Martin Phillipps

The Chills
Background information
Origin	Dunedin, New Zealand
Genres	Dunedin Sound
Years active	1980–1983, 1984-1992, 1994-1996, 1999-present
Labels	Flying Nun, Homestead, Creation, Slash, Fire
Associated acts	The Clean, Toy Love, Sneaky Feelings, The Heavy Eights, Luna, The Verlaines
Website	Official Site
Members	Martin Phillipps James Dickson Todd Knudson Erica Scally Oli Wilson
Past members	Peter Gutteridge Alan Haig Jane Dodd Rachel Phillipps Fraser Batts Terry Moore Peter Allison David Kilgour Steven Schayer Martin Kean Justin Harwood Caroline Easther Jimmy James Stephenson

The Chills are a guitar and keyboard-based rock band from Dunedin, New Zealand. The band is essentially the continuing project of singer/songwriter Martin Phillipps, who is the group's sole constant member—for a time in the 1990s, the act was billed as Martin Phillipps & The Chills. In the 1980s and 1990s, The Chills had some significant chart success in their homeland, and were a cult band in other parts of the world as one of the earliest proponents of the Dunedin Sound.

Singer-songwriter Martin Phillipps formed The Chills in 1980 with his sister Rachel Phillipps on keyboards and Jane Dodd on bass after the demise of his punk band, The Same. Also included in the initial line-up were guitarist Peter Gutteridge and drummer Alan Haig. Phillipps' earlier band, the Same, had formed in 1978 and performed alongside punk bands Toy Love and The Enemy.

The Chills were initially signed by Flying Nun Records and were one of the four bands recorded for the Dunedin Double EP in 1982. By this time, the band consisted of Martin Phillipps, Alan Haig, keyboard player Frazer Batts and bassist Terry Moore. One of the tracks recorded, "Kaleidoscope World" became a signature song for the band's early years.

Rachel Phillipps returned (replacing Batts) and Martyn Bull took over from Haig on drums in time for the band's first single "Rolling Moon", which was a chart hit in 1983. However, Bull's sudden illness caused the band to then take a year off.

After Bull's death in July 1983 (from leukaemia), the Chills changed their name to A Wrinkle in Time, as Phillipps was initially unwilling to continue performing under a name associated with his late friend. The name change was brief, though they did perform live under the alternative name. No recordings were released as A Wrinkle in Time.

Once the Chills name had been re-established, from this point forward The Chills were essentially a solo project spearheaded by Martin Phillipps, the band's lead singer and only songwriter. Band personnel turnover was near-constant, with The Chills going through over 20 different line-up changes with Phillipps as the only constant member. Members of the band from 1984 on have included Terry Moore, Alan Haig, Peter Allison, David Kilgour, Steven Schayer, Martin Kean, Justin Harwood, Caroline Easther, Jimmy James Stephenson, Jillian Dempster among others. Several of these musicians went on to further success in bands ranging from The Verlaines to Luna.

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Wikipedia