The Vines

During the final years of the 1990s the Vines assembled in Australia and achieved visibility amid the garage rock resurgence that defined the opening decade of the new millennium, sharing the brash attitude and raw punk drive displayed by the Hives, Jet, and the Libertines. Whereas many contemporaries looked to the Stooges and MC5, the Vines instead absorbed the grungy songwriting of Nirvana together with the tuneful psychedelic charm of classic British pop. That blend propelled their first full-length release, 2002’s Highly Evolved, to international commercial success, while frontman Craig Nicholls’s unpredictable conduct—later linked to a diagnosis of Asperger’s syndrome—drew widespread press scrutiny. Nicholls’s untreated condition eventually triggered a lengthy pause in major touring, yet the group maintained occasional performances and continued releasing records whose core garage-rock approach was occasionally illuminated by melodic psychedelic elements.

Craig Nicholls and Patrick Matthews first crossed paths as coworkers at a McDonald’s outlet in Sydney. With Matthews on bass, Nicholls on guitar, and David Oliffe on drums, the trio initially concentrated on Nirvana covers while gradually assembling original compositions. By 2001 their developing style caught the ear of XL Records, the British imprint that handled White Stripes releases in the U.K. The label issued the Vines’ debut single in November, sparking European enthusiasm that prompted NME to credit the band with “breathing new life into classic stuff.” One month later the group signed with Heavenly Records in Britain, a step that strengthened their position and led to a deal with EMI’s Australian division the next year.

While interest mounted abroad, the band relocated to Los Angeles to cut a complete album under producer Rob Schnapf. Hamish Rosser replaced the departing Oliffe on drums, and guitarist Ryan Griffiths soon completed the lineup. As a stable quartet the Vines toured Britain behind their follow-up single, the ninety-second powerhouse “Highly Evolved,” and made their U.S. bow at Coachella in Indio, California. The album Highly Evolved reached stores in July 2002, its melodically abrasive sound earning platinum status in Australia and gold certifications in Britain and the United States. That October the band appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone beneath the declaration “Rock Is Back: Meet the Vines.”

The follow-up, Winning Days, could not match the impact of its predecessor when it surfaced in 2004, registering weaker sales and reviews. Nicholls’s confrontational demeanor had meanwhile escalated, climaxing in a chaotic hometown show during which he harangued the audience. Patrick Matthews walked offstage and exited the group; Nicholls then assaulted a photographer once the set ended prematurely. Legal charges followed, and court proceedings disclosed Nicholls’s Asperger’s syndrome. He consented to treatment, yet the Vines canceled all remaining Winning Days dates, and Matthews confirmed his departure by joining Youth Group.

Vision Valley, the third album, emerged in 2006 and returned to a straightforward mix of grunge anthems and concise garage punk. With Brad Heald installed on bass the band appeared to regain stability, but disappointing sales prompted several labels, including U.S. affiliate Capitol, to drop the act in 2007. Shortly afterward the Vines aligned with Sydney’s Ivy League Records, reunited with producer Rob Schnapf, and completed Melodia. Multiple tours were scheduled ahead of the 2009 release, yet Nicholls’s condition again interrupted plans, forcing cancellation of a Japanese itinerary and a booked slot at Homebake 2008.

Without label support the group issued its subsequent record, Future Primitive, in 2011 as a free covermount disc accompanying British broadsheet The Daily Telegraph; Sony later supplied a standard commercial release. Later that year Rosser and Griffiths exited under unclear and reportedly contentious conditions; Rosser subsequently joined Wolfmother. At Homebake the Vines performed as a trio of Nicholls, Heald, and drummer Murray Sheridan. Heald departed in 2012, leaving Nicholls the sole remaining founding member. Undaunted, he kept composing until he had amassed material for a double album. Recruiting drummer Lachlan West and bassist Tim John, he tracked the sixth Vines album, Wicked Nature, with producer Paul McKercher. Partially financed through PledgeMusic, the set appeared as a double LP in September 2014.