Clouds, The

Australian indie band, The Clouds, was formed in Sydney in December 1989 around Jodi Phillis (guitar and vocals) and Patricia “Trish” Young (bass and vocals). Other original members were Robert Phelan (guitar) and Stuart Eadie (drums), though the lineup changed several times throughout the band’s life.

The Clouds signed with Red Eye Records in 1990, releasing their debut EP Cloud Factory, followed in April 1991 by the EP Loot, which featured the single Soul Eater. The band received adulation from Triple J radio and the Australian Indie scene, who fell in love with their Pixies-like dynamics and blissful harmonies.

Their debut album, Penny Century, was released in October 1991, producing the singles Hieronymous and Anthem. It was generally considered the best of a good crop of releases from female-fronted Aussie bands, including The Falling Joys, The Hummingbirds, Underground Lovers, Club Hoy and Frente.

Their follow-up mini-album Octopus was released a year later, and the band relocated to the UK for a time, basing themselves in London.

When they returned to Australia with a set of new songs for their next album, Thunderhead, Polydor was unimpressed with all but one of them, Domino, which they wanted to be a single.

The band recorded a version of the song with the vocals slowed down to the point that Jodi Phillis sounded like a man, and when the album was released, Bowers of Bliss was chosen to be the single instead. It sold disappointingly.

The group then relocated to America for a while, and guitarist Dave Easton quit the band on their return to Australia. They brought in Ben Nightingale for the overlooked 1996 album Futura.

The Clouds called it a day in 1997 – although they reformed in 2011 and continue to tour roughly once a year.

Jodi Phillis
Vocals, guitar
Trish Young
Vocals, bass
Robert Phelan
Guitar
Stuart Eadie
Drums
Dave Easton
Guitar
Andrew Byrne
Drums
Raphael Whittingham
Drums
Ben Nightingale
Guitar

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