The Church

Emerging as one of Australia's most enduring acts from the post-punk period onward, the Church draw direct inspiration from psychedelia and 1960s folk-rock while weaving in strands of prog rock, art rock, and jangle pop to craft a singular and lasting sonic identity. Their opening release, Of Skins and Heart from 1981, captured widespread notice through the ringing single "The Unguarded Moment." A string of evocative follow-ups came next, among them 1982's The Blurred Crusade, 1983's Seance, and 1985's Heyday, where the group balanced memorable melodies against synthy goth layers and intricate orchestral arrangements. Global attention arrived with 1988's Starfish and its luminous track "Under the Milky Way," which climbed to number 11 on Australian charts and reached 41 on the Billboard 200. Subsequent releases—1990's Gold Afternoon Fix, 1992's Priest=Aura, and 1994's Sometime Anywhere—each landed inside Australia's Top 30. Anchored by lead singer, songwriter, and bassist Steve Kilbey, the Church have sustained a devoted following through atmospheric and prog-tinged works such as 2003's Forget Yourself, 2009's Untitled #23, and 2014's Further/Deeper, along with the linked conceptual projects 2023's The Hypnogogue and 2024's Eros Zeta and the Perfumed Guitars, all reflecting Kilbey's wide-ranging pursuits in psychedelia, literature, art, and mysticism.

The band assembled in Sydney, Australia during 1980 around Steve Kilbey on bass and vocals, Peter Koppes on guitar, and Nick Ward on drums. Kilbey, previously of the Tactics, had shared time with Koppes in the mid-1970s glam outfit Precious Little, yet both sought fresh directions upon linking with Ward. Initially known as Limosine, they refined their direction through home-studio demos, and the addition of guitarist Marty Willson-Piper helped define their characteristic approach. Under the name the Church they built a following on Sydney's club scene, securing a deal by late 1980 with EMI's revived Parlophone imprint. Their 1981 debut Of Skins and Heart achieved commercial traction at home once "The Unguarded Moment" entered the pop charts. Shortly after the album's appearance drummer Ward departed, with Richard Ploog stepping in as the new percussionist. The group immediately recorded the EP Too Fast for You alongside Ploog, after which selections from that release and Of Skins and Heart were assembled for a U.K. and U.S. compilation simply titled The Church.

During spring 1982 the Church delivered their second album, The Blurred Crusade, which succeeded domestically and performed respectably in England; however, U.S. label Capitol rejected its lush neo-psychedelic character and declined to issue it stateside. The band's atmospheric and experimental leanings remained prominent on the 1983 album Séance, which reached number 18 in Australia though it gained little traction elsewhere. In 1984 they issued the EPs Persia and Remote Luxury, later combined into the album Remote Luxury that attracted a fresh U.S. contract with Warner Bros. Following extensive international touring, including a modestly received U.S. visit, the group took a short break before returning to the studio for 1986's Heyday, a major Australian success that strengthened their overseas profile through positive notices in the United States and Great Britain. That year Steve Kilbey launched his solo debut Unearthed, issued in 1987, while Marty Willson-Piper and Peter Koppes soon issued their own solo recordings; each member continued solo work during band interludes.

By 1988 the Church regrouped under new U.S. partners Arista and Australian label Mushroom for Starfish, tracked in Los Angeles under producers Waddy Wachtel and Greg Ladanyi, both seasoned figures in the L.A. studio community. The album achieved solid international results, reaching number 11 in Australia and 41 on the Billboard 200 while spotlighting the hit "Under the Milky Way," though the sessions proved bittersweet as members disliked the Los Angeles environment. Its success led Arista to push for another collaboration with Wachtel on the follow-up, 1990's Gold Afternoon Fix, despite the band's preference for former Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones; that record entered Australia's Top 20 and charted at 66 on the Billboard 200.

Self-produced by the band, 1992's Priest = Aura featured new drummer Jay Dee Daugherty, previously of the Patti Smith Group, after Ploog's exit. The album earned strong fan approval even with its extended, ambitious structures that departed from the catchy hooks of earlier singles. Shortly afterward Koppes and Jay Dee Daugherty both departed. The 1994 release Sometime Anywhere paired Kilbey and Willson-Piper with producer and drummer Tim Powles plus session players; adventurous and musically rewarding, it supported an acoustic tour by Kilbey and Willson-Piper yet marked the band's last major-label U.S. album.

Partnering next with independent White Records, the Church issued 1996's Magician Among the Spirits, which struggled in America following distributor bankruptcy but found favor with fans and included a guest spot from Peter Koppes, who also joined their ensuing tour. Koppes then participated in studio sessions yielding Pharmakoi/Distance-Crunching Honchos with Echo Units, released in 1997 under the alias the Refo:mation, before rejoining the Church for 1998's Hologram of Baal and its supporting international tour; the initial pressing contained the bonus disc Bastard Universe, a 79-minute set of improvised quartet material. Hologram of Baal preceded 1999's A Box of Birds, a covers collection interpreting songs by the Beatles, Neil Young, Hawkwind, Television, Iggy Pop, and the Monkees.

After three years focused on side projects, the first decade of the 2000s became highly productive, beginning with 2002's After Everything Now This and encompassing nine full-length albums through 2009, among them a collaboration with science-fiction author Jeff VanderMeer for music accompanying his novel Shriek and acoustic reinterpretations of earlier material. In 2011 the Church mounted an extensive U.S. tour presenting three albums in full—Starfish, Priest = Aura, and 2009's Untitled #23—before sold-out audiences across nine cities, with Untitled #23 appearing domestically on the independent Second Motion Records imprint.

Kilbey briefly exited in 2012 amid a royalty disagreement with North American label Second Motion. He had already begun the creative partnership Kilbey Kennedy with All India Radio's Martin Kennedy, resulting in expansive electro-psychedelic albums including 2011's White Magic, 2015's Inside We Are the Same, and 2017's Glow and Fade. Kilbey rejoined the Church for their 21st studio album, 2014's Further/Deeper, on which former Powderfinger guitarist Ian Haug replaced Willson-Piper, who had moved to Sweden for other work. The release supported an extended tour featuring both Further/Deeper and the complete 1982 album The Blurred Crusade.

They returned in 2017 with Man Woman Life Death Infinity, featuring Kilbey alongside Koppes, Powles, and Haug and spotlighting the Eastern-tinged psychedelic single "Undersea." The following year Kilbey released the lush solo album Sydney Rococo. He later collaborated with fellow singer-songwriters Sean Sennett and Kate Ceberano on the 2020 trio set The Dangerous Age, then issued the home-recorded solo album Eleven Women, completed in three days. Another solo outing, The Hall of Counterfeits, surfaced in 2021 with Kilbey supported by the Winged Heels, including drummer Barton Price, guitarist Gareth Koch, and pianist Roger Mason. He rejoined the Church for their prog-influenced 26th studio album, 2023's The Hypnogogue, a concept work centered on the titular device converting thoughts into music, followed by the companion album Eros Zeta and the Perfumed Guitars in 2024 that extended the narrative.