Amyl and the Sniffers
Amyl and the Sniffers are an Australian pub rock and punk rock band based in Melbourne, consisting of vocalist Amy Taylor, drummer Bryce Wilson, guitarist Dec Martens, and bassist Fergus Romer. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2019, their self-titled debut record won the Best Rock Album category. History. 2016–2017: "Giddy Up" and "Big Attraction". The band was formed by housemates Taylor, Wilson and Martens and former band member Calum Newton (AKA Candy) in Balaclava, Melbourne. The four wrote, recorded, and released their first EP, "Giddy Up", in a span of 12 hours. Calum left  the band to pursue solo music and was replaced by Fergus Romer. They take their name from the Australian slang for amyl nitrite, also known as poppers. Amy Taylor compared their music to the drug in an interview with Paul Glynn of the BBC: "In Australia we call poppers Amyl. So you sniff it, it lasts for 30 seconds and then you have a headache – and that's what we're like!" Their sound has been compared to 1970s hard rock groups such as Iggy Pop and The Stooges and The Damned. However, Taylor has cited a number of varying  influences including Minor Threat, Ceremony, AC/DC, Sleaford Mods, Dolly Parton and Cardi B. A second EP "Big Attraction" was released in 2017. 2018–present: "Amyl and the Sniffers" and "Comfort to Me". In 2018, the band went into the studio to record their debut album with producer and former Add N to (X) drummer Ross Orton. The result was the self-titled "Amyl and the Sniffers", which was released on 24 May 2019 and has received generally positive reviews including a 7.2 from Pitchfork and 4 out of 5 stars from "NME" and "AllMusic". In light of the album 's release, "Happy Mag" placed the band at No. 9 on their list of "The 15 Australian female artists changing the game right now", praising front-woman Amy Taylor for being "one of hardest rocking people on the face of the planet." At the ARIA Music Awards of 2019, "Amyl and the Sniffers" won the ARIA Award for Best Rock Album. In February 2020, the self-titled album was nominated for the Australian Music Prize of 2019. On 7 July 2021, Amyl and the Sniffers announced their second studio album "Comfort to Me", alongside lead single "Guided by Angels". Later  in July, the band released another single, "Security". Three days prior to the release of the album the band released a final single, "Hertz", alongside a complementary music video. The full "Comfort to Me" album was initially scheduled for release in early October 2021, but was pushed up and released on 10 September. The album was recorded at Sound Park, in Melbourne. Awards and nominations. APRA Awards. The APRA Awards are held in Australia and New Zealand by the Australasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually. ARIA Music Awards. The ARIA  Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. Australian Music Prize. The Australian Music Prize (the AMP) is an annual award of $30,000 given to an Australian band or solo artist in recognition of the merit of an album released during the year of award. They commenced in 2005. J Awards. Commencing in 2005, the J Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J. Music Victoria Awards. The Music Victoria Awards, are  an annual awards night celebrating Victorian music. They commenced in 2005. National Live Music Awards. The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) are a broad recognition of Australia's diverse live industry, celebrating the success of the Australian live scene. The awards commenced in 2016. References. General