Herd, The

The Herd formed in 2001 after the core members of Elefant Traks record label decided to collaborate rather than individually contribute tracks to a collective compilation. They retreated from the city on weekends and days off to record at a lakeside house on the Central Coast in NSW. The result was the self-titled album that featured the Triple J hit ‘Scallops’ – a song that became an Aussie backyard anthem.

After some long and promising stints on the road, The Herd released their second album An Elefant Never Forgets to great acclaim. What began as a group of individuals working together had now developed into a tight and cohesive band, with yet more touring and shows around the country.

The launches were sold out affairs and the album was repressed four times as Elefant Traks struggled to keep up with the unexpected demand. Following the first dynamic single ‘Burn Down the Parliament’, was ‘77%’ – an impassioned song about the Tampa farce of 2001 that immediately sparked controversy once it hit the airwaves. Talkback hosts such as Stan Zemanek expressed outrage over the song, whilst everyone from Tim Blair (Daily Telegraph) to the Sydney Morning Herald commented on the lyrics in stories. Triple J were condemned widely for playing it, but persisted and it was eventually voted into the Hottest 100 of that year.

Since 2003, The Herd have toured to every state and territory in Australia on countless headline shows – as well as festival appearances at the Big Day Out, Splendour in the Grass, and venues such as the Hordern Pavilion, The Arena, The Metro and the Hi-Fi Bar.

September 2005 saw the release of The Herd’s third album The Sun Never Sets – their most accomplished work to date – utilising their new studio for recording and mixing. The song writing, rhyme flows, singing, music production and arrangements have developed remarkably, showcasing a more mature yet vitally important voice in Australian music.