| The Holidays | |
| Background: | group_or_band |
| Origin: | Sydney, Australia |
| Genre: | Indie rock, Pop rock, Soul |
| Label: | Liberation (Australia), Rallye Label (Japan) |
| Years Active: | 2006 - present |
| Website: | Official Website |
| Current Members: | Simon Jones Will Magnus Alex Kortt Andrew Kerridge |
The Holidays are an Australian indie pop/soul band. Formed in Sydney in 2006, the band consists of Simon Jones, Will Magnus, Alex Kortt and Andrew Kerridge. Their debut album Post Paradise was nominated for an Australian Music Prize.
The Holidays formed in late 2006 and swiftly made a name for themselves in the Sydney music scene with their lively and energetic style. Simon Jones and Will Magnus, who had been high school classmates, previously played together in cover bands during their school's band competitions.
Within their first year as a band together, The Holidays toured with Jamie T,[1] with The View,[2] with Ben Kweller, and recorded an EP of demos which quickly sold out at gigs and received regular airplay on radio stations both in Australia[3] and in the USA. In November 2007 The Holidays were featured on the Next Crop segment of national youth radio station Triple J,[4] soon followed by their signing with independent Australian record label Liberation Music, in early 2008.
The Holidays released their debut EP on 19 April 2008 to positive reviews[5] which was followed by a substantial national tour to promote the release. They released their second EP When The Ship Goes Down in October 2008, which showed the band's natural progression with song-writing. Recorded with Wayne Connolly of The Vines and Josh Pyke fame, this EP was followed by a 20 date national tour, co-headlining with Brisbane band Yves Klein Blue.
The Holidays' debut album Post Paradise soon followed, after several months of writing and experimenting. Drawn away from the simplicity of their earlier indie guitar manifestation, Post Paradise showed the band's development with both the groove and layers of a song, combined with their recognizable pop hooks. This album differed from previous recordings by The Holidays' in that it was self-produced and recorded in various locations around Sydney and New South Wales.
"Moonlight Hours", the first single from their debut album was taken to radio in November 2009, and added to high rotation on national youth radio station Triple J. "Golden Sky" was the second single from The Holidays debut album, released in May 2010, which was followed by an east coast tour of Australia to promote the release. There is a music video for both these singles, made by Melbourne company Moop Jaw.
Post Paradise was released in Australia on 24 September 2010, in conjunction with third single, Broken Bones, which was added to radio nationally. The album has received very positive reviews since its release, which included amongst other reviews, being shortlisted for the Australian Music Prize and winning the Red Bull Award for Best Debut Album. Post Paradise also received "Album of the Week" in Drum Media, Beat Magazine, BMA Mag & The Brag,[6] 4.5 stars in The Herald Sun, The Daily Telegraph & The Courier Mail, as well as positive reviews in The Age & The Sydney Morning Herald. Post Paradise won The Age Readers Choice Best Album of 2010,[7] and was the Triple J Feature Album for the week commencing 26 December 2010.
The Holidays toured Post Paradise substantially in 2010 and 2011, including shows at SXSW in Austin, Texas, The Great Escape Festival in Brighton, UK, and Australian festivals including Groovin' the Moo, Laneway Festival and Splendour in the Grass. The Holidays' current live show incorporates a fifth touring member, David Zucker as percussionist, as well occasional backing vocalists.
On 21 February 2014, The Holidays released their second record, Real Feel. Coinciding with the release of the album, the band toured Australia over March and also continuing into June/July.
The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.|-| 2011| themselves | Breakthrough Independent Artist| |-
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. The commenced in 2005.|-| 2010[8] |Post Paradise| Australian Music Prize| |-
The Music Victoria Awards (previously known as The Age EG Awards and The Age Music Victoria Awards) are an annual awards night celebrating Victorian music.
|-| 2010| Post Paradise| Best Album| |-