS - 2001
Missy Higgins performs at Homebake 2004
Missy Higgins was still in high school when her song: 'I'm all for Believing' won
our 2001 Melbourne Unearthed Compeition.
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Listen to her winning entry
Rather than rushing into a recording studio she chose to take a year off backpacking
around across Europe and writing more songs which became the basis for a self titled
EP. The lead track 'Greed for Your Love' was voted into our Hottest 100 in 2003.
Since then she's certainly been busy! In 2004 she debuted at #1 on the Australian
singles charts with her Scar EP. The title track notched up ten weeks at #1 on the
airplay charts and became the most played song on Australian radio for 2004. To
top this, her debut album 'The Sound of White' was released in September the same
year and has gone on to be quadruple platinum.
Back in 2001 Missy Higgins performed in our Melbourne studios after winning
Unearthed. Watch her performing
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I'm All For Believing
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Katie
THE FUZZ - 2002
The Fuzz outside their 'headquarters' in Mt Lawley
As the hardest working band in WA, The Fuzz have been playing gigs non stop since
being unearthed November 2002.
They play guitars. Loud. Their energetic sound has led them to play at the Big Day
Out in Perth and as supports for Mudhoney, The Breeders, Hard Ons, Spiderbait, Jebediah,
Brad and the Breeders.
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Listen to their winning song 'The Bomb'
SOPHIE KOH - 2003
Sophie was born in New Zealand and has lived in Singapore, Malaysia, Melbourne and
Darwin.
Sophie was 15 when she wrote her first song. 8 years later she was unearthed in
Darwin with her track 'Easily Broken'.
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Listen to 'Easily Broken' re-recorded by triple j
"I remember the first time 'Easily Broken' came on the radio, I was driving my car
and had some friends with me. I tried to turn off my CD player, thinking that I
had left my demo CD in there, but, of course, I couldn't. The song was on the radio,
it was unreal." - Sophie Koh
She's built up a reputation as an engaging live performer and has gone on to support
acts such as Eels, The Go-Betweens, Betchadupa, Pete Murray, Alex Lloyd, Paul Dempsey,
Ember Swift and Mick Thomas.. In 2005 Sophie released her debut album 'All The Pretty
Boys'.
UNPAID DEBT - 2004
4-piece Sydney act - Unpaid Debt
Unpaid Debt began its life in Western Sydney in June 2000, playing to a healthy following in community venues like the Melrose Hall in Emu Plains. They have now moved to Sydney and say that the city is starting to show through in their music.
Since winning Unearthed the band have been giving the live circuit a workout. Big guns they've supported include The Mad Caddies, Goldfinger, Against Me!, New Found Glory, Guttermouth, One Dollar Short, The Hard-Ons, and The Vandals
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Listen to their winning song 'Verity'
SHIFTER - 2004
Shifter standing tall.
Shifter beat over 1500 entries from Queensland with their addictive power-pop track
'Butter'.
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Listen to the 'Butter'
They've since clocked up shows with Grinspoon, The Living End, Eskimo Joe, Spiderbait,
Shihad, Evermore and Blondie.
In 2005 the band jetted to Los Angeles and played at the legendary Roxy nightclub.
To find out more about our past winners, explore our archived site from
Unearthed 2002-2004 »