Stevens

Melbourne, Australia-based gritty indie pop quartet the Stevens originated in 2009 when dual guitarists Travis MacDonald and Alex MacFarlane connected after each had already spent time on separate bedroom recording projects. They quickly discovered a mutual fixation on the Flying Nun Records/New Zealand pop aesthetic alongside post-punk art rock. Recruiting rhythm-section support from Tam Matalkowski and Callum Folley, the pair adopted the name the Stevens and began performing live while issuing recordings in 2011. A self-titled EP surfaced in 2012, appearing first on CD-R, then cassette, and finally as a 7". Late that same year Matalkowski and Folley departed; bassist Gus Lord and drummer Matthew Harkin stepped in. The refreshed lineup maintained a busy performance schedule, including a support slot for the Wedding Present. Throughout most of 2013 the group tracked its debut album with producer Mikey Young, whose credits include the Aussie punk outfits Total Control and Eddy Current Suppression Ring. The resulting 24-track set A History of Hygiene appeared toward the end of 2013. Around the same period MacFarlane, already aligned with fellow Flying Nun devotees the Twerps, began drumming for them on the Underlay EP. Lord joined the Twerps on bass in 2014. Although Stevens commitments became secondary, the quartet still managed a U.S. tour and issued the single “Thirsty Eye.” Their follow-up album was captured across bedrooms and rehearsal rooms throughout 2016 before longtime Flying Nun associate Tex Houston applied final polish, echoing his earlier role on A History of Hygiene. Chapter Music issued the finished 18-song collection Good in July 2017.