Pollyanna

Pollyanna first attracted notice across Australia during the middle of the 1990s through their loud indie guitar pop sound, which echoed the style of Sugar and the Happy Days period of Catherine Wheel. The group came together in Sydney in 1993, with Matt Handley handling vocals and guitar, Maryke Stapleton on bass, and Serge Luca behind the drums. Their debut EP, FordGreenSilverRocket, arrived in October 1994 and drew scant attention, yet the follow-up, Junior, issued in February 1995, gained traction on Australian radio stations thanks chiefly to the song “Pale Grey Eyes.”

Long Player, their initial full-length release, surfaced in early 1996 and earned favorable notices for its guitar-centered pop approach. Multiple cuts from the record became regulars on alternative stations, while the single “Lemonsuck” even reached the national mainstream charts. Capitalizing on this momentum, the band combined the two preceding EPs into a single disc titled Junior Rock and reissued it in November 1996. After a stretch of heavy touring that included opening slots for the Australian dates of Weezer, Paw, and Garbage, Pollyanna turned to their next album. Midway through those sessions Luca departed, prompting the arrival of Glenn Maynard—previously of the Melbourne outfits Have a Nice Day and Violetine—as his replacement. The change also prompted the group to relocate from Sydney to Melbourne.

Hello Halo appeared in late 1997. Although the record did not mark a dramatic departure in style, numbers such as “Brittle Then Broken” and “Cooling Your Heels” demonstrated Pollyanna’s ability to move beyond basic guitar rock. The album drew broad notice and positive critical response.