| Even As We Speak | |
| Background: | group_or_band |
| Origin: | Australia |
| Genre: | Indie pop, indie rock |
| Years Active: | 1986–present |
| Label: | Sarah Records, Phantom Records, Egg Records, Big Home Productions, Emotional Response Records |
| Associated Acts: | Her Name in Lights, The Shrinking Violets, Julian Knowles |
| Current Members: | Mary Wyer Mathew Love Rob Irwin Julian Knowles Anita Rayner |
| Past Members: | Neil Johnson Scott Leishman Bjarn Paul Clarke Paul Field |
Even As We Speak is an Australian indie band from Sydney. Formed in the mid-1980s, founding members Matthew Love (guitar, banjo, vocals) and Mary Wyer (vocals, guitar) were later joined by Rob Irwin (bass) Anita Rayner (drums, banjo, mandolin), Paul Clarke (guitar, vocals) and Julian Knowles (keyboards, guitar, production).
After a series of vinyl releases on Australian independent labels including Phantom Records,[1] and success on the Australian indie scene, they came to the attention of BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel who started to play the band's Phantom Records single 'Goes So Slow' on his show. This brought them to the attention of UK audiences and began a relationship with UK indie label Sarah Records. The band released several singles and an album on Sarah Records, three of which reached the Top 5 of the Melody Maker and New Musical Express UK independent music charts in 1992 and 1993.
Between 1992 and 1993, the group recorded three sessions for John Peel and one session for Mark Goodier for BBC Radio 1.[2] They were among the few Australian bands to record Peel Sessions – others were The Birthday Party, The Triffids, The Go-Betweens and Laughing Clowns. These sessions were released as the album 'Yellow Food: The Peel Sessions'[3] in June 2014. A session was also recorded for Radio France.
Wyer formed a pop rock band, Her Name in Lights, which issued their debut album, Into the Light Again, in October 2004.[4] Egg Records of Glasgow has compiled Even As We Speak's five Australian vinyl singles into a 17-song CD, A Three Minute Song is One Minute Too Long (2007).[5]
In 2016, the band reformed (minus Paul Clarke) to play NYC Popfest and added some further shows to mark the release of 'Yellow Food: The Peel Sessions', a compilation album of the complete sessions recorded for the BBC between 1992 and 1993. This led to the band recording and releasing a 5 track EP of new material, The Black Forest, on 10-inch vinyl and CD through Emotional Response Records in the US in September 2017.
In 2018, a 25-year re-issue of the Sarah Records LP Feral Pop Frenzy[6] was released on Emotional Response and also as a Rough Trade coloured vinyl exclusive in the UK and USA. The band toured the UK in July 2018 headlining a bill with a classic Sarah Records lineup of Secret Shine, Boyracer and Action Painting!, finishing with a headline slot on the Loco Stage at the Indietracks festival.[7]
The full-length album Adelphi was released 24 July 2020 on Shelflife Records.[8]